Power Pro Kun Pocket, sometimes simply called Pawapoke or Power Pocket, is a spin-off of the Power Pros series of baseball games developed by Pawapuro Production. The series is released only on the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Originally, the game was planned to link the story with the Success Mode storyline in the main series. However, the series now departs from the world of Pawapuro series and forms independent storylines. Since the 8th iteration, Konami used Baseball variety instead of Sport/Simulation as a game genre. Instead of baseball, the portion in Success Mode were much larger than the main series. Atsumare! Power Pro Kun no DS Koushien is not included in the series, although the prequel Pawapoke Koushien is. The Nintendo DS version of MLB Power Pros 2008 also used the sprites in Power Pro Kun Pocket, but it was not a Pawapoke series member.
Gameplay
Although the game nearly retains everything, including the feature of Power Pro series mascot using nearly the same game system as the main series, the Power Pro Kun Pocket series is completely different from its main series in other aspects. It uses a more simple system in baseball than their main series. Many features outside the Success Mode were removed from the series, however, features related to Success Mode is increased. As a feature of the whole Power Pro Series, passwords produced in the Pawapoke series can be transferred to Nintendo consoles' Power Pro Series for playing, but the ability may be weakened a lot.
Differences between Pawapuro and Pawapoke series
Here are some of the major differences between the two series:
For baseball
There are no real ballparks included, other than Koshien Stadium.
Farm team players are not included in the series. Individual default tactics towards team and players are not available.
No coaches, managers, player flows and growth in pennant mode.
Card Baseball can be played instead since the eight game
For abilities
Existence of Super Ability, which are stronger than usual abilities.
Changes of explanation, and effects of some abilities.
Name changes for some abilities, abilities in Power Pro series with the suffix 2 becomes X, 4 becomes ○ and 5 becomes ◎.
Other than the first game, and Koshien, all other Power Pro Kun Pocket series titles features at least two different success modes, which called "Outer-Success" and "Inner-Success". Unlike the Power Pro series, this series did not follow storyline with realism, and many fantasy elements were mixed into the series. The series was greatly influenced by Tokimeki Memorial series, which was the original success mode in power pro series intends to, even Konami itself admit the series becomes "a Gal-game with baseball contents", making them changed its genre to "Baseball Variety". Like the Power Pro's setting, fictional pro teams exists in the series as well, but it is completely different teams since the setting has been developing on its own now.
Super Ability
There exist 10 rare abilities collectively called Super Ability, which can give a great increase to statistics or have more negative effects towards opponent players. Pitcher and fielders have a separate 5-set ability and no one can hold more than one Super Abilities. Some Super Abilities will cancel out other Super Abilities in play. Such abilities will not be kept when the player is transferred to the Power Pro series. The only way to obtain the Super Abilities is playing in Success Mode. In "Outer-Success", players can obtain Super Abilities by finishing the girl's endings, which each of them keep two Super Abilities. However, in each of the series there exist a wild-card girl character, who can give any Super Abilities by players' choice, but usually it needs tougher requirements.
Power Pocket Koushien was released as a Power Pro Kun Pocket series title entry in 2005. However, as the storyline has no relationship with the main series, Konami removed it from the series' website. Although KDE-J did not have any official announcement towards this change, it was assumed Power Pocket Koushien is no longer one of the series' entries.
