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''Powerful Pro Baseball'', previously known as ''Jikkyō Powerful Pro Baseball'', and ''eBASEBALL Powerful Pro Baseball'' and marketed internationally as ''Power Pros'', is a Japanese baseball video game series created by
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
. It is known for its
super deformed ''Chibi'', also known as ''super deformation'' (''SD''), is an art style originating in Japan, and common in anime and manga where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby with stubby limbs, oversized heads, and ...
characters and fast-paced, yet deep, gameplay. Most games in the series are developed under license from
Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...
(NPB) and the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association (JPBPA), allowing the use of team names, stadiums, colors, and players' names and likenesses. Six games in the series also feature licenses from
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) and the
Major League Baseball Players Association The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is the labor union representing all current Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held ...
(MLBPA), two from the
Korea Baseball Organization The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ) is the Sport governing body, governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League () and KBO Futures League ( (F ...
(KBO) and Korea Professional Baseball Players Association (KPBPA), and one from the
World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC), also referred to as the Classic, is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the sport's global governing body, and organized in World Baseball Clas ...
. The series began in 1994 on the
Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
and has since appeared on many platforms:
Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it is the successor to the succes ...
(1995–1997),
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
(1994–2003),
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
(1997–2001),
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
(2000–2009),
Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
(2000),
GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
(2002–2006),
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
(2007–2009),
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
(2010–2016),
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
(since 2016),
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
(2007–2013), and Vita (2012–2018). In 2019, it appeared on the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
, despite only in
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. This game, dubbed ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball'' also featured a collectible card series of six figures that work as
Amiibo (, ; stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Ni ...
within the game. The game has two spin-off series: '' Professional Baseball Spirits'', which features more realistic graphics and physics, and '' Power Pro Kun Pocket'', released on handheld systems from 1999 to 2011, including the
Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
,
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
, and
Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...
. Although originally part of the main series, Konami retroactively declared ''Power Pro Kun Pocket'' a separate series. A version of ''Power Pro'' featuring Major League Baseball players was released under the title ''Jikkyō Powerful Major League'' in May 2006. The ''Power Pro'' series has included online play since its tenth installment on the PlayStation 2 and the first handheld version on the PlayStation Portable. A version for the PlayStation 3 was shown at the
Tokyo Game Show , commonly known as TGS, is a video game trade fair and convention held annually in September in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publication ...
in 2005, but it took five years to release the game on the PS3. During that time, the ''Professional Baseball Spirits'' series filled the gap. Another title, '' MLB Power Pros'', was published by 2K for the PlayStation 2 and Wii in October 2007, and featured a Success Mode set within Major League Baseball. The most distinctive feature of the ''Power Pro'' series is its depiction of characters. ''Power Pro'' baseball players are short with large, gashapon capsule-shaped heads, lacking a mouth, nose, and ears. Their expressions come mainly from their eyebrows. Similar to
Rayman ''Rayman'' is a franchise of platformer video games, created by video game designer Michel Ancel for Ubisoft. Since the release of the original game in 1995, the series has produced a total of 45 games across multiple platforms. The series ...
, they have no legs, and their feet are not connected to their bodies. Their hands are spherical and fingerless. In Japan, the series has been critically acclaimed and commercially successful, while in North America, it received mixed to generally favorable reviews but sold poorly. As of March 2023, the series has sold over 24.7 million copies, with 48 million
mobile game A mobile game is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any Mobile device, portable device, including from mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone), tablet computer, table ...
downloads as of October 2022.KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION
/ref>


Games in the series

This is the major system development in the main series (as well as information about the season series and MLB Power Pros series). Some minor developments, such as player abilities, are not included.


