PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
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Comments
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: ComfortablyLomb | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 3:09 AM
]
Thanks for the quick impressions. It sounds like you're confirming a lot of what was being said coming into this release. Awful rosters and commentary but solid game play when actually on the field.
1. Is the commentary bad to the point where it's painful or is it bad in a way that could be kind of humorous if viewed the right way? I mean, MVP's commentary was atrocious but it didn't take away from the game like Madden's radio guy has taken away from that series.
2. The roster accuracy in terms of play ability is non-existent from what you're saying. Are the rosters at least decent in terms of who is on each team? My understanding is that there is a way of training players, could this be used to compensate for some of the more egregious errors?
3. You're saying the physics and AI are good, that's my primary concern with the game and why I'm so pumped for it. I'm guessing you haven't played much but have you noticed the AI behaving intelligently in terms of game management decisions? Trying to manufacture a run late by advancing runners, using a bullpen competently, setting lineups that make sense, reacting if you keep working the same pattern with pitches?
Thanks again for the impressions. Info on this game has been almost non-existent. I saw someone post in another forum that Toys R Us is backlogged in orders for this game so I guess Wii owners seem to be interested.
1. Is the commentary bad to the point where it's painful or is it bad in a way that could be kind of humorous if viewed the right way? I mean, MVP's commentary was atrocious but it didn't take away from the game like Madden's radio guy has taken away from that series.
2. The roster accuracy in terms of play ability is non-existent from what you're saying. Are the rosters at least decent in terms of who is on each team? My understanding is that there is a way of training players, could this be used to compensate for some of the more egregious errors?
3. You're saying the physics and AI are good, that's my primary concern with the game and why I'm so pumped for it. I'm guessing you haven't played much but have you noticed the AI behaving intelligently in terms of game management decisions? Trying to manufacture a run late by advancing runners, using a bullpen competently, setting lineups that make sense, reacting if you keep working the same pattern with pitches?
Thanks again for the impressions. Info on this game has been almost non-existent. I saw someone post in another forum that Toys R Us is backlogged in orders for this game so I guess Wii owners seem to be interested.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 5:02 AM
| CLM Fan
]
1. There's a difference between the bad commentary we are thinking about. It's not bad to the point that the programming is bad and the commentary is talking about things that aren't happening on screen or talking about a whole other team/player. It's bad as in corny and poorly performed. The programming is fine.
2. Rosters are accurate...if you consider spring training to be accurate. Yeah, you can greatly alter players in the middle of a season by strategically working on certain things in practice. You'll also be able to buy items to help boost practice.
3. You're right, I haven't played enough, so I'll try to answer this better later on. I did play one game in the middle of a simmed season and Julio Franco pinch hit for Carlos Beltran in the 8th inning of a close game. I don't know if that was just terrible AI or the result of having settings on normal. There are settings for opposing management decisions, so I am not going to judge the game based on this one bonehead move. Give me a few more games before I decide it's that awful.
The AI I'm really not liking are auto trades during the season. Too many big names are traded between teams. Also, simmed stats were kinda off as usual. Strike outs were way too high with batters and pitchers. Big Unit got 350 Ks and there were like 10 batters in each league with over 200 whiffs. This was also on normal difficulty, so I'm not going to be too upset.
2. Rosters are accurate...if you consider spring training to be accurate. Yeah, you can greatly alter players in the middle of a season by strategically working on certain things in practice. You'll also be able to buy items to help boost practice.
3. You're right, I haven't played enough, so I'll try to answer this better later on. I did play one game in the middle of a simmed season and Julio Franco pinch hit for Carlos Beltran in the 8th inning of a close game. I don't know if that was just terrible AI or the result of having settings on normal. There are settings for opposing management decisions, so I am not going to judge the game based on this one bonehead move. Give me a few more games before I decide it's that awful.
The AI I'm really not liking are auto trades during the season. Too many big names are traded between teams. Also, simmed stats were kinda off as usual. Strike outs were way too high with batters and pitchers. Big Unit got 350 Ks and there were like 10 batters in each league with over 200 whiffs. This was also on normal difficulty, so I'm not going to be too upset.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: J_J | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 5:49 AM
]
On your question #3, from playing number of previous pawapuro games, the AI is really good at powerful difficulty in terms of batting. If you throw the same kinds of pitches for the first 2 innings, the AI will realize you're throwing the same kind of pitch at the right spot and will knock you down. So you really have to change your stuff and location. So I expect the same in this version.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: J_J | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 4:15 AM
]
thanks for the information BigManZam
By watching some of the trailers, the english announcing is really redundant and boring. "It's a hit" "Throws to second" "Out"
To me, it seemed they did a more literal translation so the English announcing is very weak.
I finally played MyLife the other day and it is one creative invention. It is extremely detailed from start to finish and is probably one of the most innovative features ever in a sports game. I like how they credit you with the first hit in your first career game, or right before you bat there's a notification saying "first career AB". Just those little details may be insignificant but these little details make the gameplay phenomenal. Having 5 different modes on MyLife is just countless hours of playing the game. Unfortunately, it's not on MLB Power Pros.
I highly doubt in the American version, they will change much but it'd be a bonus if they do so. You would think 2K Sports have done research in changing the stats but we'll see.
I do have some questions. In regards to the game presentation between innings, anything special for the 7th inning stretch? And any crowd cheers/crowd excitement? In the past Pawapuro games, the crowd gets really excited just like at Japanese parks. But America cheers in a different way, so I was wondering if the environment is different.
I don't think no one knows this yet, but it's likely that it'll be just English commentary in the American version.
