“My Strike Zone Is Narrow”—A Former Professional Baseball Umpire Tries Out a “Live-Action Dating Game”
"Hamkoi" Interview!
Flora or Bianca—which one will you choose?
Reincarnated as a hamster and living with three beautiful sisters—a live-action romance game with an unprecedented premise “Hamkoi: My Sweet Days with the Three Sisters After Being Reincarnated as a Hamster” . Ahead of its release, we invited a variety of people to try out the game.
This time, our tester is Ryotaro Sakai, a former professional baseball umpire. Having made calls in countless difficult situations, what kind of gameplay will Sakai showcase?
“I guess you could call this a real-life version of ‘Tokimeki Memorial,’” says Sakai as he starts the game. By the way, how much gaming experience does he have?
“I played the (Nintendo) 64 and the like until junior high, but from high school on, I focused entirely on baseball. My favorite game was *Dragon Quest V : Bride of the Sky.’ I was really torn between Flora and Bianca, but in the end, everyone ends up playing both routes, right? (laughs). Since you can choose your heroine in this game too, it’s fun—just like Dragon Quest.”
First, I decided to try out the route for the second daughter, who caught my interest. Ms. Sakai played with no hesitation, and the story progressed smoothly. If you click the choices that appear along the way and follow the correct path, a slightly sexy “reward video” awaits.
“I see. This is great for people in high-stress jobs like referees. Being a referee involves overwhelmingly more stress, but if you get drunk and cause a scene, it’ll make the news, so you can’t afford to mess up.
Quite a few players also play video games; they use them to relieve stress during away trips and training camps. A lot of people play pachinko too, but it’s just a waste of money. I myself thought that if I was going to spend money on pachinko, I’d rather play video games, so I used to get really into Monster Hunter.”
According to Mr. Sakai, being a referee is a profession that comes with a lot of stress even outside of work.
“Umpires go out drinking all the time—we’re not as serious as people think. But there’s one major worry: our routines end up mirroring those of the players. When we go on road trips and head out to eat after a game, it gets really late. Since there are only so many places still open, I’ve even run into players at the same bars.
What makes it even harder is the hierarchical structure of the baseball world. Sometimes I’d run into players at a bar with pretty waitresses, and if a young player greeted me, as the older guy, I couldn’t very well refuse to pick up the tab. Since I know how much they earn, I’d think, ‘Even though you make more than me…’ …… ,” I think to myself (laughs).”
It’s precisely these umpires, with all their worries, who I want to play “Hamkoi.”
“Hamkoi: My Sweet Days as a Hamster Reincarnated with the Three Sisters” Steam Page —please add it to your wishlist!
The Little-Known Private Lives of Professional Baseball Umpires
Next, I played the eldest daughter route, which features a variety of cosplay outfits. Did I land within Mr. Sakai’s strike zone? What was the call?
“Hmm, that’s a ball. To be honest, I’m not really into strong-willed women; personally, I find younger women more soothing. My strike zone is on the narrow side (laughs). Comparing romantic preferences to a strike zone is a common trope in the baseball world—we often joke around, saying things like, ‘So-and-so likes them high in the zone.’”
Although Mr. Sakai doesn’t seem fazed by the sight of beautiful women in sexy outfits, he says his experience as an umpire actually comes in handy.
“When you’re an umpire, actresses often come to throw the first pitch. Since I get to escort incredibly beautiful women, I’m actually used to it.
Umpires also interact with cheerleaders. We sometimes have dinners with team staff as well, but it rarely leads to romance (laughs). The baseball world is small, so word gets around quickly.”
Next up is the story of his third daughter, Miyu. Even when cheering on Miyu as she attempts a pull-up, you can experience a perspective unique to a hamster owner. By the way, what’s the situation with pets among umpires?
“First of all, it’s impossible to keep a pet if you’re single. Umpires don’t have a ‘home base’ like players do. While assignments are divided between the Kanto and Kansai regions, we’re constantly on the road for away games, so it’s not uncommon to be away from home for a months without returning home. There’s absolutely no way I could keep a hamster.
On the other hand, many of those with families do have pets. Since we’re constantly on business trips, having a pet helps keep the family harmonious.”
I chose the wrong option and got kicked by the third daughter as she tried to do a handstand… Mission failed. Discovering “BAD END” scenarios lurking in unexpected places is one of the joys of this game.
Finally, I asked her for her impressions after playing through the early part of the story and which of the three sisters she was most interested in.
“Just like with the Judgment, I think this game serves as a source of comfort for people who are exhausted from their daily lives. Life’s failures are painful, but in a game, you can start over as many times as you want. It’s also a good idea to play when you’re feeling down.
Out of the three sisters, … The youngest is cute, but I can’t help but see her as just a little sister. Her ball is pretty low—it’s a one-bounce pitch. So, the soothing second sister was a home run for me.”
A sexy older sister, a childhood friend and classmate, or a clingy little sister type? Which girl hits your sweet spot?