Customer Reviews

MLB Power Pros

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just got this game a week ago. THE best baseball game on the market. It doesn't matter if you're a die - hard baseball fan or just learning the game, because its simple pick up and play controls and options make you look like you've been playing baseball all your life. The looks of the players are hilarious with just a head, torso and HUGE feet. The stadiums look almost exactly like in real life. Plus, the fast gameplay makes a 9 inning game fly by. Also, for a cartoon-ish like game, it has incredibly deep game modes. So, if your looking for some good, old-fashioned fun, this game is for YOU!

I have bought the last few 2K7 baseball games and have enjoyed them. But this is a much faster and easier to play game. It still keeps all the major league players names and states but has fun with them. The players make funny faces when having strikes called on them and striking out. And surprisingly the stadiums graphics look better on this game then they do on 2K7. If you're looking for a serious baseball game I would suggest 2K7 but if you want just pick up the controller for quick fun, then this is the game you looking for.

I just received this game (PS2 version) last night.
My 10 years old son played it until mid night.
He really likes it; much better than MLB 2k7, The Shows, or The Bigs.
I saw there are many positive review regarding the Wii version, but nothing about PS2. Believe me, this PS2 version is also great fun to play. And price is lower.

I haven't played a baseball game for the PS2 since All Star Baseball 2003 by Aklaim (remember that?) What made that game great was the realistic action, 900 players (both living and dead) and 50 stadiums, including classics like the Polo Grounds, Ebbet's Field, and the original Yankee Stadium (before they ruined it with blue vinyl siding).

Well Power Pros takes all the realistic physics and action from recent simulation baseball games, and presents it as fun anime-style game. But don't be fooled into thinking that this is an arcade or platform game. It is just as deep as simulation titles a few years back (think EA MVP Baseball 05, which I hear is EA's last great baseball title before it degraded as MVP NCAA Baseball 06/07).

Apparently, Power Pros has been enjoyed by Japanese gamers for 14 years. In some ways, it is the successor of SNK's Baseball Stars 2 (1992), a cartoonish baseball arcade game. The current version for the Japanese Wii and PS2 is 'Jikky' Powerful Pro Yaky'' 14, which features the licensed teams of the NPB. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jikky%C5%8D_Powerful_Pro_Yaky%C5%AB_series ). We're fortunate that this hit game has finally come to North America with the blessing of MLB to feature its teams and players in the same goofy, fun format.

While Power Pros lacks historic ballparks (like All Star Baseball) or the ability to build a custom ballpark (like MVP Baseball), it gives players as little or as much control over a team as they want, just like the simulators for the PS2 today. They can create a league for online or multiplayer action. They can create a college player and develop him through the NCAA, AA, AAA, and the majors (the 'life' mode is very challenging - it usually takes multiple ties to get a player to advance into the minors). They can take control of a real MLB team as GM/manager for a full season in role-playing mode. Or they can use the practice, home run, or exhibition game mode for instant MLB action. The action can be fast - 9-inning games are almost always 30 minutes long. So mastering the fielding and base running controls is crucial if you want to get the most out the games. There's a lot to do, but in my opinion, it is all fun.

Power Pros can be forgiving, too. So it is friendly to casual gamers and younger kids. Every aspect of the action (batting, fielding, defense, pinch hitting & running, pitching changes, etc.) can be set to automatic, semi-automatic, or full-manual. You can play a game just controlling pitching and batting location, or go full-manual and control fielding depth, hit & run tactics, and how your base runners lead off the bag. And with every game played, either exhibition, life, or season, the stats in your profile only grow richer. As many reviewers have noted, this is a kids game with a remarkable amount of grown-up statistical depth.