And you know how Sammy Sosa does that jump when he hits a HR in this game, I was wondering if there are any other special movements from certain players.
Thanks.
By watching some of the trailers, the english announcing is really redundant and boring. "It's a hit" "Throws to second" "Out"
To me, it seemed they did a more literal translation so the English announcing is very weak.
I finally played MyLife the other day and it is one creative invention. It is extremely detailed from start to finish and is probably one of the most innovative features ever in a sports game. I like how they credit you with the first hit in your first career game, or right before you bat there's a notification saying "first career AB". Just those little details may be insignificant but these little details make the gameplay phenomenal. Having 5 different modes on MyLife is just countless hours of playing the game. Unfortunately, it's not on MLB Power Pros.
I highly doubt in the American version, they will change much but it'd be a bonus if they do so. You would think 2K Sports have done research in changing the stats but we'll see.
I do have some questions. In regards to the game presentation between innings, anything special for the 7th inning stretch? And any crowd cheers/crowd excitement? In the past Pawapuro games, the crowd gets really excited just like at Japanese parks. But America cheers in a different way, so I was wondering if the environment is different.
I don't think no one knows this yet, but it's likely that it'll be just English commentary in the American version.
And you know how Sammy Sosa does that jump when he hits a HR in this game, I was wondering if there are any other special movements from certain players.
Thanks.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 5:08 AM
| CLM Fan
]
I've only seen the stretch at Baltimore, so they could be different. It consisted of showing the crowd while playing a generic organ song made to sound like Take Me Out to the Ball Game. I thought perhaps the song had a copyright on it after hearing that. Japan is obsessed with intellectual property these days. No idea if the US version will be different.
Crowd seems decent. It's not like they're chanting Japanese songs or anything. Hehe. I'll need to play more to give more of an opinion, though. Need time for the specific player motions, too. I'm expecting individual HR follow throughs for Griffey and Howard.
On a note about the differences between the Japanese version and American version, I can already tell you something. The opening movies are different in a small way. Of course the faces are different in both versions, but the Japanese version shows Matsui instead of A-Rod towards the end. Which is funny because Matsui hit 1 HR and 40 RBIs in a full simmed season I did. Guess we need to hit up Success to make a decent Matsui.
Crowd seems decent. It's not like they're chanting Japanese songs or anything. Hehe. I'll need to play more to give more of an opinion, though. Need time for the specific player motions, too. I'm expecting individual HR follow throughs for Griffey and Howard.
On a note about the differences between the Japanese version and American version, I can already tell you something. The opening movies are different in a small way. Of course the faces are different in both versions, but the Japanese version shows Matsui instead of A-Rod towards the end. Which is funny because Matsui hit 1 HR and 40 RBIs in a full simmed season I did. Guess we need to hit up Success to make a decent Matsui.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: J_J | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 6:01 AM
]
Looking at GamingAge screenshots, it seems that the statistics are going to stay the same. You have Hideki Matsui at:
Traj 2
Con E (7)
Pow C (130)
Run D (9)
Arm C (10)
Fld C (10)
E Res C (10)
One interesting note is that in the former pawapuro games, if you have power 120, that's a B. I guess since the parks are bigger and there is more power in the states, they made it that way.
Giambi (Yankees)
Traj 4
Con E
Pow A
Run F
Arm F
Fld F
E Res D
Matsuzaka has A stamina and A control so that hasn't changed (and this is the english version, unless they changed it at the last minute).
Igawa
Stamina A
Control C
Sld 2
CChg 5
93 MPH
One last thing is that I noticed in the Japanese trailer, during the season when ARod is about to get his 500th HR, before his AB, it shows on the right side of the screen saying "One more HR till 500". And then he hits the HR and gets a standing ovation saying he has hit 500 HRs in his career.
Traj 2
Con E (7)
Pow C (130)
Run D (9)
Arm C (10)
Fld C (10)
E Res C (10)
One interesting note is that in the former pawapuro games, if you have power 120, that's a B. I guess since the parks are bigger and there is more power in the states, they made it that way.
Giambi (Yankees)
Traj 4
Con E
Pow A
Run F
Arm F
Fld F
E Res D
Matsuzaka has A stamina and A control so that hasn't changed (and this is the english version, unless they changed it at the last minute).
Igawa
Stamina A
Control C
Sld 2
CChg 5
93 MPH
One last thing is that I noticed in the Japanese trailer, during the season when ARod is about to get his 500th HR, before his AB, it shows on the right side of the screen saying "One more HR till 500". And then he hits the HR and gets a standing ovation saying he has hit 500 HRs in his career.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: RandyBass | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 7:06 AM
| HT Fan
]
"I'm still very interested in playing MLB Power Pros, since I want to check out the facial graphics, translation, any modifications made for the American market, and whether it has an edit or not."
If they added the ability to fully edit that would be great. The chances of that happening seem to be pretty much none.
It's a shame the rosters are botched. It's not like this is MVP NCAA 07 where they could more or less get away with it.
Can you by chance play a short season, or at least playoff only? And what about a fantasy draft, does it have that?
If they added the ability to fully edit that would be great. The chances of that happening seem to be pretty much none.
It's a shame the rosters are botched. It's not like this is MVP NCAA 07 where they could more or less get away with it.
Can you by chance play a short season, or at least playoff only? And what about a fantasy draft, does it have that?
