Power Pros Praise and Prose

We can’t remember the last time a game came with a 54 page
instruction booklet. Fortunately, reading the manual isn’t a prerequisite to
having fun with MLB Power Pros, the new cutesy super-deformed baseball title
from Konami and 2K Games.

2K games really seems to be mixing up its pitches this year
with simulation-heavy MLB 2K8, arcade swinger The Bigs, and the depth of Power
Pros. While some gamers may see the cutesy cover of Power Pros and confuse the
game with the Backyard Baseball series, they would be making a huge mistake. Power
Pros allows for complete customization seen in few titles; players can play a
simplified three inning game similar to Wii Sports Baseball or a full season of
management-driven, statistical overload.

After a few minutes with the game, we could see why the game
was such a huge success in Japan- its attention to detail. As we stepped to
bat, the ball-hitting physics were amazing- timing, contact areas, and speed
were all accurately modeled. Pitching struck a delicate balance between
simplicity and intricacy- players select a pitch with the direction of the
nunchuck, and then move a reticule to a specific location. The game accurately
modeled pitcher’s repertoires, and when stamina was waning, we subbed from a
fully realized bullpen.

At the end of the game we were overcome with statistical
overload- everything from the types of pitches, their effectiveness, to hitting
locations, were accurately quantified. From there, we navigated back to the main
menu to peruse player’s individual baseball cards. Although Power Pros is a new
series in the United States- the list of options shows its twelve year Japanese
pedigree. Amazingly, options and gameplay menus were laid out in an intuitive
fashion; this game could have easily been a user-interface nightmare.

Power Pro’s negatives are few. Some might fault the hyperactive
announcer, yet we think it adds character to this already unique title.
Fielding was a bit cumbersome at first, but we learned to adapt with time. One
major caveat was the freshness of the roosters- they are from MLB opening day 2007;
2K should have definitely updated this before release.

So don’t let the bobble-headed looks of MLB Power Pros sway
you into thinking the game lacks finesse and complexity. It’s arguably the best
baseball sim on the market, and puts 2K’s other offerings to shame.