These days in the gaming world, most baseball sims feel content to be as realistic as humanly possible. And I suppose it makes sense, especially given how popular the "MLB: The Show" games have been. But sometimes, it's nice to find a baseball game that's more light and not trying to shove realism in your face. "MLB Power Pros" is a perfect example: an early Wii game featuring characters that almost look like bobbleheads, you might look at a game like this and scoff at its aesthetics and write it off. But don't judge a book by its cover, because "MLB Power Pros" is actually an enjoyable game.
On the surface, the game might seem simplistic and childish, and the aesthetics might play into that, but for all the attention that's sure to be given to the goofy design, there's way more depth here than you would reasonably expect. Statistically, there's a lot going on here, and it's interesting how characters are affected by things like mood, injury and fatigue, and how they factor into the game as it moves along. It's kinda surprising that they managed to fit all of this stuff into the game, but it really is deeper than it has any right to be. The game itself is also fun, with controls that are accessible and easy to learn, and the Success Mode is also a huge highlight for me. It's a take on the typical Career Mode that you see in many modern games but done with a bit of an RPG-like twist that focuses just as much on the game as it does on outside elements. It's a really compelling mode, and it's honestly a step above a number of similar Career Modes that are in modern sports games.
There are a few flaws to the game, though. For starters, while the commentator can be charming, he does repeat himself a bit too much. Also, as someone who enjoys using the motion controls in the game, I wish there were more modes that featured the motion controls, instead of just the Exhibition and Home Run Derby modes.
Overall, though, "MLB Power Pros" is a surprisingly great baseball sim that's got a lot going for it beyond the kid-friendly design. Often, it's hard to recommend sports games that are as old as this one, but this is an exception: if you can find a copy, I highly recommend that you give it a shot.
Final rating: 8 out of 10 "Great"