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: Dave | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 7:15 AM
]
a couple of the guys at the operationsports forum got the game at best buy. The american version does have a full edit mode. they also posted a small video.
http://forums.operationsports.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=220258&page=24
http://forums.operationsports.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=220258&page=24
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: XiaNaphryz | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 6:50 AM
]
I'm reading a few reports of a few stores breaking street date for the US version. Also read one report confirming that an Edit mode is in, someone said they changed Soriano's stats/attributes.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: XiaNaphryz | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 7:15 AM
]
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 7:52 AM
| CLM Fan
]
Oh no....
I mean, I'm very happy, because we'll be able to make accurate players and collaborate to make an ultimate save file. That's great. I just feel really bad for the Japanese fans. They got completely hosed on facial graphics and full edit. They are going to be so angry. Most of them know very little about how to play imports, too.
So Japanese fans have to pay DOUBLE the price for a gimped game with botched stats out the wazoo. I honestly have no idea what Konami is doing with that Pawapuro fanbase. I'll check 2ch and translate opinions later tonight.
I mean, I'm very happy, because we'll be able to make accurate players and collaborate to make an ultimate save file. That's great. I just feel really bad for the Japanese fans. They got completely hosed on facial graphics and full edit. They are going to be so angry. Most of them know very little about how to play imports, too.
So Japanese fans have to pay DOUBLE the price for a gimped game with botched stats out the wazoo. I honestly have no idea what Konami is doing with that Pawapuro fanbase. I'll check 2ch and translate opinions later tonight.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: XiaNaphryz | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 9:07 AM
]
It would be interesting to see their reaction. I wonder how much of their fanbase go around English websites looking for info on the US version.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 11:05 AM
| CLM Fan
]
They're completely oblivious at this point. I'd let them know, but Comcast IPs aren't allowed to post on 2ch anymore. Ah, Japan's xenophobia. I love how you treat me. Even on the internet, your warm "Japan only" greetings fill me with nostalgia.
If anyone would be so kind as to post that YouTube URL to this thread, it'd be appreciated. Thanks.
http://game11.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/gamespo/1191172040/l50
If anyone would be so kind as to post that YouTube URL to this thread, it'd be appreciated. Thanks.
http://game11.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/gamespo/1191172040/l50
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 3, 2007 12:24 PM
| CLM Fan
]
Thanks to whoever linked up. Man, they are ticked. I'll do some translations before I pass out.
"This is horrible."
"Are you kidding me?!?!"
"They are seriously underestimating Japanese gamers."
"After seeing this, any thoughts I had for buying the Japanese version completely vanished."
"It's hilarious that the only thing really kept out of the Japanese version is edit."
"My blood is boiling."(very loose translation)
"If they can do something so messed up like this, I'm never going to buy Pawapuro again."
"I'm totally jealous of the American version. I'm going to cancel my order."
"If your stats are going to be such garbage, include a damn edit mode, Konami."
"This...is...terrible..."
"AAAAH!!! Release PawaMajor International now!"
"Just like always, the stats aren't even close to being decent. If you're going to scam us all, at least do it before opening day."
"Why does the American version get this? It's even half priced."
"I really want this! I laughed at the guy making Posada faster, though. Haha."
"People yelling about 'put an edit mode in!', you should just make players in Success Mode. Perhaps you can't because you suck at it?"(this is probably the saddest post in all the thread and raises my suspicions about whether it's a Konami employee or not)
"When you see the American version's edit, you can't help but think that the Japanese version belongs in a ditch by the side of the road. It doesn't belong on a store shelf."
"Has facial graphics, edit mode, and is half priced. This is awful."
And that's all I'm going to do for now. Yep, they're ticked.
"This is horrible."
"Are you kidding me?!?!"
"They are seriously underestimating Japanese gamers."
"After seeing this, any thoughts I had for buying the Japanese version completely vanished."
"It's hilarious that the only thing really kept out of the Japanese version is edit."
"My blood is boiling."(very loose translation)
"If they can do something so messed up like this, I'm never going to buy Pawapuro again."
"I'm totally jealous of the American version. I'm going to cancel my order."
"If your stats are going to be such garbage, include a damn edit mode, Konami."
"This...is...terrible..."
"AAAAH!!! Release PawaMajor International now!"
"Just like always, the stats aren't even close to being decent. If you're going to scam us all, at least do it before opening day."
"Why does the American version get this? It's even half priced."
"I really want this! I laughed at the guy making Posada faster, though. Haha."
"People yelling about 'put an edit mode in!', you should just make players in Success Mode. Perhaps you can't because you suck at it?"(this is probably the saddest post in all the thread and raises my suspicions about whether it's a Konami employee or not)
"When you see the American version's edit, you can't help but think that the Japanese version belongs in a ditch by the side of the road. It doesn't belong on a store shelf."
"Has facial graphics, edit mode, and is half priced. This is awful."
And that's all I'm going to do for now. Yep, they're ticked.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: XiaNaphryz | Posted: Oct 4, 2007 5:32 AM
]
I hope someone over there imports and posts their impressions...would be interesting to hear it from their perspective.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: NipponHam11 | Posted: Oct 4, 2007 6:05 AM
| SFT Fan
]
I worked this morning and got to see the MLB Power Pros case and everything. I've started pushing this game hard at work, and people seem to like it just from what I've told them.
I hope to pick up the Wii version this Friday when I get paid. Hopefully the Wii motion-sensing controls will be cool and be more in-depth than Wii Sports Baseball (which is cool in and of itself).
I hope to pick up the Wii version this Friday when I get paid. Hopefully the Wii motion-sensing controls will be cool and be more in-depth than Wii Sports Baseball (which is cool in and of itself).