''Pawapuro '94''

Released on February 24, 1994, for the
Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
, the game is licensed by Nippon Professional Baseball and the Japanese Professional Baseball Players Association, though
Meiji Jingu Stadium The is a baseball stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1926 and holds 37,933 spectators. Property of the Meiji Shrine, it is the home field of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team. It also hosts college baseball, incl ...
and
Hanshin Koshien Stadium , commonly referred to as simply Koshien Stadium, is a baseball stadium located near Kobe in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on 1 August 1924. It was ...
are listed under fictional names. Success mode is not included in the first two installments. Commentary is provided by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation radio commentator Abe Noriyuki.


''Pawapuro 2''

Released on February 24, 1995, for the Super Famicom, this is the first game in the series to feature a full Pennant mode and save game functionality. Hanshin Koshien Stadium is fully licensed, but Meiji Jingu Stadium remains under a fictional name. Commentary is provided by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation radio commentator Motoharu Ōta.


''Pawapuro 3''

Released on February 29, 1996, for the Super Famicom. Success mode, which later becomes a core feature of the ''Power Pros'' series, is introduced in this game. Commentary is again provided by Abe Noriyuki, who remained in this role until ''Power Pros 8''.


''Pawapuro 4''

Released on March 14, 1997, for the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
. With the hardware upgrade, the game's graphics (polygon-based stadiums) and controls saw significant improvements. Success mode introduces original characters, some of whom continue to appear in later installments.


''Pawapuro 5''

Released on March 26, 1998, for the Nintendo 64, it became the best-selling game for the Nintendo 64 in Japan during that month.


''Pawapuro 6''

Also known as ''Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū 6'', it was released on March 25, 1999, for the Nintendo 64.


''Pawapuro 7''

The first game in the series released on the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
, and the first with fully polygon-based graphics. ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' found the game fun but criticized its "horrible" graphics and lack of power on the new console. Initially scheduled for release on March 4, 2000, it was later delayed to July 6.


''Pawapuro 8''

This installment features the first vocalized opening in the series, "Little Soldier" by Chihiro Yonekura. The opening animations were produced by
Kyoto Animation , often abbreviated , is a Japanese animation studio and light novel publisher located in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. It was founded in 1985 by husband and wife Hideaki and Yoko Hatta, who remain its president and vice-president respectively. Kyoto ...
, which primarily worked on animation post-production at that time. Kyoto Animation continued to produce the openings for the series until ''Pawapuro 11'', after which they shifted focus to projects like the anime adaptation of ''
Air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
'' by Visual Arts/Key. The production of game openings was then passed to Production I.G from ''Pawapuro 12'' onward.


''Pawapuro 9''

Released on both PlayStation 2 and
GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
, this was the first game in the series available on multiple platforms. This title also introduced
cel shading Cel shading or toon shading is a type of non-photorealistic rendering designed to make 3D computer graphics appear to be flat by using less shading color instead of a shade gradient or tints and shades. A cel shader is often used to mimic t ...
graphics, a significant visual change.


''Pawapuro 10''

This installment was the first to allow players to create entire teams rather than just individual players in Success Mode. Online multiplayer was introduced for the first time in the main series, and was also the only title that enabled cross-platform play. Additionally, ''MyLife Mode'' made its debut, allowing players to control an actual Japan League player rather than an original character, although created players from Success Mode were still playable.


''Pawapuro 11''

Created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ''Power Pros'' series, this game introduced audio endings in Success Mode, produced by Kyoto Animation. Other new features included the ability to break bats and perform safety bunts.


''Pawapuro 12''

This installment introduced a modified player password system, making passwords incompatible with previous Nintendo-based games, but passwords from ''Pawapuro 12'' to ''14'' could still be used on the Portable 1 and Portable 2 versions on Sony platforms. The game also introduced a Cheering Songs Editor, which allowed players to create and transfer cheering songs using passwords between Sony platform games.


''Jikkyō Powerful Major League''

This game marked the first time the series featured
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
instead of NPB. It also included the license for the
2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an International Baseball Federation, international baseball competition. It began on March 5 and finished March 23. Unlike in 2006 World Baseball Classic, 2006, when the Round-robin tournament, round- ...
.


