Play Power Pocket Koushien (J)(WRG) Online

Konami released Power Pocket Koushien for the Nintendo DS in 2007, a time when the handheld was full of quirky sports titles. It was a baseball game aimed squarely at a Japanese audience, focusing on the intense high school tournament known as Koushien. It didn't try to compete with the big console baseball sims; instead, it offered a more intimate, strategic take on the sport.

You control a high school baseball team, managing both pitching and batting through the tournament brackets. The core of the game is the pitching duel; you carefully select pitch types and locations on the touch screen, trying to outthink the tiny pixelated batter in the box. When you're at bat, timing your swing is everything, a quick tap to meet the ball. The game moves at a deliberate pace, emphasizing strategy over action, and it can be brutally difficult if your pitch selection is predictable. It feels incredibly satisfying when your strategy comes together and you secure a hard-fought win.