MLB Power Pros 2008

Intro

MLB® Power Pros 2008 is a licensed Major league baseball video game, and is the sequel to MLB® Power Pros. The series returns with its classic super deformed or chibi style of the MLB®. Similar to its predecessor but with new features, modes and roster updates and much more.

This video game franchise has been around for a long time in Japan. The other baseball franchise that is kind of like this one is Baseball Backyard, but the Power Pros series is different in many ways and its very Japanese. Perhaps that may be the reason it stay in the J region all this time. Its a very colorful series with lots of humor and funny expressions. Also informative as you can learn a brief history of the Baseball clubs and player data of that time.

Game Play

Most modes have an RPG style of gameplay. In this type of RPG style modes you can build a new baseball player, and make it a baseball super star, rewrite the life of a MLB star, take your favorite team to the world series or build a team from scratch and rise from the double AA league to the AAA league, and eventually to the Majors to live the dream.

In these RPG style modes you train to improve abilities, Work in different jobs to acquire money to buy stuff, Sell/Buy items, Meet other characters like team mates, coaches, staff, rivals, bosses, romantic interests and other people. When you have a baseball game you don't play all the innings you play 2 or 3 and usually is batting or pitching. If you do well you get improve points for your character that helps you in your career. There is a lot of reading in this modes and some times choice making questions.

Verdict

I love baseball, but almost never buy baseball games specially for the PS2 because they look greyish and the character models look lifeless; And awful specially their faces, and the games bore me. When I do buy a baseball game it has to be something out of the ordinary like this game. Since we don't get them here like they do in Japan so in here its something different plus its in English unless the J region games have an English option, I don't know haven't import one.

This game has a lot of stuff, I mean a lot and there is so much you can do in it. There are many modes and sub modes and other stuff, Its crazy. If you want a baseball game with a lot of content this is it. Game play is like any regular baseball game but with chibi versions of MLB teams. Is good game but I feel It could be much better and easier to play considering how long this series has been running on. Batting, Pitching and specially catching balls can be difficult, but after some practice and you can have a decent game experience. Still even when you had learn how to do all the commands it can still be difficult. I wouldn't recommend this game for little kids or people with bad precision, it could be frustrating for them.

Yes there are 4 different 'difficulty levels" I guess this only changes what the CPU controls for you and what you control. For example in Rookie control set up mode you control pitches and batters only, the CPU controls the basemen and fielders. If you choose Normal control set up mode now you control everybody. The two modes are the Expert and a customizable mode where and you can add various costume set ups. It may look cute but this game is as serious as any other baseball game out there. Also loadings can take a bit not much but still they can be annoying as you have trough a few every time.

The Exhibition mode seems to be the only mode where you can play a complete baseball game without going trough all the RPG text and mambo jumble in modes like MLB® life or Success to play a normal game. I am not even sure if you can complete a full baseball game on those modes. I quit no because they weren't good but because they are very time consuming. Those baseball fans looking for a baseball game that goes straight to the point I recommend World series Baseball 2K2 for the Sega Dreamcast. Also don't get the first WSB 2K1 that game sucks, they weren't develop by the same team.