''Pawapuro 13''

With Nintendo's GameCube production discontinued by this point, this installment was released only on the PlayStation 2. It introduced significant system changes, such as an online mode, where players could now control only one player on the team, rather than the entire team. Scenario Mode, a long-standing feature of the series, was removed.


''Pawapuro 14/Wii''

The
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
platform replaced the GameCube for this installment. The game supported motion controls on the Wii version and online multiplayer, where players controlled three players at a time. In Success Mode, players could lead a high school team to compete in the Summer Koshien tournament. The mode also featured current Japanese NPB players as members of the National Team.


''Jikkyō Powerful Major League 2 (MLB Power Pros)''

This title marked the official debut of the series in North America, featuring several Japanese players who had transitioned to Major League Baseball.


''Pawapuro 2009/NEXT''

Released for the 15th anniversary of the series, ''Pawapuro 2009/NEXT'' reintroduced numbered versions for the first time since ''Pawapuro '94''. Different versions of the game featured unique content based on the specific console and control features.


''Power Pros 2010''

Released on July 15, 2010, for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
and
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...
, this was the first game in the series to support
high-definition video High-definition video (HD video) is video of higher resolution and quality than standard-definition. While there is no standardized meaning for ''high-definition'', generally any video image with considerably more than 480 vertical scan lines ( ...
at
1080p 1080p (1920 × 1080 progressively displayed pixels; also known as Full HD or FHD, and BT.709) is a set of HDTV high-definition video modes characterized by 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1,080 pixels down the sc ...
resolution and true 5.1 surround sound (
LPCM Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent analog signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, compact discs, digital telephony and other digital audio applications. In a PCM stream, the ampli ...
). The ''MyLife Mode'' was omitted from the PlayStation 3 version.


''Power Pros 2011''

Released on July 14, 2011, for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. Unlike the previous version, the two platforms had the same content.


''Power Pros 2012''

Released on July 19, 2012, for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, then in other international territories on February 22, 2012, and was produced ...
, this installment introduced significant gameplay mechanics, including the PawaSta Mode, available only on PlayStation 3 and Vita versions.


''Power Pros 2013''

Released on October 24, 2013, for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita. Unlike ''Power Pros 2012'', this game was also compatible with the
PlayStation TV The PlayStation TV (abbreviated to PS TV), known in Japan and other parts of Asia as the PlayStation Vita TV or PS Vita TV, is a microconsole, and a non-handheld variant of the PlayStation Vita handheld game console. It was released in Japan on ...
microconsole.


''Power Pros 2014''

Released on October 23, 2014, for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita to commemorate the series' 20th anniversary, this was the first installment in the main series to feature active Japanese MLB players as "OB players" (retired players).


''Power Pros 2016''

Released on April 28, 2016, for the PlayStation 3,
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
, and PlayStation Vita to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Success Mode, the game introduced many gameplay elements from the '' Professional Baseball Spirits'' series. The game was later updated with 2017 season rosters, allowing players to choose between 2016 and 2017 rosters. Two new modes, "PawaFes" and "Challenge", were also introduced.


''Power Pros 2018''

Released on April 28, 2018, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, ''Power Pros 2018'' was the first game in the series to support
PlayStation VR The PlayStation VR (PS VR) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was released in October 2016. The headset works with the company's PlayStation 4 video game console and is forward compatible with PlaySta ...
and PlayStation 4 Pro, along with
high-dynamic-range video High dynamic range (HDR), also known as wide dynamic range, extended dynamic range, or expanded dynamic range, is a signal with a higher dynamic range than usual. The term is often used in discussing the dynamic ranges of images, videos, audio or ...
(HDR) and
2160p 4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) with a 16:9 asp ...
resolution. The game included a new mode, "Live Scenario", adapted from ''Professional Baseball Spirits 2015''. A 2019 season pack was later added as an update.


