Sept 24, 2007
Who needs realistic player models with motion-captured batting stances when you can have cute and cuddly sluggers with facial expressions that mirror their real-life counterparts? Wii Sports Baseball proved that you can pick up and play a sports game without having to fret over hyper-real 3D modeled sweat, yet left ballpark fans wanting more in the way of depth. Good thing Konami and 2K Sports are importing MLB Power Pros, based on the popular best-selling and long-running series in Japan that sells like beer-scented iPods.
On the surface, Power Pros looks like Baseball for children with its limb-lacking sports stars. To be honest, Power Pros is about as deep as any baseball sim out there, if not deeper. Not only are the teams represented by real MLB players, but you get your standard home run derby and 10-year long season modes, before being blown away with a full-on RPG mode.
Controls are the definition of "pick up and play." To pitch, choose what style you'll be throwing, then aim where you want the ball to travel, while adjusting for the break. To hit, just match your bat icon with where you think the ball will go based on the pitching icon. No fear, button-hating Wii fans. You can toggle the options to actually swing your remote, but that's where the main differences between the two versions end.
