MLB Power Pros demonstrated in detail
by JC Fletcher 
{ Oct 4th 2007 at 2:20PM }
Uploaded by thetanooki
The Tanooki's review of MLB Power Pros includes some lengthy video of the game in action, along with informative text about how gameplay works. We're fascinated by the series' continued Japanese success and impressed by the audacity of releasing an SD sports game in the realism-obsessed U.S. sports market.
The cutesy appearance belies some fairly deep gameplay. The review speaks of things like a batting "sweet spot" that shrinks and grows according to your performance, and pitching that gives the player control over not speed, but precise positioning.
The review makes some negative points about the difficulty of fielding and the nerfed motion controls, but is positive overall, and it sounds like the game can still be fun with waggle turned off. You can make your own observations from this video and the others found at the site!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
paul @ Oct 4th 2007 3:07PM
played the game all night last night. tons of fun to be had. especially enjoy the "arrange" mode that allows you to completely customize -- or even totally revamp -- any given team, from the name, logo, and colors, down to the name, hometown, and players on the squad.
haven't even TRIED the waggle controls, to be honest. once you get a hold of the normal controls, it's amazing. no looking back to The BiGS.
Russell Carroll @ Oct 4th 2007 3:10PM
Posted my initial (2 hours worth) of impressions in the comments on the review (well-done!), but thought they were worth repeating...
I picked up my copy yesterday at GameStop after waiting years to get a chance to try the game in the US.
Overall I’m happy with the purchase, but I think World Class Baseball on the VC is still the best Baseball on the Wii (with Mario Baseball a close second).
I was very disappointed with the lack of Wii features. I’ve gotten so used to point and click for menus that having to navigate menus with a D-Pad seems quite out-dated. On a Wii game it is in-excusable.
Adding to that is the fact that there are only a couple of throw-away modes for the Wiimote. They are easier than WiiSports, but I don’t know if they are as good.
SO…I quickly realized the game is a PS2 port and started using my Wavebird, which works well. (though the fielding is a bit wonky irregardless of the controller)
Not being able to run a full 162 game league with all MLB teams is a disappointment, but success mode is interesting, though VERY text heavy.
The game’s running commentary is some of the worst I’ve heard in years. It’s awful in every way. Full of errors and treats every play like it is the last inning in the world series.
I haven’t tried the Manager mode yet (Season), but I’m not really into sim baseball. (I prefer High Heat to Out of the Park…handedly)
Overall I’m sure I’ll get my $40 worth out of the game, and it is worth a pick-up for baseball fans, but those same fans are the ones likely to see a lot of short-comings. Good, but not great. If you don’t have Mario Baseball and World Class, you could buy them both for less than this and I think you’d be better satisfied.
Fullmetal Salchemist @ Oct 4th 2007 3:52PM
Is this game played with the nunchuck attached? Because that pretty much kills the "immersion" factor of holding the remote like a bat, like in Wii Sports.
paul @ Oct 4th 2007 7:32PM
both control methods can be used; with or without the nunchuck.
Russell Carroll @ Oct 4th 2007 7:58PM
You are right on the controls...sort of...
There are no Wii controls (motion and the like) in the game...except in Wiimote mode, which includes two games - exhibition and HR derby. In those modes, you play with only the Wiimote. It throws, hits and runs.
In all other modes, Season, League, Success, actual exhibition, HR Derby, stats, shop, etc. there are no motion controls. You can use a GameCube controller, a classic controller, or the Wiimote with nunchuck (with everything badly mapped to the controller...and again, no motion control)
For my mind, you can't play the game both with and without nunchuck. You can use Wiimote only if you want to play versus with a friend. OR You can use a GameCube controller and play all the normal modes. Theorhetically you can use the Wiimote + nunchuck to play the game, but it's a pain due to the controller layout.
It's a PS2 port with a tacked on mode for the Wiimote. Use a cube controller for most everything and the Wiimote for the extra Wii content (not much, but fun nonetheless).
futuregrace @ Oct 4th 2007 8:47PM
I've heard so many different things now. Is there wii remote for swinging the bat or not? Is there a 162 game season or not? Can someone simply list the things you can and can't do on this game. I'm really torn between getting it or not.
Yishai08 @ Oct 5th 2007 12:41PM
I fail to see the point of paying 50 dollars for a baseball game with no motion on the Wii. Sure people may argue that motion controls in former games were gimmiky but if it's not possible to have motion based sword fighting and baseball etc. what's the point of a Wiimote at all?
I'd rather the devs tried to get the motion right and only get it 70 percent there then not use the main feature of the console in the first place.
The art style is great, how unfortunate.
Jason @ Oct 5th 2007 10:38AM
#6, you can only use the motion-swings in a special mode, which plays like Wii Sports Baseball. There are some differences, I'm sure, but I know you don't control fielders or anything like that. For most of the game you'll be using more traditional controls.
And as for the 162 game season, I would be very surprised if you couldn't do that somehow, but I don't know yet.
futuregrace @ Oct 5th 2007 3:01PM
Thanks for the info, I'm thinking I may go pick it up today.
Russell Carroll @ Oct 5th 2007 12:03PM
Exhibition Mode = Single, vs or Watch an exhibition game
Home Run = HR Derby
Season Mode = Manager Mode
Success Mode = Text-based RPG
Leage Mode = Up to 6 teams, saves stats (can play 162 games...but with just the 6 teams)
Wiimote Mode = Exhibition Game or HR Derby with Wiimote as bat (motion sensing) and NO nunchuck
In all modes EXCEPT Wiimote mode you should play with a gamecube controller, or you can play with the Wiimote and nunchuck without motion sensing. No Wiimote swinging is involved.
On the question of if you should get the game...if you are a big baseball fan the answer is ABSOLUTELY! WELL worth the $40. If you are a minor baseball fan, I suggest you pick up Mario Baseball and World Class Baseball first.
Pitching is a big plus in Power Pros, the analog control makes pitching feel better. Hitting is ok to meh. Fielding is ok at best. Announcer, again, is HORRIBLE.
Success mode is unique to the game, and most people don't like reading text for 2 hours, so my guess is most won't dig it. I've enjoyed it, though I think it could be much more interactive. I liked the main mode in Mario, which is working your way up to the final game, picking up players along the way, increasing their skills and completing special missions, more than the success mode in Power Pros...but after playing through the Mario one twice (through all difficulty levels) I'm ready for something new :). Power Pros fits the bill.
Russ Carroll @ Oct 5th 2007 6:25PM
"What's the point of a Wiimote at all?"
I think it is to make games better...where it makes games better.
No question it makes hitting better and that it could make pitching better, but does it make running the bases or fielding better?
No question that using the pointer makes the menus better and should have been used...that is the obvious miss.
However, I'm giving this game a pass on the wiimote/motion debate because it is so different from what we've had in the US for so long. Clearly the game was horribly marketed, and it has flaws, and you should just pick up the PS2 version if you have a PS2, but...
...it's a great game, one of the better Baseball games to come out in a long time...and with Take2 wasting the MLB license, this game is something worth noting. Honestly it would be worth noting even if there wasn't a MLB license on it.