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: XiaNaphryz | Posted: Oct 4, 2007 8:14 AM
]
I'm still surprised to see differences between the US version and the Japanese one, I was expecting a straight port. The 2K producers overseeing the localization must have pushed for the extra things we got pretty hard. Thanks guys, if you even peruse this board. 
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 5, 2007 12:09 AM
| CLM Fan
]
I've played both Japanese and US versions now. Here are the differences...
1. Power Pros doesn't have Japanese commentary.
2. Opening movies are slightly different.
3. Power Pros doesn't have the 100+ pitching and batting motions from Pawapuro. This really ticked me off, since I couldn't use Maa-kun's pitching form.
4. Obviously Power Pros has a full edit mode while PawaMajor has the gimped one that won't even let you change skin color.
5. Power Pros has facial features, hair, glasses, and earrings.
That's about all I can find for now. The translation in Power Pros is kind of awkward at times. Reminds me of the old days with bad translations for games like Zero Wing. Ok, maybe it's not that bad.
Full edit is a godsend, and that alone easily beats the extra batting/pitching forms. Now some COMPETENT people can finally make stats for this series.
BTW, I watched the credits to see who was in charge of what in the PawaMajor staff. There was a single person in charge of player data. Hey, Konami! Next time you pay someone money to input player data for you, why not try someone who actually knows what the hell they're doing? I swear that person probably thinks there are goals in baseball.
1. Power Pros doesn't have Japanese commentary.
2. Opening movies are slightly different.
3. Power Pros doesn't have the 100+ pitching and batting motions from Pawapuro. This really ticked me off, since I couldn't use Maa-kun's pitching form.
4. Obviously Power Pros has a full edit mode while PawaMajor has the gimped one that won't even let you change skin color.
5. Power Pros has facial features, hair, glasses, and earrings.
That's about all I can find for now. The translation in Power Pros is kind of awkward at times. Reminds me of the old days with bad translations for games like Zero Wing. Ok, maybe it's not that bad.
Full edit is a godsend, and that alone easily beats the extra batting/pitching forms. Now some COMPETENT people can finally make stats for this series.
BTW, I watched the credits to see who was in charge of what in the PawaMajor staff. There was a single person in charge of player data. Hey, Konami! Next time you pay someone money to input player data for you, why not try someone who actually knows what the hell they're doing? I swear that person probably thinks there are goals in baseball.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: XiaNaphryz | Posted: Oct 5, 2007 12:16 AM
]
Don't forget that stat-line generator in Edit Mode that gives you a preview of what a player's attributes could result in over the course of a season!
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: Skinz | Posted: Oct 5, 2007 5:18 AM
]
Just got the game and played some exhibition games.....
Impressions:
The gameplay is smooth and nice but there is some hiccups though
There is a delay when throwing the ball to bases, especially when someone is stealing bases.
I can't find the option to raise the speed on the ball (I'm hitting WAY too much)
The expert difficulty is not hard enough IMO....I hope there is another difficulty level
Also, I definitely need some good settings
Oh Bigman, I think there is japanese commentary in Power pros.....I check it out but the manual say you swtich to english and japanese.
Impressions:
The gameplay is smooth and nice but there is some hiccups though
There is a delay when throwing the ball to bases, especially when someone is stealing bases.
I can't find the option to raise the speed on the ball (I'm hitting WAY too much)
The expert difficulty is not hard enough IMO....I hope there is another difficulty level
Also, I definitely need some good settings
Oh Bigman, I think there is japanese commentary in Power pros.....I check it out but the manual say you swtich to english and japanese.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 5, 2007 10:29 AM
| CLM Fan
]
Are you using analog or digital? Use digital with normal cursor if you're hitting too much. Turn off CPU pitch cursor and only swing at 2 strike pitches with contact only when runners are in scoring position or nobody is on. If you find yourself hitting too much with those settings, you are a Pawapuro master. Go play in some tournaments.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: tsm_ice9 | Posted: Oct 5, 2007 6:27 AM
]
I just picked up the Wii version of the game today....
I imported Powerful Major League 1 for PS2 when it came out, and I can say the graphics in the new game are really crisp/clean in comparison! The game runs very smoothly, too... analog control just feels nicer (this could be the Wii control stick over PS2, not sure). My one complaint about gameplay is that there seems to be something wrong with baserunner response, sometimes they go on a fly ball when they shouldn't or sometimes they stay put and it's hard to remember to get 'em moving (and sometimes they don't move when you press the button.. there must be another button press needed...).
The announcer is almost identical to the way it was last time, which is alright, but it sure could have used cleaning up for a US release. There are also some flat out mistakes... As an example the play-by-play guy incorrectly refers to Troy Glaus as "Tony Glaus," while the stadium announcer in the background has it right... oh well, not a huge deal.
Anyway this game plays very nicely, I'm quite pleased as a sort of long time Power Pro fan! I haven't sat down to play out success mode yet (gotta get back to work) but it seems alright.. very wordy and as in the Japanese version, it's all a bunch of silly story that doesn't really interest me.. I do like the angle of strengthening your player, earning a spot in the lineup, and trying to perform... hopefully you'll be given the option of skipping lengthy text after your first pass-through, as in previous Power Pro games.
The only thing I really think the game is missing is My Life mode.
I imported Powerful Major League 1 for PS2 when it came out, and I can say the graphics in the new game are really crisp/clean in comparison! The game runs very smoothly, too... analog control just feels nicer (this could be the Wii control stick over PS2, not sure). My one complaint about gameplay is that there seems to be something wrong with baserunner response, sometimes they go on a fly ball when they shouldn't or sometimes they stay put and it's hard to remember to get 'em moving (and sometimes they don't move when you press the button.. there must be another button press needed...).
