Cricket games are few and far between, and they’re almost always aimed at the hardcore fans with the most lifelike simulations of the sport possible. Big Bash Boom looks set to change that, taking a comical, arcade-style approach to cricket that calls to mind NBA 2K Playgrounds and Super Mega Baseball. A new gameplay trailer released by Big Ant Studios this week shows the game in action, complete with big heads, supercharged bowls, power-ups, and someone in a duck costume to taunt those runless batters.
“When you think of T20 cricket, you think of big hits and family entertainment,” says Ross Symons, the CEO of Big Ant Studios. “The team has worked hard to up the action and make the game a snap to pick up and play. People of all ages love Big Bash, which has grown to become summer’s hottest sporting event in Australia. We wanted to make sure everyone could pick up a controller and play along with the season.”
Cartoony appearance and arcade gameplay notwithstanding, this is still a licensed game in partnership with Cricket Australia, and it includes all teams and players from this year’s KFC BBL and Rebel WBBL. And since it’s coming to Switch (as well as PS4 and Xbox One), you’ll be able to take the game with you to the live games and play while you watch—assuming you’re in Australia, of course.
Even I’m looking forward to this one, and I’m someone with less than zero interest in cricket or cricket video games. Super Mega Baseball taught me to appreciate baseball—maybe Big Bash Boom can do the same for cricket.
Big Bash Boom comes out November 29 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.