MLB Power Pros 2008 – NDS – Review

I guess you
could call the MLB Power Pros series something of a cult hit here in the states.
The series originated in Japan in 1994, but only made the trip across the
Pacific last year in the form of Wii and PS2 versions. This year, the DS joins
the party with an incarnation of its own. And although the tried-and-true
gameplay makes the transition nearly flawlessly, the game lacks many of the
features that made such a splash in the console versions.

Power Pros
on Wii and PS2 feature an insane amount of statistics and an in-depth season
mode, neither of which appear on DS. Even the online mode has been scrapped.
These omissions beg the question of why anyone would continue to play this game
in the long run. The only attempt at creating lasting appeal is a bare-bones
playoff mode. This does little to extend the games playability.

The game
also features only four generic stadiums. Any MLB fan knows that the variety in
fields is an essential part of the game and is sorely missed.

But despite
these shortcomings, it’s hard to fault Power Pros when you actually play the
game.  It plays very true to the console versions, and that’s a very good thing.
The cursor-based batting and pitching are very well balanced, with both feeling
very natural and accurate. The bottom screen is also very useful as a dedicated
infield diagram, even if the optional touch-screen controls are awkward and
pointless.

If I had one
notable problem with the gameplay, it’s probably defense. Fly balls hit over an
outfielder’s head can be very hard to track. And if a shot to the gap happens to
split your outfielders, the computer will automatically select the closest
player to the ball, meaning that it may awkwardly switch between fielders as you
try to chase it down.

Graphically,
Power Pros is a very nice recreation of its console brother. The player models
are very cute, but feature enough realistic details, such as facial animations
and batting stances to maintain an authentic, if stylized, MLB feel. The fields
also look good, although as mentioned before, there is little variety. Aurally,
the game doesn’t fare nearly as well. There is no real commentary aside from a
dull PA announcer and the crowd is unrealistic and uninspired. It should be
noted, however, that I would much rather have no announcers, than the horrendous
commentators from the console version.

Without an
online mode, multiplayer isn’t much to get excited about. It does features
single-card wireless play, which is nice.

Whether you
should get MLB Power Pros 2008 on DS is really a question of how you want to
play the game. As a quick pick up and play, Power Pros is great. The gameplay is
very good and the graphics and animations are excellent. If, however, you want
an in-depth baseball sim that can match the console version, then Power Pros
2008 will be a shallow and unrewarding experience.

For what it
is, MLB Power Pros 2008 is a good game, but it’s lacking many of the things that
made the console version so good. As many baseball fans have said for many
years, you may want to “wait ‘til next year.”


Review
Scoring Details

for MLB Power Pros 2008

Gameplay: 8.0
Power Pros plays
very well indeed. Batting and pitching are very good and although defense can
sometimes be a bit cumbersome, it’s a solid sim overall. Touch-screen controls
feel tacked on and unnecessary.


Graphics: 8.0 
Those who have
seen either of the console incarnations of the series will know what to expect
here. The adorable player models feature some great animation and the fields
look very impressive.


Sound: 5.0
Thankfully, the
extraordinarily irritating announcers featured in the console versions didn’t
make the transition to DS. Unfortunately, what we are left with is a bland and
lifeless audio presentation with a droning PA announcer, a few irritating tunes
and a very poor representation of what the crowd sounds like at a Major League
Baseball game.


Difficulty: Medium
Power Pros 2008
features variable difficulty, but it does lean a bit towards the more
challenging side.


Concept: 6.0 
Although the
concept of the gameplay itself is very solid, the decision to strip down the DS
version’s feature set is not. Power Pros on DS has no season mode, no online
play, no authentic stadiums and nowhere near the stat tracking of the console
version.


Multiplayer: 6.5
The local
multiplayer is fine for what it is, but online play is sorely missed.


Overall: 7.0
MLB Power Pros
2008 on DS plays well. It plays very well. But without even a season mode, there
is little in the way of lasting appeal. A very simple playoff mode does not fill
the gap. If you want a fun little game of ball that you can pick up every once
in while, Power Pros is great. But if you are expecting the insane stat tracking
and in-depth season modes featured in the console versions, you won’t find it
here.