''Power Pros (Nintendo Switch)''

Released on June 27, 2019, for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
, this installment of the series featured a Success Mode that was a remake of scenarios from ''Power Pros 9''.


''eBaseball Powerful Pro Baseball 2020''

Released on July 9, 2020, for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, this game marked the first entry in the series to incorporate Konami's ''eBASEBALL'' branding into its official title.


''eBaseball Powerful Pro Baseball 2022''

Released on April 21, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, this installment's Success Mode (called "Rivals") featured selected events from ''Power Pros 9'', ''Power Pros 13'', and ''Power Pros 2011''.


''WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros''

Released on February 8, 2023 for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, this game was a collaboration between Konami and the
World Baseball Softball Confederation The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the international Sports governing body, governing body for the sports of baseball, softball, Baseball5 and Blind baseball. It was established in 2013 by the merger of the International Baseba ...
(WBSC). It was the first game in the series to feature English text since ''MLB Power Pros'' and also included Japanese voiceovers in the English release.


''Powerful Pro Baseball 2024 - 2025''

''Powerful Pro Baseball 2024 - 2025'' is a baseball simulation video game in the ''Power Pros'' series, developed by Konami and Power Pros Production for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, released on July 18, 2024. Released in celebration of the series' 30th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the '' Professional Baseball Spirits'' series, this installment features
Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese professional baseball designated hitter and pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Shotime", he has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and in Nippon Professional Basebal ...
as the ambassador. For the first time, the game title is written in two-year increments, and the "eBASEBALL" branding has been removed, though it remains part of the overall brand identity.


