Customer Reviews

MLB Power Pros

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Power Pro is the first american version of japan's top baseball game. At first glance I'm sure a lot of you think this is a stupid kiddie game and a waste of time. Well "hardcore" gamers and casual fans alike will love this game and I'll break it down for noth camps.

Casual Gamers: Ever wanted an indepth wii sports baseball? Want to create yuor own Mii team to play against the yankees? Now you can. With it's exclusive Mii games you can swing the wii mote just like a bat and take on the best of the MLB with your family and friends. Assign positions and play in actual mlb parks for a full 9 inning game. This will take family fun night to a new level as the whole family can brag aobut beating the yankees or lie about losing to the Devil Rays.

Hardcore Baseball fans: This is the best baseball simulator ever. That's right. The level of detail is amazing. Also for those of you against motion controls you can use a classic controler, gamecube controller, or just nunchuck and wiimote. Success mode is a full rpg where you are a college prospect that must balance practice, school work, dating, and a job all while trying to beocme team captaina nd get a spot on a major league team. Every action raising your stas and makes you into a future hall of famer. Those of us who prefer a season/manager mode then you are in luck as this is probablly the best season mode I have ever seen.

This game has so much more that I can't do justice describing it. This game is the perfect game to get any baseball fan form your 5 year old who loves swinging a bat to the most cynical Yankee fan. This is my highest recomendation for any wii game. Forget the Bigs, this is where the heart and soul of baseball cna be found.

MLB Power Pros is going to be one of those games that you either give a chance or completely overlook it; most people are going to overlook it due to the look and visual style, which is a HUGE mistake. For those looking for a hardcore baseball sim - look no further. For those looking for a pick-up and play with friends or for a quick exhibition game - look no further. Hardcore and casual gamers alike will enjoy this title.

Originally a Japanese Baseball hit game, it's about time that American gamers get to savor exactly what our Asian friends have been raving about for so long! I believe that whenever a Japanese sensation gets imported over to American gamers, it should be given a chance. Simply because the Japanese have been doing this for a lot longer than we have, and in my opinion have great taste in video games and their substance.

There are quite a few modes that deliver something for everyone. From a quick exhibition game (featuring all MLB teams and the All-Star teams), to a Season mode in which you pick your team and lead them all the way to the World Series, including managing, trading, and salary caps, and also the much heralded "Success" mode; which is like an RPG in which you lead your player through 3 years of college at a mediocre University. There are many ways to develop your player, from taking part time jobs, making girlfriends, becoming an Ace on your pitching rotation and of course, deciding whether or not to study for classes. This mode ALONE demands that you purchase this game - any RPG fan will fall in love with this mode.

For those who purchase the Wii version, never fear, you can use the Wii's unique motion control to swing, field and pitch in the Home Run Derby mode and the Exhibition mode. The Wii motion controls can not be used in Success, Season or League mode, however.

You also can complete specific objectives throughout the season mode and home run derby and gain "points" in order to purchase new equipment for your team so that practices go better in "Season" mode.

All in all, the 39.99 price tag for this game is a bargain. Not only are you getting the best, most in-depth Baseball Simulation to date (including all ballparks, all teams and all the MLB players, including most AAA players), you are also getting a baseball-dating-life RPG too. I can't make you buy this game, but I can certainly tell you that if you pass this title up, whether you are a hardcore MLB fan, or a casual gamer, you are missing one of the best titles of the year.

MLB Power Pros is the best baseball game I've played since Ken Griffey for the N64. Here's why:

Not Wii remote exclusive - if I had to play this game with the Wiimote, it would not work at all. Imagine trying to get a pitch to a specific part of the strike zone by swinging your wiimote. You could probably only do what Wii Baseball lets you do, pitch out to the sides or pitch down the middle. Why anyone would want Wii control at the expense of a deep, strategic baseball game is beyond me. MLB Power Pros is a long-going series from the SNES days. It's not a port, it was independently developed for each system it was on, and its stylized look is beyond adequate for the game.

Let's look at the options: I could play a realistic looking Wii game that looks about as good as a slightly improved Gamecube title...or I can play a game with stylized graphics that actually doesn't skimp on anything, if you pay close attention. The throw, hitting, and pitching animations are all true to form, accurate, and impressive to watch, if you can believe it, and the players even look decently like their real-life counterparts.

MLB Power pros also tracks statistics to a depth you wouldn't believe. Look at the back of your baseball card and you'll see a decent array of statistics. Look at a player's statistics in MLB Power Pros and you'll see statistics that you've never even heard of unless you are a diehard MLB fan. As someone who can be best described as a statistics whore, I will attest to the fact that the stats tracked are quite satisfying.

