Diabolical Pitch Review (XBLA, Kinect)

Kinect Required, Physical Space Requirements: Diabolical Pitch is a somewhat physically demanding game that needs a Kinect. Potential players are advised that you will need clear space in the room to move your arms out to your extreme sides (as if holding your arms out like ’airplane wings’), above your head (as if pitching a baseball from overhead to forward), in front of you (you will also need open room low to the ground for kicking motions), and possibly a bit behind you depending on how you crouch. You will need this much space free in order to safely do various baseball-themed motions, including pitching a ball and swinging a bat.

When the Kinect was released, one of the obvious ideas people discussed was the possibility of arcade-style lightgun (think Virtua Cop, Time Crisis, and so on) games. Playing such a game without an ’actual’ gun to hold could be a problem, but Diabolical Pitch has a clever solution in replacing firearms with another weapon. Players take on the role of a formerly top-notch (now crippled) baseball pitcher, lured into a haunted carnival where his disability is overcome through acquiring a bionic arm... and now he has to fight off monsters by flinging fastballs at them. It’s a silly idea, but one that works.

The basic controls are simple, as you mostly stand in place while your off-hand aims where the ball should go. Your dominant hand then pitches a baseball at the target, which is usually an oncoming enemy, power-up, or score-boosting item. While some degree of auto-aim exists and you can deal with some enemies by making wild throwing motions, others require you to lock onto their head. Foes that get too close can be repelled by spending one of your few permitted ’super kicks’, done by making a kicking motion. All of this adds up to a basic arcade lightgun experience where you fend off waves of enemies quickly enough that they don’t hurt you.