The Success Mode

The Success Mode is the game's most notable feature, blending
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
and
life simulation game Life simulation games form a subgenre of simulation video games in which the player lives or controls one or more virtual characters (human or otherwise). Such a game can revolve around "individuals and relationships, or it could be a simulation ...
elements with
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
. The main objective is to train a generic Pawapurokun to become a professional baseball player. Pawapurokun starts with low stats but often surpasses the real professional players included in the game. Typically, Pawapurokun begins as an amateur (high school, college, or company player) and must become a professional within a set period (usually three years). Success Mode takes about two hours to complete, but creating a good player requires significant skill and luck, giving the game near-infinite replay value. Various random events affect the player's growth. For example, getting a girlfriend allows the players to regain motivation easily and receive gifts (which significantly boost the player's stats) on their birthday. The level of stress and the number of Pawapurokuns lost in Success Mode can be substantial, as players may spend hours training a Pawapurokun, only to have him severely injured in a car accident, ending his chances of becoming a top player. "All A's" Pawapurokuns (those with maximum stats) are highly sought after, as players can transfer Pawapurokuns between memory cards using a password, but passwords differ between Sony and Nintendo, preventing transfers between platforms like PS2/PSP and GC/Wii/NDS/GBA. Since Success Mode is the most popular part of the ''Pawapuro'' series, there is no ability-editing mode (except in the American installment ''MLB Power Pros''), which is common in other sports games. The plot and storyline of Success Mode greatly impact the game's popularity, as many players prefer to replay older ''Pawapuro'' games with strong Success Modes rather than buy newer installments with updated data and gameplay but weaker Success Modes. In ''Pawapuro 14'', players can become a coach instead of Pawapurokun, leading a high school team to the Koshien championship. This offers an alternate way to create many Pawapurokuns simultaneously. The mode does not require skill in pitching, catching, or batting but emphasizes planning and tactics, similar to other sports-management games. ''Pawapuro 14 Kettei-ban'' was the first to allow enhancing current NPB players and placing them as original players. The main background of Pawapurokun in various installments are below: * 3: Reserve player (in NPB team) * 4: Reserve player (in NPB team) * 5: High School Student * 6: University player * 7: Reserve player (in NPB team) * 8: Fantasy Story (High School/University/Company player can be chosen) * 9: High School Student * 10: An NPB fictional team Reserve * 11: University Team/Japan National Team (as amateur player) * 12: Student in baseball academy/Company amateur player/Dropout in baseball academy * Major League: Player in independent league * 13: High School Student (World High School Championship is added in ''Kettei-ban'') * 14: Reserve of Vulcans, an NPB fictional league team. * MLBPP: University Student * 15: Company amateur player * MLBPP08: An AA/AAA player For managers: * 10: Playing-owner of the professional-Success All Stars (''Kettei-ban'' only) * 14: High School Team, Japan National Team (''Kettei-ban'' only) * 15: High School Team The storylines and events in the series are often connected to both sequels and prequels, though not always in chronological order. For example, ''7'' is a sequel to the events in ''9'', and ''10'' is a sequel to ''13'', but ''11'' and ''12'' are parallel stories branching from ''13'' and have no connection to ''10''. The only constant character is Yabe Akio, an original outfielder who has appeared in every main series installment since ''4'' and always serves as Pawapuro-kun's first partner. He appears in the openings of ''7'', ''8'', and ''9'' wearing a
Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō, in the Sapporo metropolitan area. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Ho ...
(now Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters) uniform. In early installments before ''10'', major characters were placed on different real NPB teams. After installment ''10'', four original teams (Powerfuls, Keysers, Cathands, and Yanks) were created in the
Pacific League The , or , or the , due to sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the a ...
and
Central League The or , also known as the for sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League i ...
to accommodate original characters, with minor characters remaining on real teams as opponents. Two additional teams, Vulcans and Busters, were added in ''14'' to form the fictional "Revolutional League" with the previous four teams. According to the storyline in ''14'', the league competed in the Japan Series in its fourth year. Despite the fictional teams, major NPB regulations are followed, including the playoff system introduced in 2007. The Pennant span is shorter to keep gameplay under three hours, except in certain modes in ''9'', ''10'', 99', ''11'', ''13'', and ''14''. Players are generally not required to play all innings unless involved in key moments, like being captain in the final stages of Success Mode. Due to potential copyright conflicts with MLB (especially before the release of the MLB series after ''Pawapuro 12''), the American League system in the NPB series is called the UBL (possibly "USA Baseball League"). It consists of three levels: Single Star, Double Stars, and the top-tier Regular League, akin to the AA,
AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming * AAA (video game industry) - a category of high budget video games *'' TripleA'', an open source wargame Mu ...
, and
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
system. This naming was used in installments ''13'' and ''14'', even after the MLB series was released, to maintain continuity with the NPB storylines, as some players are set in the UBL. Currently, the MLB series' Success Modes do not feature MLB players as playable characters, though AAA players appear in ''MLB Power Pros 2008''. Notably, several female players have appeared in the series, with at least four advancing through Koshien and turning professional (though one is not seen after release). Since the 7th installment, the opening sequences often provide clues to the Success Mode storyline, especially in the 9th and 10th installments, where professional players make brief cameos and Success Mode characters take center stage. Sub-series often feature independent scenarios or omit Success Mode entirely. The most famous is the 99' installment, which introduced "Mekkou-Tou" mode. This mode involves consecutive battles with all original teams from past Success Modes (across the main series, '' Power Pro Kun Pocket'' series, and even future installments), and it remains a legendary mode that has not been revived in later series. ''Power Pro Kun Pocket'' series, in contrast to the main series, incorporates many fantasy elements. Since the second installment, two Success Modes are featured in each game. The standard mode often involves high school or professional baseball (with fantasy elements mixed in), while the second, called "Inner Success" mode, places ''Power Pro Kun'' in various worlds, including the
Medieval Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, ancient times, and the future. Fantasy elements are rare in the main series, though Konami introduced them in ''8'', where the (optional) final battle is against android players infused with the data of legendary players.


