Games for Lunch: MLB Power Pros 2008
In a nutshell: Super cute happy fun baseball game time!
9/3/2008 7:49 PM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 3
0:21 Pitching practice time. Man the Orioles pitchers suck! I go with G. Thompson, who at least ranks a "B" for control.
0:24 I pick my pitch with a flick of the control stick, aim with the same stick during my windup, then throw. My targeting reticle disappears just before the pitch, meaning I can change things up at the last second without the batter (or me!) even realizing it. Different pitches have different drifts that I have to account for, not that I'm very good at it.
0:28 Fielding practice time. For fly balls, there's a contracting yellow circle on the field that shows where the ball's going to land. The appropriate fielder starts moving as soon as ball is hit, but he'll stop if I don't take direct control of him. Good balance between computer assistance and player control, in my opinion. I like the way the A button makes for diving catches and how the d-pad is used to throw the ball to the bases. Simple! The only problem: I can't figure out how to change which fielder I'm controlling. Hmm.
0:33 Just one more practice mode to go, base-running. So far the practice is plenty fun on its own.
0:36 The base running controls are much more confusing than the others. The analog stick is used to point to the base, then the d-pad is used to issue forward/back commands to one or all the runners. Why couldn't they use the A and B buttons? The only blemish on the controls so far.
0:37 "Everyone loves Exhibition mode! Enjoy an awesome game!" OK, I will! I choose normal difficulty, because Easy doesn't let me control the fielders and baserunners.
0:38 I set up an Orioles vs. Orioles MIRROR MATCH! The lineup shows faces to represent the status of each player. One Brian Roberts is feeling great, the other one lousy. WHOA!
0:39 "We'll be brining you the play-by-play from Oriole Park today. I'm Jack Abruzzi," says Jack Abruzzi. There's a lot of echo on the announcer's voice and it's pretty annoying. I get three warm-up pitches to figure out how strong the drift is. Nice touch.
0:41 "That's how pitching is supposed to be done." Abruzzi says this before I even throw the first pitch. Ugh.
0:42 I strike out Roberts swinging with a low outside pitch. Next up, Melvin Mora makes contact, grounds to short and a quick throw to first is out No. 2. Nick Markakis gets behind in the count and bloops to the shortstop for out No. 3. That was fast!
0:43 Now batting, I hit the first pitch right on the sweet spot and up the center. The announcer bellows: "The Orioles just might get the first run here." Dude, it's just a single!
0:44 I swing late and my batter spins around twice, with his eyes replaced by dizzy spirals. SO CUTE! Then he strikes out. Not cute.
0:45 Another single through the center (right under a surprised-looking pitcher). I try to stretch Roberts from first to third, but the throw cuts me off. I somehow manage to run him back to second in time. Whew!
0:46 A grounder to left field brings Roberts home (once I remember how to get him there). The grounder was slow enough that it looked like someone should have gotten there. Not complaining, just saying.