The announcer is almost identical to the way it was last time, which is alright, but it sure could have used cleaning up for a US release. There are also some flat out mistakes... As an example the play-by-play guy incorrectly refers to Troy Glaus as "Tony Glaus," while the stadium announcer in the background has it right... oh well, not a huge deal.
Anyway this game plays very nicely, I'm quite pleased as a sort of long time Power Pro fan! I haven't sat down to play out success mode yet (gotta get back to work) but it seems alright.. very wordy and as in the Japanese version, it's all a bunch of silly story that doesn't really interest me.. I do like the angle of strengthening your player, earning a spot in the lineup, and trying to perform... hopefully you'll be given the option of skipping lengthy text after your first pass-through, as in previous Power Pro games.
The only thing I really think the game is missing is My Life mode.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: skinz | Posted: Oct 5, 2007 6:53 AM
]
Nope....there is no japanese commentary in power pros
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: XiaNaphryz | Posted: Oct 5, 2007 11:07 AM
]
Yeah, it's an error in the manual...probably a direct translation of the Japanese one.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: kuma | Posted: Oct 6, 2007 1:35 AM
]
Everyone is complaining about how bad the English commentary is (and from watching videos, I have to agree). Is there an option to turn it off completely?
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: F. Egawa | Posted: Oct 6, 2007 7:10 AM
]
Yeah, you can turn the commentary off
If you or anyone liked RBI Baseball, Ken Griffey, Baseball Stars or even Hot Shots Golf (Minna no Golf) then you should buy this MLB Power Pros title...
If you or anyone liked RBI Baseball, Ken Griffey, Baseball Stars or even Hot Shots Golf (Minna no Golf) then you should buy this MLB Power Pros title...
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: NipponHam11 | Posted: Oct 6, 2007 8:03 AM
| SFT Fan
]
The only complaints I have with Power Pros is that the rosters are out-of-date, some of the stats are incorrect, and the commentary plain old stinks (all easily fixable). Other than that, this is easily the most satisfying baseball game I've ever played.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 7, 2007 3:24 PM
| CLM Fan
]
Some other differences between the Japanese and American releases...
1. American version shows close ups of batters on every first at bat. Japanese version only has them for chance situations.
2. Obviously some of the Japanese culture jokes in Success Mode didn't translate well at all.
3. Even if you hate the faces for MLB Power Pros, you could go ahead and edit all the players to look like Pawapuro-kun, since his face is in there.
4. Success players look like their animated selves in game. I always wanted this, so it was cool to finally see it in the game.
On another note, it's weird to see how much momentum this game is gathering online. Operations Sports' official thread has received somewhere over 12,000 views now. All boards with any info on the game are exploding with activity. We've had a few new posters here, as well as a few haters talking about how dead this board is. There's a big difference between your American boards and this one, fellas. This board is still 100% exclusive for Japanese releases, and it will not focus on the American release of MLB Power Pros. JapaneseBaseball.com forums have never been about gathering as many posters as possible. We're all about having a decent group of posters who can have intelligent debate with each other without childish attacks or insults. Part of the allure of this site is that the posters are all great and contribute to the discussions. Don't have anything constructive to say? Great. Hit the back button. Thanks.
As with anything that gains popularity, it's a double-edged sword. Ever been a fan of an indie band that "made it big"? Going to those shows isn't too fun anymore, is it? Hehe. The attention Pawapuro is getting right now reminds me a lot of Fire Pro. It's kind of sad, though, because a lot of guys don't know what they're doing. Instead of accessing Arrange Mode, they're editing players like crazy to modify the batting orders. Sounds very tedious, but if they want to waste their time like that, I can't say that I object at all. What does their time matter to me?
Anyway, I'm probably going to take a break from this game to see what the American fans do. Seems like they'll be done with editing before myself, so I'd rather not waste my time.
1. American version shows close ups of batters on every first at bat. Japanese version only has them for chance situations.
2. Obviously some of the Japanese culture jokes in Success Mode didn't translate well at all.
3. Even if you hate the faces for MLB Power Pros, you could go ahead and edit all the players to look like Pawapuro-kun, since his face is in there.
4. Success players look like their animated selves in game. I always wanted this, so it was cool to finally see it in the game.
On another note, it's weird to see how much momentum this game is gathering online. Operations Sports' official thread has received somewhere over 12,000 views now. All boards with any info on the game are exploding with activity. We've had a few new posters here, as well as a few haters talking about how dead this board is. There's a big difference between your American boards and this one, fellas. This board is still 100% exclusive for Japanese releases, and it will not focus on the American release of MLB Power Pros. JapaneseBaseball.com forums have never been about gathering as many posters as possible. We're all about having a decent group of posters who can have intelligent debate with each other without childish attacks or insults. Part of the allure of this site is that the posters are all great and contribute to the discussions. Don't have anything constructive to say? Great. Hit the back button. Thanks.
As with anything that gains popularity, it's a double-edged sword. Ever been a fan of an indie band that "made it big"? Going to those shows isn't too fun anymore, is it? Hehe. The attention Pawapuro is getting right now reminds me a lot of Fire Pro. It's kind of sad, though, because a lot of guys don't know what they're doing. Instead of accessing Arrange Mode, they're editing players like crazy to modify the batting orders. Sounds very tedious, but if they want to waste their time like that, I can't say that I object at all. What does their time matter to me?
