Konami is stepping back into the batter’s box in 2022 with eBaseball Power Pro Baseball 2022 in Japan. Following the two year release cycle, this game looks to pick up from where Power Pro 2020 left off offering a number of different modes as well as something a little fresh for Nippon Pro Baseball fans. But what can you expect from Konami’s entry into the series? That’s what we’re here to tell you about.
Release Info
Power Pro Baseball 2022 is set to release on both the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on April 21, 2022. Of course, the game will feature the Nippon Professional Baseball license and a number of modes that players have come to expect from Konami. There will be two versions of the game - a standard edition for ¥8,250 and a “Powerful Edition” for ¥10,450 which includes additional DLC. ds Switch version will, again, have amiibo support similar to the past two games in the series, while the PS4 version will be compatible with PlayStation VR.
Confirmed Returning Modes
Nearly everything that was on offer in Power Pro 2020 is returning to 2022. Main staples such as Pennant Race, Success, the high school baseball themed Eikan Nine, Live Scenario, Home Run Attack and more will all be here. I won’t go over every single mode here, but I feel like Live Scenario Mode absolutely needs to be mentioned here. This mode has you play through short missions based on real games that happen throughout the 2022 (and 2023) season. These missions are perfect to pick up and play and fit the Switch very well. Not only that, but there are also online rankings based on your performance. With that said, it’s just one of many great modes that will be included in the final package.
New Mode - Power Park
Power Park is a brand new mode created for Power Pros 2022. Here, the game will offer numerous mini-games to play that may or may not have anything to do with the game of baseball. New “attractions” will be added over time throughout the duration of Konami’s support of the game. As of right now, there aren’t very many details about the mode. The one example that was given was a game titled Sushi Survival. From the one screenshot that we have, it’s a bit hard to tell what the mode will actual entail when it comes to gameplay.
Honestly, this kind of seems a bit like an expansion of content that was found in 2021’s Power Pro-Kun Pocket R. If you missed out on that one, while Pocket R does feature a few ways to play traditional baseball (with unlicensed teams), it primarily focuses on mini-games and multiplayer. That looks to be the case with Power Park. The biggest difference here is that Konami has confirmed that they will be supporting the mode for the two year duration that Power 2022 will be on the market. With that said, the mode will only grow over time, which is definitely a good thing.
Visuals & Performance
For the Switch version of the game, I think we have a pretty good idea of what to expect when it comes to graphics and how the game will perform. At the time of writing [making this video], there hasn’t been any new footage released for Power Pro 2022, but it’s highly likely that the game will look very similar to the 2020 entry, which is a good thing! We may see a few improvements in things like lighting or other small details like that, but don’t expect the game to get a complete overhaul. We will get a game that looks great, runs smoothly and depicts Japanese baseball accurately in this cute aesthetic.
Conclusion
Power Pro Baseball 2022 looks to be another solid entry into the series. While there aren’t a lot of changes here, it does look like Konami is set on the two year release cycle for their baseball games to provide consistent updates not only to the standard modes on offer here, but also to their Power Park. Of course, we’ll have more on the game when it releases this April. But let’s turn things over to you. What do you think of Power Pro 2022? Have you played any games in the series? What modes are you looking forward to? Sound off in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you!
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