Mylife Mode

Following the success of Success Mode, Konami introduced a new game mode called Mylife in ''Pawapuro 10''. In this mode, players can use a created character, an NPB player, or create a player on the spot to compete in the NPB. The mode features a different set of events, and no characters from Success Mode appear. The difficulty adjusts based on the player's performance. The known modes in MyLife mode are: * Loan Player: Playing as a loan player from another team, the maximum playtime is one year. * Playing Manager: Playing as a playing manager and the maximum playtime is one year. This mode is available when the team loses the opportunity to claim the League Champion title (or playoff in the Pacific League). It is available in ''13''. * Pro Players: Choosing one current NPB player, the maximum playtime is 20 years. * Retiring Player: Playing during the retiring year of player's career, it is available in ''14''. * Original Players: Using players created in Success mode to play in MyLife. MLB version did not feature Mylife mode until the 2008 installment, in which it is known as MLB Life mode.


The Gyroball within ''Power Pros''

The ''Power Pros'' series sparked controversy in Japan due to its use of the term "
Gyroball A gyroball is a rare type of pitch (baseball), baseball pitch used primarily by players in Japan. It is thrown with a spiral-like spin, similar to bullet from a rifle, or an American football pass. This spin stabilizes the ball in flight, minimizi ...
", popularized by Japanese pitcher
Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, who pitched professionally for 23 seasons, 16 of them in NPB, 7 in MLB. He is currently a baseball color commentator, critic, Sports journalism, reporter, and YouTuber. Daisuke is nicknamed i ...
upon joining the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. In the game, the Gyroball is not depicted as a usable pitch but rather as a special ability assigned to certain pitchers. In ''Pawapuro'', pitchers with the Gyroball ability experience increased velocity on their fastballs, which differs significantly from the actual definition of a Gyroball (a pitch that spins like a slider). ''Power Pro'' and other baseball
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
have contributed to the misconception that the Gyroball is an all-powerful strikeout pitch, which it is not. Several professional pitchers, including classic players, possess this ability in the game, yet Daisuke Matsuzaka does not have the Gyroball ability in any of its installments. Daisuke does not appear in ''Pawapuro 14'' as he was transferred via the
Posting system The is a baseball player transfer system that operates between Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite the drafting of the United States – Japanese Player Contract Agreement, unveiled in 1967 to regulate ...
to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. A two-seam ball, which is more akin to his pitching style, has been added in this installment. It was anticipated that Daisuke will return as a Seibu OB someday (as Daisuke's official password has been released in ''MLB Power Pros 2''), but changes to his abilities remain uncertain at this time.


List of games in the series

Below is a rough list of the games within the ''Power Pro'' series, which can be categorized as follows: Main series: This series is identified by numeric suffixes (except for '94, the first installment). Most significant system updates, including success mode, are incorporated into the main series. Numeric designations are not used after ''15''. Season series: A PlayStation exclusive series, identified by a year suffix, serves as an alternate installment of the main series, which is available on the
Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
and
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
. This series has been merged with the main series following the discontinuation of the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...
. Since 1998, two installments have been released each year: a standard version at the start of the season and one named ''Kettei-ban'' (post-season version). The latter includes statistics and sometimes player transfers that reflect performance during the season. This practice has become a Konami tradition, even after the merger, similar to the ''
Winning Eleven ''eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer'' (''eFootball PES''), known as in Japan, is a series of association football simulation video games developed by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. and published by Konami. The series consists of eighte ...
'' series, which receives more frequent updates. The ''Kettei-ban'' version was canceled in ''15'' but continued on ''
Pro Baseball Spirits , also known as ''Pro Baseball Spirits'' or just is a Japanese List of baseball video games, baseball sports simulation game series, developed by Baseball Contents Production and published by Konami. It is a spin-off series of the ''Jikkyō Powe ...
'', but the year series was revived afterward. MLB Power Pro series: This is the only series officially released in America, featuring MLB teams instead of traditional Japanese NPB teams, although a Japanese version is also available. The passwords cannot be used across different manufacturers' consoles (Sony and Nintendo each have their own password formats). Additionally, passwords from the Japanese version of ''Power Pros'' cannot be used in the American version.