Anyway, I'm probably going to take a break from this game to see what the American fans do. Seems like they'll be done with editing before myself, so I'd rather not waste my time.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: Skinz | Posted: Oct 8, 2007 3:09 AM
]
Hahahahaha....I keep telling people to use Arrange mode but its still get ignored.
By the way, I think there is a problem with arrange mode, it seems you can't put AAA players on the Mlb roster. Weird.
For example, I can't put Milledge on the Mets MLB roster somewhow.
By the way, I think there is a problem with arrange mode, it seems you can't put AAA players on the Mlb roster. Weird.
For example, I can't put Milledge on the Mets MLB roster somewhow.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: XiaNaphryz | Posted: Oct 8, 2007 7:07 AM
]
I think the main issues with the current editing situation are that it's pricey to get the Arrange Teams in Season Mode option in the shop, and noone's confirmed whether or not that option limits you to 1 team in Season Mode or all teams.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: jiro | Posted: Oct 9, 2007 3:54 AM
]
hmm, it's been a while since i wrote here
right now, i have powerpro 12 and mlb powerpro at home, and i will admit i've been playing the mlb version a lot more these days.
i've been curious for a while...sorry if it's been asked before, but,is there a simple way to make players in the purple or blue condition in season mode feel better?
i tried resting them and that seems to help, but i'm not 100% sure.
btw, i wanna sorta agree and disagree with bigmanzam.
I played much more games from japan, and japanese games usually had less glitches and errors in the past. they were just of higher quality. just seems like they have much more bug-checking done b4 than a lot of western game makers.
but yes, konami and square have been making worse games recently. they seem lazy.
but that said, it's sorta sad, how a barely updated WE11 still plays a much more realistic and better game than FIFA, (though the internet mod community helped a lot in that), and how still powerpro plays a much better game than The Show, which was still pretty good.
maybe we were used to and did expect a lil too much from konami.
I think it's as these companies grow bigger, and with newer management, they started turning their greedy eyes towards the millions of ppl in the western market. And instead of concentrating on make ONE great FF or ONE great WE11 or MGS, they start making a bunch of quickly/cheaply made, crap games, that just have their brand name on it, much like the crap of secondary games from square bigmanzam mentioned
as long as the millions of casual, uninformed, fanboys, otakus, whatever u wanna call em, keep buying em these crap games that just have the FF name on it, this new trend from japan isn't going to stop.
Pride and feeling of accomplishment from a well-made product sounds all good and nice, but it can't beat making extra millions of $ or yen.
i can dislike them for dong so, but i can't fault anyone for trying to make more money.
hell, i'd do it too, if i was in their postion.
i just hate the stupid ppl who keep buying them a lot more. if ppl smartened up, and just stop buying crap stuff, konami, square etc, would stop making em. period.
i'm sorry my rant went on for so long.
have a nice day.
right now, i have powerpro 12 and mlb powerpro at home, and i will admit i've been playing the mlb version a lot more these days.
i've been curious for a while...sorry if it's been asked before, but,is there a simple way to make players in the purple or blue condition in season mode feel better?
i tried resting them and that seems to help, but i'm not 100% sure.
btw, i wanna sorta agree and disagree with bigmanzam.
I played much more games from japan, and japanese games usually had less glitches and errors in the past. they were just of higher quality. just seems like they have much more bug-checking done b4 than a lot of western game makers.
but yes, konami and square have been making worse games recently. they seem lazy.
but that said, it's sorta sad, how a barely updated WE11 still plays a much more realistic and better game than FIFA, (though the internet mod community helped a lot in that), and how still powerpro plays a much better game than The Show, which was still pretty good.
maybe we were used to and did expect a lil too much from konami.
I think it's as these companies grow bigger, and with newer management, they started turning their greedy eyes towards the millions of ppl in the western market. And instead of concentrating on make ONE great FF or ONE great WE11 or MGS, they start making a bunch of quickly/cheaply made, crap games, that just have their brand name on it, much like the crap of secondary games from square bigmanzam mentioned
as long as the millions of casual, uninformed, fanboys, otakus, whatever u wanna call em, keep buying em these crap games that just have the FF name on it, this new trend from japan isn't going to stop.
Pride and feeling of accomplishment from a well-made product sounds all good and nice, but it can't beat making extra millions of $ or yen.
i can dislike them for dong so, but i can't fault anyone for trying to make more money.
hell, i'd do it too, if i was in their postion.
i just hate the stupid ppl who keep buying them a lot more. if ppl smartened up, and just stop buying crap stuff, konami, square etc, would stop making em. period.
i'm sorry my rant went on for so long.
have a nice day.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Oct 9, 2007 7:28 AM
| CLM Fan
]
Condition seems pretty random. I don't think resting even does anything. I've never really done anything special in the past to change condition at all.
What you say about the Japanese game industry focusing more on the west is not just a theory, but factual. Take a look at Capcom and their work for the 360. Metal Gear Solid 4 is Konami's biggest game scheduled and that series isn't even too famous in Japan. I mean, it's known by the hardcore gamers, but it's nothing like it is in America and Europe. In a way, I think Metal Gear Solid is Kojima's way of reaching out to people in western countries. Of course this distinct Japanese intellectual style is sometimes met with anger and hostility by the more ape-like over here. Hehe. God knows how many complaints MGS has received over cut-scenes.