Once you add in the oh-so-quirky J-Sim Success mode, you've got yourself a game that can only be improved in a few ways:

WiiConnect 24 - It is my understanding that the most recent Japanese version has roster updates via WiiConnect 24. I would love to see my rosters updated with end of season players, including the drafted players, free agents and career statistics. Online matches might have been nice too, but it's not a deal breaker for me. Online League mode with friends would be sweet, but I would need to make more baseball-loving friends.

Slight QA issues - Some names are mispronounced, the Brewers are sometimes called the Braves by the announcer, there could be some slightly better explanation of the statistics screen. Also, you should be able to get an explanation for each of the attributes in the player information screens.

MLBPA - Not their fault, but players not in the MLBPA obviously cannot be put into the game without negotiating with the players proper. What we get is Great Gonzalez instead of Barry Bonds and a couple of other "Great" players because they're not part of the association. They can't even have the same season numbers. It would be nice for the game to have historic records listed as well. Perhaps it does, but I'd like to see that I'm approaching, say, Hank Aaron's HR record or the record for most homeruns in a season.

Maybe this post won't convince you, but my best recommendation to any naysayers out there would be to try MLB Power Pros, at least with a rental, before you write it off. The game is spectacular and definitely worth playing.

I was nervous when I bought this game a few months ago. I couldn't get past the assumptions that the visual style led me to make, and I was too used to games that claimed the amount of options and depth I had read about Power Pros possessing falling short of my expectations because they either bogged you down in menus and options, or playing the actual game would just be dreadful.

After playing this game though... It is amazing. I would honestly be content to never purchase another sports game for the rest of my life as long as I could keep Power Pros.

The visual style is so simple, yet every player is immediately recognizable and complete with his own unique actions in the field and at the plate.

The controls (aside from some awkward base running commands that take a little bit to get used to) are simple enough that you can easily pick them up the first time you play, but there is still enough going on that you feel rewarded for practicing as well.

I was worried that this game, like other "cartoony" baseball games would lack in game options for things like pinch runners, pinch hitters, shifting the outfield and infield etc. But that is not the case at all. This really is the deepest, most customizable, sports game I have ever played.

The bulk of game modes is overwhelming quite honestly. You can set up batting or fielding practice for just about any game situation you can imagine, either by doing batting practice against a particular pitch (type, location, and velocity) that is giving you trouble, or by specifying the power and trajectory of a hit and putting runners on the bases (if you so choose) to work on outfield assists or turning double plays.

The simulation elements are perfect as well, as they provide a wide array of stats, and once again give you options to tweak just about anything on your team. I found the ability to halt a simulated game, enter to bat for one player (or longer if you so choose), and then resume the simulation particularly enticing, as it gives you the ability to "play through a season as a single player". Of course, controlling everything from the top as a GM is another option (and you can choose any combination of playing and simulating the games, as with most sports games), you can create your own team (complete with created players), re-arrange the divisions... pretty much anything you would like to do, there is a way to do it in Power Pros.

If the game had stopped here, I would still give it 5 stars. But there is quite literally a second game worth of content in "success mode". In this mode you start as a first year college player with 3 years to earn a minor league contract. However, you have to strike a balance between several elements of your life along the way. I was afraid that after playing through this mode once or twice it would become akin to beating a dead horse, and just a really long winded way of creating a player. But that is not the case at all. I have played through Success mode in excess of 30 times, and I am STILL finding new story lines. It would be impossible for me to convey how funny parts of the success mode story are, or how addictive it can be (the reason I keep playing is that I want to win back to back championships AND beat the 'secret opponent' you face if you win the championship in your third year. I have come within 1 run of a repeat, but it still eludes me!).

On top of all of this, Power Pros tracks everything you do from the moment you start playing. I find this fascinating just because some of my personal stats are just bizarre... like how much better I do with a left handed batter than a right handed batter, when I myself bat right handed.

The only gripe I have about Power Pros, is the limited minor league system in the dynasty mode. There are plenty of options in the dynasty mode that make up for this (such as getting to specify what individual players practice, the ongoing process of upgrading their skills etc.), but after playing other baseball games over the last couple of years, I have gotten used to having a full minor league system to use for trades and player development.

To sum everything up: Power Pros is enjoyable to every type of video game player and baseball fan. The guy who knows nothing about the sport and has little experience playing baseball video games will catch on just as quickly as the hardcore sports gamer. Unlike most games that fit that description though, Power Pros also contains the options, game modes, and stat tracking abilities that hardcore sports gamers live for.

