MLB Power Pros is a baseball simulation game. While the aesthetics, particularly the athletes, are far from realistic, the game emphasizes statistics and modeling. For example, each athlete’s tactics may be adjusted in depth, there are approximately 75 skills that change the athletes’ abilities, and comprehensive statistics track the player’s performance. On the field, the game has relatively simple two-button controls, such as swinging, accomplished by positioning the bat in the strike zone and pressing a button. The Wii version has motion controls, but only in exhibition matches and the home run derby.
The heart of the game is Success mode, in which the user constructs a single athlete and guides him to the top. During this mode, the player must decide how to spend the available time, for example, by performing various training exercises. Training finally results in a promotion and the ability to increase statistics numbers. However, personal life is also to consider (influencing other statistics such as popularity). This is especially critical during the first three years of the player character’s college career when a large portion of the time must be spent studying (failing college would end the career early!) or doing a part-time job for money. Earned pay can be spent on objects (for example, to restore vitality, which restricts how much can be accomplished in a day) or on better equipment. There are exceptional situations where the player must make decisions (for example, responding to a request from the girlfriend or accepting the offer to captain the squad). However, The possible possibilities are limited by the fate cards – for example, two “yes” cards result in the opportunity to answer “yes” twice.
Other types of play include exhibition (a single match), practice, league (up to six teams), season (the player becomes general manager of a team for ten years), and home derby. There is also a shop where players can use Power Major Points to buy baseball cards (report cards of the included licensed MLB athletes). These are obtained by accomplishing particular game events, such as playing an exhibition match or completing success mode. The AI can handle all game parts (pitching, fielding, batting, base-running, and management).
