Game of the Day 1/28/2015: MLB Power Pros

[celerystalker]

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Wait wait wait no for real it isn't what you (probably) think, I promise!

MLB Power Pros and Power Pros 2008 are the first English versions of the long running Powerful Pro Baseball series, these on the PS2 and Wii. HOWEVER, baseball isn't why I wanted to talk about these. I mean, it is, but it isn't. Yes, you canplay baeball, go through seasons, and all the also ran sports stuff... but why do that when you can play a graphic novel style simulation of a player's life, not only trying to make it to the big leagues, but having a girlfriend, friends, maintaining grades in college, and practicing with the team?

Success mode is a super neat replacement for just creating characters where you do exactly that. You have three seasons in college to keep up your grades and social life while staying in game shape, and the only baseball you'll play are key at bats in a few sparse situations. It's only a part of your life, and you still need to live, so why not get a part time job? Spend money on new equipment, or maybe a great birthday present for your best gal? Create a player of any position you'd like, and try to navigate your way to draft day. It's honestly pretty fun if you ask me, and much more fun than actually playing the billionth baseball game in my house.

2008 goes even further with MLB Life mode, where you play a minor or major leaguer trying to live life throughout a career, developing hobbies, finding love, and more for up to 20 years of game time before you must retire. I mean, there's a lot of game here, not entirely unlike the Graduation games or Eberouge.

If you like graphic novels/sims, these are a bit toned down, but all in English and pretty fun! Have you played it? Don't care because it's a sports game? I couldn't see myself playing a season here anytime soon, but I've gone through Success Mode many times, and I dig it.

Edit: sorry for the early post. I have an early morning.

[Niku-Sama]

I've seen you talk a lot about this series, its one of your favs isn't it?

also I am considering taking all of your entries here and in the poorly documented imports post and making a book out of it.

[Tanooki]

Probably heresy but there is a mobile version of this I know came out on iOS, not sure about Android probably 4-5 years back. It has a few modes to it and it's actually incredibly fun and it doesn't seem to lose anything going to touch, perhaps it gains or at least makes it a hair easier to hit the ball or place a pitch a little more intuitively than moving a d-pad or stick around since you can track your finger along the glass. I never do seasons, too boring and involved, but home run derby type stuff and just one off games for fun keeps it amusing.

[Emperor Megas]

I can't believe you made a sports game sound interesting to me. The only sports game I've ever cared about was Dead or Alive Xtreme Volleyball. I would have NEVER considering giving a baseball game even half of a thought (I really hate sports), but now I'm actually intrigued.

[Tanooki]

If you have a device like I have you could get it for a dollar or two if it's still available and see if you think it's worth digging into the deeper console experiences, though many are not localized.

[celerystalker]

I've seen you talk a lot about this series, its one of your favs isn't it?

also I am considering taking all of your entries here and in the poorly documented imports post and making a book out of it.

I'm not sure if I've gone about these before, but I do love Success Mode. Glad you've had some enjoyment with this stuff. I'm no pundit, but I do have a soft spot for the weird stuff in that import thread like Odo Odo Oddity and Meta-Ph-List.

Megas-glad it sounded interesting! It's a strange mode for a baseball game to be sure.

Tanooki-most portable and mobile phone versions lack the Success and MLB Life modes for a normal baseball game. Still, the Wii and PS2 versions usually go for less than $5 still. I don't think many people really played them.

[Tanooki]

I know, but I'd guess in general (not just this site) more people probably would have access to iOS than own a Wii or PS2 at this point. Even then lazy points go to a dollar download over a $5+ game plus tax with shipping or driving to get it once finding it.

[BenG76]

I am going to keep an eye out for these now. I'm interested in trying them out. I can't imagine they would be to hard to come by.

BTW this is the first time I have commented on your posts, but I really appreciate what your doing. It has certainly opened my eyes to a few games I want to give a try.

[Tanooki]

I'd like to add to what BenG there said, you really need to talk with NZ17.

You and the site on the whole would far better benefit from you doing these daily in the COLUMNS section since it posts to the main site. It would get you more reads and have something new daily scrolling across the main page which isn't a bad thing. More people would learn something and explore. And thankfully so far your picks in games aren't the usual hipster expensive crap everyone touts as a must either because it's expensive, or because they want it to be to make their weenie grow 4 sizes because it will be once the market catches on. People say there are no hidden gems, this stuff going on here proves perhaps there are, just not the big cash faux gems.

[celerystalker]

I'm not looking for publicity or anything... I mean, if they'd rather these or the import thread go there, that's fine, but all I'm really looking to do is talk about some of the games that I like, but my friends don't always care to try. They always want to go back and play the same handful of games, which is cool... I love the old standbys. I just get enthusiastic about more than that, and sometimes I just want to talk about something like a weird import or a classic game that I just can't seem to get anyone to try.

On the plus side, the tournaments I've had in my house in the last year let me kinda dictate what gets played, and a lot of my friends were surprised to find out that they love Final Soldier, Cosmic Smash, Windjammers, and more, which has been cool to watch.

I do appreciate all the enthusiasm, though, and I intend to keep posting as long as people are interested and having fun talking about or trying games.

I apologize in advance if I do accidentally post something pricey here or there. I haven't been checking prices.... I've just been mulling about my basement and seeing what strikes my fancy.