I received this game for Christmas and have really enjoyed it. It is a cross between a deep baseball game (with good controls) and a Japanese RPG for kids (like Paper Mario). I know this sound strange, but there is no other way to describe it. The game was design to be played with a controller for years in Japan, so it is best played with the Gamecube controller and the Wii remote section was added as a bonus.


Pros:

-Very deep games with lots of different modes and features
-playing through a season is really fun
-My kids love the cartoon look, and I love the accurate game play
-The extra Wii remote features are just enough to complement Wii Sports
-The baseball cards are fun to buy and go through
-A great way to get young children into baseball
-Just enough interaction with the Wii Remote and Miis-You can play a Wii sports like Exhibition Game (or home run derby) using the Wii remote and your Miis if you you would like
-A good value at $39.99


Cons:
-Came out in October 2007 and did not update some rosters (i.e. Mark Teixeira is not on the Braves)
-Some minor quirks with game play A.I.(see other reviews for these)
-Free online updates would have been nice

Bought it for my 6 year old daughter. She was getting bored with the Wii Sports baseball. I was reluctant at first but it's a great game. Easy enough for a younger kid (there's a Rookie Mode where all they control is the pitcher or batter)and other Modes where you have to control each player. And, each player can choose their own Mode so I can play her as a Pro but she can play as a rookie. Also, she's learning a lot of the player's names and position from different teams.

There must be to too much in this game for someone to write a review overnight.

I think the other user reviews were pretty accurate. I really like this game a lot, the hitting is about the best in any game I've played.
There is one mode where you use the wii remote as a bat, and it is similar to wii sports baseball. This one is fun for kids since no control over fielders. Also homerun derby.

All other modes require either nunchuck, classic controller, or gamecube controller. I reccommend a Gamecube controller or classic controller. The nunchuck does not have enough buttons and can be awkward.

The sweetspot hitting system is great as it gives you control on exactly where you're swinging. I switched to d-pad from analog as it was too sensitive though. This is a preference.

I found that when I turned off the pitch cursor and set "lock-on" to 3 or 4, I got a realistic hitting spray with a typical amount of offense for a major league game.

Lock-on is a handicap, that slowly moves your sweetspot towards the ball. I thought this balanced my hitting out. Based on how good you are, you may want to adjust this.

Pull an inside pitch for power, and hit outside pitches the other way for best results. Use a power swing for your 3-4 guys. I think if I played 162, I would get realistic stats. I played about 3 exhibitions last night, and had a game sim (batting practices) for about 12 innings.

Pitching has what you need, good feel, pitch selection and a margin of error as your ball spins toward the plate. Randomly the pitcher will even serve up a "fat pitch" denoted by an exclamation mark by his head which serves as a good indicator. This may be once or twice a game. Finally, I was able to tap on the pitch button to get 3 mph extra on my 4seam. Stadiums have good detail.

This game really has it all. The look of those games of olden days (RBI, Bases Loaded), and true to life gameplay and control.

I only gave it four stars as I still think High Heat and MVP are the two best baseball series in history, but this game may have enough true baseball traits and play modes of its own to overcome that for me someday.

O originally purchased "The Bigs" thinkin that would satisfy my love for baseball; however, that did't do it.

This is truely the baseball game I've been waiting for. Just like all the other reviews for this game there is something for everyone. Wether you love Wii Sports Baseball (which I do) and would like to play it for 9 innings or like to play a great indepth game (using any controller you like ie... classic controller, gamecube controlle or wiimote and numbchuck).

For 39.99 you can't ask for a better value.

This is a solid baseball game. At first I wondered if it was just going to be a cutesy baseball game given the look of the characters but the game has very indepth game play.

The only complaints I would have with this game is that once you are into the higher innings if the opposing pitcher is considered "excellent" it seems he can't throw a bad pitch. Also there there seems to be an ease for the computer to get double plays. And can you really make money? Not if you are the Yankees. Minor picky stuff that is probably mostly user error :) but of note as this is a game that you can make very difficult as you trade players, train players and even play through a whole season.

If you are a fan of classic in depth baseball games then this is the first I have seen in a while so you should definitely pick up a copy!

The best way to sum this game up is it's an advanced version of the baseball that comes with Wii sports. There is what's called "Wii Remote" mode where you can play the game using the remotes to swing and pitch. There is also a Wii Remote HR derby where you use the remote to swing. All the major teams are contained in the game, and there are your typical options for "regular" baseball games as well. If you want a more in depth Wii Baseball game that uses the remote, this is the one! It's not MLB The Show or anything on that level, but it's a load of fun.