MLB Power Pros 2008 has been announced, giving the long-running Japanese series a second shot at the pennant in the U.S. Looking back at the first title, was it good enough to warrant a second title or did it go down swinging in the first inning?
By nestlekwik
Old-school video game baseball is back with the release of Konami’s long-running flagship baseball series and with the backing of 2K Sports, the Power Pros sport recognizable likenesses for the U.S. audience. Don’t let Power Pro’s “chibi” appearance fool you – this title packs some serious game.
While the looks have certainly updated since the days of the NES, MLB Power Pros exudes the old-school feel and control of baseball games on the system, but nails it down to a crisp and easy-to-manage system. Konami uses this engine as the core of a multitude of modes, options, bonuses and more that will keep sports fans coming back for more than just the game play. The sports title concentrates a little bit less on the realm of realism and melds a number of statistical and RPG elements into a Playstation 2 sports title that is just plain fun to play.
Booting up the game allows players to play custom exhibition games, take a team through an entire season or launch into the game’s deceptively deep and addicting success mode - a type of “franchise mode,” which plays out like a traditional Japanese management sim. Power Pros doesn’t stop there, however, dishing out game options, savable profiles that track an insane amount of statistics per player, the ability to create custom teams and a shop from which viewable MLB baseball cards and game features can be purchased. The title’s offering of modes is surprisingly generous for a debut franchise and offers a robust choice that rivals the system’s long-running baseball titles.
While the title features a massive training mode that covers every offensive and defensive aspect of the game, the title still features pick-up-and-play controls. Pitching only asks a player to hold a direction and press X to select a pitch and then using the left analog stick to aim the pitch and batting requires following the pitch with the analog stick and swinging with the X button. All of the other commands common to a baseball title such as stealing bases, diving or jumping for fly balls and base running are mapped to simple one-button commands. Essentially, if you’ve ever played a classic baseball title, you’ll be able to jump straight in and Power Pros will remind you of such classics.
Outside of the actual game, there is a lot of menu surfing, which can be a tad discouraging to those who want to just jump into a pick-up game, but those who dive straight to the game will miss out on a lot of customization, statistics, management and features. The most curious feature of the game, which relies almost entirely on menus, is the success mode – a sort of franchise mode based on one player’s career from college to the minors and finally the pros. Those who want the full flavor of playing the core game of baseball will be more suited to the game’s season mode, but the success mode is one of the most unique experiences one can find in a U.S. game right now. If you give it a try, it’s addictive management nature, balancing school, social status, money, dating and stat building, is the closest thing American gamers have in a traditional Japanese simulation game and brings a real RPG flavor to the game.
Power Pros features vivid visuals and presentation that might not be for everyone, but they more than succeed in giving the title its own identity and sets itself apart from any other baseball game currently on the market. Well-done sound production rounds out the presentation as well. While the announcer at times may seem a little tacky and becomes victim to the classic disc access pauses, the driving music is very fitting and the cheers, bat cracks and glove slaps sound like they were ripped straight from a real baseball game. As stated before, the controls are very tight, but on occasion there may be an issue with the decision to also map dives and jumps to the circle button. Since base throwing operates on the diamond scheme (circle throws to first, triangle throws to second, etc.), if players jump the gun on throwing to first base, a ground ball can be missed by an errant dive or jump or a dive could cause the ball not being thrown in time.
With a few minor discrepancies aside, MLB Power Pros makes a very welcome entry onto the Playstation 2 as Major League Baseball enters its playoff strides. At $20, the title serves as not only a change of pace for sports enthusiasts, but also a good purchase for those looking for a great casual sports title. MLB Power Pros doesn’t drop the ball on its U.S. debut - it almost delivers a grand slam.
GemuBaka Review Score: 4 out of 5
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