Let’s get one thing straight first: This is perhaps the cutest baseball game ever designed. It’s also one of the deepest on the market today. Unfortunately, one factor (it’s cuteness) could prevent fans from finding it’s other feature (it’s depth), which would be a real shame. MLBPP2k8 is the best baseball experience on the Wii, and I’d call it the possibly best available today.
While the game features the standard exhibition and season modes, it’s the unique modes that set Power Pros apart. The Success mode it a fun RPG style game, with you leading your player through AA and AAA, trying to reach the majors. Betasim, a notorious anti-sports gamer, found great fun here, which should tell you about it’s appeal. I, on the other hand, grew into the MLB Life mode, which is slightly less RPG-like, but allows you to take a player – either an existing pro or a created one – through their 15 year career. It’s dynamic and fun, and I really enjoyed seeing how I could do from game to game.
Another draw is the unlockable goodies, from batting and pitching styles to uniforms and stadiums. It’s done by spending points you earn by playing games. I like this style much, much better then the one in MLB 2K8, and 2K Sports should really consider it for next years build. The stadiums, by the way, are usable in the expansion mode. You create a team, design their uniforms, pick a stadium, and you’re off to the races, trying to win a championship with your new team. It’s fun, but until you unlock a stadium (which takes at least 10,000 points), it seems kind of awkward sharing a field with a real pro team.
The graphics are, as I said, very adorable. With an anime-meets-bobble head style, they stand out while keeping players recognizable. I just wish they were a little more polished, maybe with a plastic-like bobble head shine, and I wonder what they would look like on either the Xbox 360 or PS3. The sounds are completely forgettable, though. The announcer doesn’t get in the way, which is nice, but he’s not great either. He’ll make some poor calls from time-to-time, but what video game play-by-play doesn’t? People who gripe about this seem to forget that every game does it, so it’s not fair to single out one game.
This game is a allot of fun to play, and the RPG modes add life to the game. If Beta can get into it, most anyone can. I recommend it baseball fans who can overlook the kawaii-factor. Alphasim out.
Score Overall 
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