Main series


Consumer series

* '' Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '95'' (PS) – December 22, 1994 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '95'' version of the opening (PS, SS) – July 14, 1995 (PS), July 28, 1995 (SS) * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '96'' version of the opening (SFC) – July 19, 1996 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '97'' version of the opening (PS) – August 28, 1997 * Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball S'' (SS) – December 4, 1997 * ''BASIC Powerful Professional Baseball Play-by-Play '98'' (SFC) – March 19, 1998 * ''PAWAPURO GB'' (GB) – March 26, 1998 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '98'' version of the opening (PS) – July 23, 1998 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '98 Ketteihan'' (PS) – December 23, 1998 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '99'' version of the opening (PS) – July 22, 1999 * ''Jikkyou Powerful '99 Ketteihan Baseball'' (PS) – December 25, 1999 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Dreamcast Edition'' (DC) – March 30, 2000 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2000'' (N64) – April 29, 2000 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2000'' version of the opening (PS) – July 19, 2000 * ''Ketteihan Powerful 2000 Play-by-Play Professional Baseball'' (PS) – December 21, 2000 * ''Basic Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2001'' (N64) – March 29, 2001 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2001'' (PS) – June 7, 2001 * ''Ketteiban Powerful 2001 Play-by-Play Professional Baseball'' (PS) – December 20, 2001 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2002 Spring'' (PS) – March 14, 2002 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Premium Edition'' (PS) – January 23, 2003 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable'' (PSP) – April 1, 2006 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Major League'' (PS2, GC) – May 11, 2006 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 2'' (PSP) – April 5, 2007 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Wii'' (Wii) – July 19, 2007 * ''Ketteiban Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Wii'' (Wii) – December 20, 2007 * '' Jikkyou Powerful Pro Major League 2'' (a.k.a. ''MLB Power Pros'') (PS2, Wii) – October 4, 2007 (Overseas Edition: October 3, 2007) * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 3'' (PSP) – May 29, 2008 * '' Jikkyou Powerful Pro Major League 3'' (a.k.a. ''MLB Power Pros 2008'') (PS2, Wii, DS) – October 3, 2008 (Overseas Edition: July 29, 2008) * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball NEXT'' (Wii) – March 19, 2009 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2009'' (PS2, Wii) – April 29, 2009 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 4'' (PSP) – September 17, 2009 * ''Pawapuro Success Legends'' (PSP) – February 25, 2010 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball'' 2010 (PS3, PSP) – July 15, 2010


Arcade series

* ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '96'' (Arcade) – 1996 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball EX'' – 1997: PAWAPURO arcade version of the movie. A race mode in Consumer Edition is added. * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '98 EX'' – 1998 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Ball Spark'' (Arcade) – 2015


PC series

* ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '96'' (Windows version) (Win) – February 21, 1997 * ''Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball'' (Windows second edition) (Win) – 1998 * ''Powerful Professional Baseball Play-by-Play Online Version'' (Win) – 2001


Play Online series

* ''Powerful Pro Baseball Online'' – April 30, 2004


Mobile phones

* ''Powerful Mobile Professional Baseball Official Licensed Version'' (NTT DoCoMo, au by KDDI, SoftBank) – 2007 * ''Powerful Mobile Professional Baseball Official Licensed Version'' (NTT DoCoMo, au by KDDI, SoftBank) – 2008 * ''Power Pro World University Baseball Success Volume'' – 2009 * ''Power Pro World High School Baseball Success Volume'' – 2009 * ''Power Pro World Shakaijin Yakyū Success Volume'' – 2009 * ''Power Pro World Mobile – Powerful Pro Baseball MEGA-X'' – 2009 * ''Power Pro World Mobile Powerful Pro Baseball 6'' – 2009 * ''Power Pro World Fierce Fighting High School Baseball Success Volume'' – 2010 * ''Mobile Powerful Pro Baseball 3D'' – 2010 * ''Social Appli Power Pro Home Run Competition for GREE'' – 2011 * ''Pawapuro Sakusakusesu'' (パワプロ サクサクセス) – 2013 * ''Jikkyou Pawafuru Puroyakyu'' (iOS/Android) – 2014 * ''Pawapuro Puzzle'' – 2021 * ''Powerful Pro Baseball Eikan Nine Crossroad'' – 2023


