Power Pros: WBC Review (iPhone)

If you’ve played any previous iteration of the Power Pros series, you’ll understand what to expect from the latest: Power Pros 2013 World Baseball Classic. Unfortunately, the game will probably make you wish for a full featured high-res Power Pros title, instead of this light-weight mobile edition.

Gameplay

Power Pros 2013 WBC plays like many other iOS hardball games I’ve experienced. No fielding, simplified pitching and hitting controls, “slow motion” physics, etc. In this way, it does little to distinguish itself from the myriad of other baseball titles available.

One control difference I did appreciate (and haven’t seen elsewhere): to swing, you tap and hold your finger on the screen pre-pitch, slide your finger around to aim a cursor, and then release when you want to swing. It’s a more natural and less cumbersome input method than others I’ve experienced, and in some ways, feels a little more like baseball. It almost feels like the analog swing controls in a console game.

Otherwise, this is a pretty standard hardball game for your iOS device.

Presentation

Here’s where the Power Pros format shines: you’ll still get the quirky bobblehead figures that somewhat resemble their real life counter parts (by the way, most of the real WBC players are in the game). The most notable part of the franchise works on mobile devices, mainly because of the simplified style.

However, there are some annoyances. First, you have to play in portrait mode; optimally, I prefer to play baseball games (as well as most other games) in landscape. Secondly, there is some mighty annoying background music that can only be silenced when you turn off all of the sounds.

WBC Mode

Adding to the game’s uniqueness is the main mode which recreates the World Baseball Classic. There haven’t been a lot of games that have capitalized on this tournament, so it’s neat to be able to play through the entire contest.

Speaking of which, if you don’t have time to play every game, there is a pretty robust simulation engine (at least from a mobile stand point). You can set tendencies, like how often to bunt or steal. You can also watch the game from a 2D perspective, making substitutions and strategic decisions.

Final Thoughts

On the surface, there isn’t a lot that separates Power Pros 2013 WBC from the rest of the mobile baseball pack. However, when you add it the World Baseball Classic format, a load of real players, simulations options, and the look and feel of the Power Pros series, you have a unique experience that’s worth enduring the mediocre gameplay.

Score: 6 (Above Average)