In just a couple of days of exhibition play, I've noticed that the stats are highly realistic in how my left-handed and right-handed pitchers perform. They fall into patterns I see in the real-life statistics of today. For example, the 2006 Red Sox in this game have a team ERA in the 4-5 range, and their left-handed pitchers paint the outside corners better, while the righties are far more effective inside. I'm not statistics nut, but I know my Red Sox history, and these little guys are performing as I would expect. Schilling is often hurt. Matsusaka is shaky. Papelbon and Beckett are nails. And Lester has promise, but can only go 2 innings. And so far, the easiest batter to strike out is Griffy (poor Ken).

And if that wasn't enough, how about the art direction and the welcome arcade aspects? The style is bubbly Japanese anime. The career (life) mode is goofy, with your player attending college classes and experiencing a kind of tamagotchi-like social life. In game and season mode, each player has a 'mood' icon, which improves or degrades within a game or during the course of the season. Remember when one of your players in NBA Jam caught fire? That sort of happens here when your pitcher strikes out a side, or wins a few games in a row. These aspects lose some realism, but they make this game a lot of fun for kids and adults of all ages.

I'm sure this game is wicked awesome on the Wii. But it is a blast on the PlayStation 2. Discover sports games again and add this to your collection. The PS2 platform is far from dead, and Power Pros (and Madden 08 & 09) helps prove that.

This is a game with a low learning curve that is extremely fun to play. I admit, i really haven't cared about a baseball game since Baseball Stars on my nes, but this game is fun!!!

This is a great game to play Baseball!!!
But the only thing is that does not save the stadistical avg. for the players, on each game that i play Ken griffey Jr. is 1 Run away of the all time RBI record.
Always the same number of RBI's

But a Great and fun baseball field to be playing for hours.

I purchased this game for my 14 and 18-yr old sons based on an Amazon review. My boys had not heard of the game prior to receiving it, and they have played non stop (PS2 version) since the holidays. My older son now wants it for Wii. They love the graphics, setting up the teams, everything. Once they got the hang of scoring, they were hooked. They have other MLB baseball games, but absolutely love this one.

I saw the great reviews and did a fair amount of research for this nice little game. Most of my game reviews are 4's or 5's, with a few 3's because I review them thoroughly and I try to get games I can replay. I will branch out and get a new game every now and then. I have tried other baseball games. MLB 2k7 for the xbox 360. Great graphics but just okay gameplay. The Bigs 2 for PS2 is a good arcade baseball game. The outfielders are all gold glovers & will rob several homeruns. In Power Pros, they just seem to do everything right. The cartoony players may throw some people off. The hitting mechanics are on point! Each player does their own batting routine before the first pitch. The pitching controls are great also. Using the thumbstick to control pitches help you throw pitches all over the strike zone. The baserunning can be a little tricky, but you will get used to it with a few games under your belt. The fielding is great in my book. Why can't these other baseball games realize that simpler is sometimes better? There a plenty of modes to choose from also. In season mode, there are alot of things you can do to manage you team like practice, trades, or even buying new equipment. The game let's you know when to give a player a rest when he is not up to par. If you are a stats freak, this game has stats galore. The pitchers have their actual pitching motions also! If you want an alternative to MLB The Show, you will not be disappointed with this as your main baseball game!

I bought this for my little brother who loves all things sports. He has most if not all of the mainstream baseball games, but they were losing their charm. We saw this while searching for fun games and I decided to buy it for him. While it shipped too slow for his liking, when he finally got it, I thought for sure he was going to have some sort of attack. He broke it open and played it as quick as he could. It's been a while now and he still loves playing it every day. He highly recommends this. Though, if you are looking for realism, you should go for the big show games or stuff like that, but for baseball fun, this is a good bargain game.

Games like these are the reason why I am still playing my PS2. Whether you're new to baseball (like me), or a seasoned veteran, this game has depth for weeks. The graphics and animation will make you smile, and the game play is solid gold. This is actually one of the last gems for the PS2, so if you still have the classic black box sitting around, and enjoy sports games, this one is a no-brainer. It's also under 10 bucks on Amazon, which makes it amazing value for money!