Card games

* ''Powerful Pro Yakyū Card Game'' – 2006 * ''Powerful Major League Card Game'' – 2006


Other appearances

* '' Konami Krazy Racers'' (GBA, 2001) – a Pawapurokun appears as a racer. * ''
DreamMix TV World Fighters is a 2003 crossover fighting video game developed by Bitstep and published by Hudson for the GameCube and PlayStation 2. Exclusively released in Japan on December 18, 2003, the game features characters from Hudson and Konami video game series ...
'' (GC, 2003) – a Pawapurokun appears as a playable character, along with a Pawapuro Stadium stage. * '' New International Track and Field'' (DS, 2008) – a Pawapurokun appears as a playable character. * '' Krazy Kart Racing'' (iOS, 2009) – a Pawapurokun appears as a racer.


Related productions

* ''Shōnen Sunday x Shōnen Magazine: Nettou! Dream Nine'' (DS, 2009) – the baseball game developed by Power Pros Production, featuring characters from
Weekly Shōnen Sunday is a weekly manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, making it ...
and
Weekly Shōnen Magazine is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published on Wednesdays in Japan by Kodansha, first published on March 17, 1959. The magazine is mainly read by an older audience, with a significant portion of its readership falling under the male high ...
's manga (like ''
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
'', '' A of Daiya'', ''
Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...
'', '' Kyojin's Hoshi'', ''
Fairy Tail ''Fairy Tail'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collect ...
'', ''
Kekkaishi is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yellow Tanabe. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from October 2003 to April 2011, with its chapters collected in 35 volumes. The series is abo ...
'', '' Samurai Deeper Kyo'', ''
Project ARMS ''Project ARMS'', simply known in Japan as ''ARMS'', is a Japanese manga series written by Kyoichi Nanatsuki and illustrated by Ryoji Minagawa. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from March 1997 to April 2002, with ...
'', and more).


Reception


Critical reception

The series generally received favorable reviews from Japanese video game magazines. Twelve installments have received the "silver prize" (30–31/40) from ''
Famitsu , formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...
'', while twenty-seven have received the "gold prize" (32–34/40), and twenty installments have earned the "platinum prize". Only seven games in the series have received a score below 30/40.


Commercial reception

As of March 2023, the series has sold over 24.7 million copies, in addition to 48 million mobile game downloads as of October 2022. ''Power Pros'' is the best-selling baseball video game franchise in Japan since 1997. ''97 Kaimaku-ban'', ''98 Kaimaku-ban'', ''99 Kaimaku-ban'', ''10'', ''12'', ''2013'', ''2016'', and ''2018'' earned the gold prize at PlayStation Awards, for shipping more than 500,000 units, including downloads, in Asia. The
mobile game A mobile game is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any Mobile device, portable device, including from mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone), tablet computer, table ...
''Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū'' has received 43 million downloads.


Adaptations

A 4-part web series based on the mobile phone version of the game was produced by
CloverWorks is a Japanese animation studio that was rebranded from A-1 Pictures' Kōenji Studio. It is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan's anime production firm Aniplex. Establishment On April 1, 2018, A-1 Pictures rebranded its Kōenji Studio ...
.「パワプロ」シリーズ 初のWEBアニメ化!!
/ref>


Notes


References


External links

* {{CloverWorks Nippon Professional Baseball video games CloverWorks Konami franchises Konami games Kyoto Animation Production I.G Video game franchises Wii Wi-Fi games Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection games Wii games Video game franchises introduced in 1994 Konami arcade games Video games developed in Japan Power Pros video games