Anyway, I'm kind of regretting Pawapuro making it over to the US. The edit mode is nice and all, but I can't help but wonder what it means for the future. I like PawaMajor 2 because the past couple years have been so bad for the franchise, but now that I've played for a while, I can see that it's still NOTHING compared to Pawapuro 10 or 11 Ketteiban. I'll probably go back to playing those soon enough. I'm already getting sick of the impossible digipad batting(I absolutely refuse to play with lock-on) and lack of walks given up. Here's to Pawapoke 10. Hehe.
What you say about the Japanese game industry focusing more on the west is not just a theory, but factual. Take a look at Capcom and their work for the 360. Metal Gear Solid 4 is Konami's biggest game scheduled and that series isn't even too famous in Japan. I mean, it's known by the hardcore gamers, but it's nothing like it is in America and Europe. In a way, I think Metal Gear Solid is Kojima's way of reaching out to people in western countries. Of course this distinct Japanese intellectual style is sometimes met with anger and hostility by the more ape-like over here. Hehe. God knows how many complaints MGS has received over cut-scenes.
Anyway, I'm kind of regretting Pawapuro making it over to the US. The edit mode is nice and all, but I can't help but wonder what it means for the future. I like PawaMajor 2 because the past couple years have been so bad for the franchise, but now that I've played for a while, I can see that it's still NOTHING compared to Pawapuro 10 or 11 Ketteiban. I'll probably go back to playing those soon enough. I'm already getting sick of the impossible digipad batting(I absolutely refuse to play with lock-on) and lack of walks given up. Here's to Pawapoke 10. Hehe.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Guest: jiro | Posted: Oct 9, 2007 8:22 AM
]
thanx for the condition tip.
It's kinda sad how big japanese games are made with English voice overs first, then Japanese 2nd, if at all, nowadays.
Of course, my japanese is still isn't good enough, but i love games that offer an option to listen to the japanese voices.
It's interesting hearing MGS isn't as big in Japan. May i ask why or what japanese gamers don't like about MGS?
I just saw a vid on some site, with the white guy Ryan Payton, working on MGS talking about westernizing MGS,
http://kotaku.com/gaming/ryan-payton-explains-why/mgs4-has-two-control-schemes-the-monkey-has-pants-306906.php
It seems there's a perception that japanese gamers don't like games that r too difficult, stressful and complex. he also said that's why japanese love their slow, leisurely games like puzzle and rpgs types.
another generlization from a guy from surrealgames i thought interesting.basically saying east loves fantasy and the west wants realistic games.
- http://www.surrealgamedesign.com/2007/09/24/stranger-in-a-strange-land-pt2/
I always thought japanese gamers loved the hard hardcore games of old. maybe it's changed, i don't know, but it still sounded like stupid generalization to me.
I did notice japanese and korean (like me) ppl aren't big fans of FPSs, especially on consoles. that includes me.
i sometimes find it funny seeing the ppl of US and Europe buying another console FPS every month again and again. on a side note, glad i never bought an xbox.
the first time i fell in love with pawapro was on the n64. it was a great 4 person party game in college~
so personally, though i hate the no walks on mlb powerpro, i love it's analog option. maybe pp 9 had it (the last PP i owned), but i never found the option to change it, so i missed the analog batting a lot.
It's kinda sad how big japanese games are made with English voice overs first, then Japanese 2nd, if at all, nowadays.
Of course, my japanese is still isn't good enough, but i love games that offer an option to listen to the japanese voices.
It's interesting hearing MGS isn't as big in Japan. May i ask why or what japanese gamers don't like about MGS?
I just saw a vid on some site, with the white guy Ryan Payton, working on MGS talking about westernizing MGS,
http://kotaku.com/gaming/ryan-payton-explains-why/mgs4-has-two-control-schemes-the-monkey-has-pants-306906.php
It seems there's a perception that japanese gamers don't like games that r too difficult, stressful and complex. he also said that's why japanese love their slow, leisurely games like puzzle and rpgs types.
another generlization from a guy from surrealgames i thought interesting.basically saying east loves fantasy and the west wants realistic games.
- http://www.surrealgamedesign.com/2007/09/24/stranger-in-a-strange-land-pt2/
I always thought japanese gamers loved the hard hardcore games of old. maybe it's changed, i don't know, but it still sounded like stupid generalization to me.
I did notice japanese and korean (like me) ppl aren't big fans of FPSs, especially on consoles. that includes me.
i sometimes find it funny seeing the ppl of US and Europe buying another console FPS every month again and again. on a side note, glad i never bought an xbox.
the first time i fell in love with pawapro was on the n64. it was a great 4 person party game in college~
so personally, though i hate the no walks on mlb powerpro, i love it's analog option. maybe pp 9 had it (the last PP i owned), but i never found the option to change it, so i missed the analog batting a lot.
Re: PawaMajor 2 and MLB Power Pros First Impressions
[ Author: Shinigami | Posted: Oct 9, 2007 10:42 AM
| FSH Fan
]
Might be a bit off topic...but what the heck...
I finally got around to try out Pawapuro 14 last week...and the game disgusted me. I aint gonna say much more about it here, as everyone knows how bad it was.
Then I popped in my Pawapuro 12K, and wow, I noticed the big difference. The sound of the bat connecting with the ball...CPU hitting (hard) that feels good and not over-hit, pitch speed that's A LOT faster than 14...
And then this happened...the worst thing about Pawapuro 12 that kinda screwed it for me back then. Was playing an exhibition game against Hawks, batting against a pink condition Sugiuchi (who's a top 3 pitcher in 12K after coming off a Sawamura year). At the end of the match...with me losing 3-1, Sugiuchi pitched 68 pitches for the CG....=_=
It's not like I was overly aggressive swinging at things, but he threw 62 of those pitches for strike, on the way to striking out me 7 times (I got a bit rusty I suppose).
