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2K Sports drafts Konami's Power Pro Baseball

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Aug 3, 2007 10:59 am PT

MLB-licensed installment of long-running Japanese sport series set to be released in North America for Wii, PS2 this fall.

Never let it be said that a little thing like not having the proper license kept Konami from getting a game on store shelves. Earlier this year, the publisher's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 arcade game was released on Xbox Live through a deal struck with current TMNT game-rights holder Ubisoft. The publisher is doing it again, as its Powerful Pro Yakyuu series of baseball games is coming to North America with a Major League Baseball license attached, despite Take-Two Interactive's exclusive third-party deal with the league.

Take-Two's 2K Sports label today announced MLB Power Pros, a Konami-developed installment in the series that will released on the PlayStation 2 and Wii in North America this fall. The game will retain the series' trademark visual style, with cartoon-like approximations of baseball stars taking the field, along with its pick-up-and-play controls. MLB Power Pros features a dozen modes of play, including a season mode where players will have to handle the concerns of a general manager, and a story-based success mode that puts players in the cleats of a college ballplayer trying to make it to the big leagues.

While this is the first time the Powerful Pro Yakyuu series will be released in North America, this is not the first time the franchise has used the MLB license. Last year, Jikkyou Powerful Major League was released in Japan on the PS2 and GameCube with an MLB license and all the relevant teams and players intact.

27 Comments

  • maxmax1234

    Posted Aug 7, 2007 6:23 am PT

    ubi VS, konami!

  • unclejohn0525

    Posted Aug 6, 2007 9:55 am PT

    I remember seeing an old edition of this game for another console on cinematech years ago.

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Aug 6, 2007 7:30 am PT

    they look like the worms of team 17 except playing baseball instead of with bazookas

  • Cyke

    Posted Aug 4, 2007 9:49 pm PT

    I'll be playing a lot of MLB 07: The Show by the time this game comes out.

    Plus, isn't it a little risky to release it by the time the MLB season is over?

  • Mugen76

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 10:08 pm PT

    I hope that this game catches on in the USA and then we get the Japanese teams, too. I've played most PawaPro games since the original on the Super NES, and they are a ton of fun. Hopefully the Wii version actually makes good use of the motion-sensing controls.

  • NinjaFoot

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 8:52 pm PT

    I wonder if this series has the old school simplicity of games like RBI on the NES. If so, I will definitely be interested. If they try to make it a sim type game then count me out.

  • ryanstoy91

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 7:55 pm PT

    Looks like a fun take on baseball.

  • MrSickVisionz

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 4:11 pm PT

    This game is actually pretty technical. My friend has a version of it on the PSP and its really fun. Don't let the cute look fool you. You can stat tweak to your heart's desire and all of it has real world effects. When I first started playing, it was difficult but I still had alot of fun. Newbs can pick it up and enjoy it and real deal baseball game players will like it if they can get over the cuteness.

  • saintsrowCS

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 1:05 pm PT

    willripyouanew1
    Not worth more than $29.99 .
    You played the game already wow thats amazing......wait a second this game isn't even out yet you just made it look like you played it HEY THIS GUY'S A GREAT BIG PHONY

  • -Squirrel-

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 12:40 pm PT

    I agree, it did look like a worm. I would be happy with any really good baseball game for the Wii, until Mario Baseball inevitably comes out.

  • faithnomore311

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 12:28 pm PT

    The only reason I clicked on this article is because it looked like a worm was wearing a helmet in the preview pic. The article did not satisfy my curiousity however.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 12:24 pm PT

    its for the wii so I might look at it

  • mhder

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 12:08 pm PT

    I'd give it a shot.

  • pencilpusher69

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 12:07 pm PT

    willripyouanew1 "Not worth more than $29.99 ."

    Hey everybody, this guy has played the game through and written a thoughtful, and long review of the game.

    Now we all know what's what.

  • VolcanoMan001

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 12:02 pm PT

    This is great but I can't wait for the next version of The BIGS.

  • Kayrod29

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 11:54 am PT

    People on the internet hate baseball, but if you talk to real life joes out there, especially New Yorkers, we all live and breathe baseball. From Little League, to Minor League to MLB, it's a cool sport. As for this game coming out, I think that's great. I wish it was on the newer platforms like Xbox 360.

  • bluezy

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 11:45 am PT

    I'm interested.

  • billysea

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 11:41 am PT

    This game is huge is Japan. It is the Winning Eleven equivalent of Baseball.

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