MLB Power Pros 2008

"MLB Power Pros- Best game for the Wii AND possibly best baseball game since MLB 2k7"

MLB Power Pros 2008

Gameplay & Modes

The gameplay in this game is superb and it goes along greatly with some of the best modes inserted in a sports game EVER. There is a success mode, where you create a player, and start at AA ball and try to work your way to the MLB. This as easy as it seems, you can get fired for poor performance! This is the closest thing to a “story” mode as well. You will meet and make friends, but be careful, you can make enemies too! Another important mode is exhibition mode. This is a mode where you can just pick up and play as your favorite team against friends or the CPU! Here you can also select your difficulty, where, get ready…, THE CPU IS CHALLENGING on harder difficulty and not brain-dead easy like on some baseball and other sports games. This will give you a challenge, and entice you into its many modes. Another interesting mode, the most common in a sports game, is a season mode. You are signed as a GM for a ten year contract, and you have to get your team to fight to the top. Your goal? THE WORLD SERIES, of course! Another mode that goes in the same “common” category would be league mode. This, as far as I know, is like a tournament style mode. The last “common” mode is HR derby, where you can save your HR records and try to break them later on! Now, the final very enticing mode, is MLB Life. That's right, I saved the best for last. You see what I did there? Anywho in MLB Life you can assume the role of a current major leaguer and play out their career! Try to break HR records with A-Rod, RBI records with Manny, whoever you choose to assume the role of! To go along with this, you can create a player and play out a WHOLE career as a created player. With this created player you can pick likes and dislikes, hobbies, talents, etc! Very deep customization to go with a decent RPG element. These are not the only modes, there is still “options, create-a-team, etc” but these seem to be what most people will spend their time in, so I went over those.

Graphics

This game has a cartoony style graphics, same as a lot of Wii games. A Mii like body(with arms, don't remember if Miis have arms or not?) with what many people say sub-next gen graphics but I found the graphics to be quite nice. The only downside is controversial catches, the ump calls the runner out but the baseball seemed to have touched the ground. Same as base running, the runner may be out but it seemed the runner got to first(or 2nd, 3rd, or home) before the ball got there. Also it doesn't always look like the fielder tags the base runner. In the long run, the graphics are decent, just with a few technical errors/flaws on the side.

Music/Sound

The music in the game is okay, the only annoying part of this category is when you start the game up from the Wii menu, but then again, to me every game annoys me at that part/startup. You can hear the crack of the bat, pitches go by, and everything seems alright.

Controls

I only play with the Wiimote and nunchuk so I can only accurately review that.(However you can play with all four controls, classic, GCN, Wiimote, Wiimote+nunchuk) The controls are quite simple, only “somewhat” confusing pitching. To hit, you use the Wiimote to swing, and the nunchuk to change your type of swing(contact or power AKA “big swing”) and where you are going to swing the bat in the strike zone. To pitch, you use the nunchuk to select your pitch(the only tricky part, sometimes you don't pitch the pitch you want to pitch) and pick where in the strike zone(or outta the strike zone) you want your pitch to go. You use the Wiimote to start your windup. Overall nice and simple controls.

The Round Up

This is a great game and the only reason it doesn't have a 10/10 is because of a few minor flaws. The earlier mentioned graphic flaws, with it being below-next gen graphics and the base running problems (tagging, controversial calls) but there is a few I have yet to mention. A big flaw is that there is no bullpen in season mode! This has people confused, including me! Why have it only in exhibition mode? Season mode you will need your pitcher longer and you want to keep their trade value. In exhibition mode, no one cares if that pitcher allows a lot of runs all the time, it's not like you can trade him or anything. He can't have trade value. Same with injuries, it's just for one game then next exhibition mode he will be alright. But in season mode? You need players with trade value, and you need them healthy. They should be able to warm up. Onto the final, and biggest flaw. NO ONLINE MODE. Yeah, the AI is challenging, but this game would be perfect for an online mode. This is one of the only current/next gen sports game with no online! In the end though, between all the modes, deep stat tracking, and smart AI this game is a must buy for any baseball fan.

Pros/Cons List

+Smart AI
+A lot of modes
+Sound
+Stat tracking
=Graphics
-No bullpen in season mode
-No online play

+ means a Pro
= Means a neutral
- means a con

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/11/08

Game Release: MLB Power Pros 2008 (US, 07/29/08)