But even with this, the rest of the game is just SOOOO much better than the new Pawapuro...it's amazing how 12K was already considered way down from previous Pawapuros.
I guess I am gonna follow BigMan, and go play 11K. I suppose if I went straight from 14 down to 11K, I'd probably think they were a different game.
I finally got around to try out Pawapuro 14 last week...and the game disgusted me. I aint gonna say much more about it here, as everyone knows how bad it was.
Then I popped in my Pawapuro 12K, and wow, I noticed the big difference. The sound of the bat connecting with the ball...CPU hitting (hard) that feels good and not over-hit, pitch speed that's A LOT faster than 14...
And then this happened...the worst thing about Pawapuro 12 that kinda screwed it for me back then. Was playing an exhibition game against Hawks, batting against a pink condition Sugiuchi (who's a top 3 pitcher in 12K after coming off a Sawamura year). At the end of the match...with me losing 3-1, Sugiuchi pitched 68 pitches for the CG....=_=
It's not like I was overly aggressive swinging at things, but he threw 62 of those pitches for strike, on the way to striking out me 7 times (I got a bit rusty I suppose).
But even with this, the rest of the game is just SOOOO much better than the new Pawapuro...it's amazing how 12K was already considered way down from previous Pawapuros.
I guess I am gonna follow BigMan, and go play 11K. I suppose if I went straight from 14 down to 11K, I'd probably think they were a different game.
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Some rights reserved.
First the bads to get them out of the way...
1. English commentary is absolutely horrific with awkward editing, mispronounced names, and poor grasp of American terms. For example, he'll claim a ball is "hit" for a foul out when you'd usually say "make contact" in baseball terms. You'll understand when you play.
2. Not much of a design change from the first. Guess we all expected this when we saw the few videos uploaded by Gamespot. Menus and such are identical to the first.
3. Player stats are god awful. Some good examples can be found just on the Mariners roster. Brandon Morrow has a fastball that tops out in the mid-80s when he regularly throws 95-98 in real life. Adrian Beltre has D arm strength while Raul Ibanez, Jose Vidro, and Willie Bloomquist have B. JJ Putz throws a level 1 splitter while having a better curve and hard slider. He doesn't even throw the latter two pitches. MLB The Show did the same thing. George Sherrill has no slider. You'll find things like this on every team. Konami clearly needs to bring in a handful of people schooled in MLB if they want to make a third MLB game. You can tell that they rely on some computer stat system, but that doesn't fly. Yes, they even gave Hideki Matsui E meet, C power, and 2 arch. Their craptastic stats show no bias.
4. Simulating a season takes forever, just like last year. I'm simming right now. I should have enough time to write this all, take a shower, and go to the store to pick up some muffins by the time it ends. I'm not kidding.
5. No My Life mode. If you ask me, this was a big mistake. My Life is the one great thing that English speaking fans are really missing out on. You know Japanese fans would like a My Life in America and the majors, too.
6. I haven't touched Success yet, but I'm reserving this space for yet another crappy installment of making all A fielders and 105 MPH aces.
Now, here's the good...
1. Physics and AI seem really solid. This surprised me a lot, since the NPB Pawapuros have been so awful for the past few years. I was used to putting the game into my PS2, having CPU batters swing at every first pitch, end a game with no Ks and a 40 pitch shut out, baseballs seem like they're made out of iron, etc. PawaMajor 2 has solid AI so far, realistic Ks, nice difficulty, and shockingly good physics. I found myself struggling to hit homers with analog control, but yet it didn't feel cheap at all. I also fouled pitches off, which I really like.
2. In addition to the preset difficulty of normal and rookie, there is a new expert difficulty. I liked this a lot. You can't see your own pitch cursor, fielding cursor is off, etc. Very nice change of pace to just hit expert difficulty and get right into a game without tweaking everything like crazy.
3. Graphics look better. I was very impressed with how smooth and pretty the SafeCo Field roof looked. I can only imagine how great the other parks look(especially the ones with water).
4. Much tighter presentation. Cut scenes in between innings are very smooth and don't suffer drops in framerate like Pawapuro 13 and 14 had. PawaMajor has a different programmer from Pawapuro(some guy simply named "O"), so I'm not surprised by this. They also added MLB2K style instant replays with American TV style presentation. Very nice touch from the dated and boring Pawapuro replays.
5. A lot more options. So in addition to the new gameplay options of Pro Yakyu Spirits style timing(which kinda sucks, since you can't tap X to make pitches go faster) and ball cursor, there are more pregame options. Some examples of these are replay frequency and mixed weather patterns. The addition of the new difficulty level between hard and powerful is a nice touch, too.
6. Sound. I like the fact that sounds are very different from Pawapuro. The sound of the ball cracking the bat, the Americanized smooth music played during selection screens, bilingual commentary, etc. all separate this series from it's slumping NPB counterpart.
7. This is something a lot of longtime fans love about this series. They still have the feature of pressing triangle on player names to bring up the in depth player attribute screen.
8. Player cards seem like a bit less of a waste of time, since they've added little career blurbs to them all. For example, Chase Utley's mentions his recent contract signing and how he's arguably the best second baseman in the majors. This is a nice feature for MLB newbies in Japan who don't know players well.
That's all I can think of for now. If anyone has any questions, fire away. I'm still very interested in playing MLB Power Pros, since I want to check out the facial graphics, translation, any modifications made for the American market, and whether it has an edit or not.