Welcome to my not-very-in-depth guide to one of my favorite games for the Nintendo. Dusty Diamond's All Star Softball.
First, I will give answers to the most often asked questions I get in my mailbox:
1. I love this game, but can't find it! Do you have it or where can I find it?!
Answer: Yes, I have a copy for my NES at home, but no, I will not sell it. Your best bet is to try either a used game store, a flea market, or dig through the used bins at video rental stores.
There's also a ROM for the various NES emulators, but I don't have a copy myself, nor do I know where to get one. Sorry.
Will you post _everyone's_ Dusty Diamond profile on your page?
Answer: Nope. Unless I get permission from the company that produced the game, I will limit the amount of copyrighted material on my page.
I'm going to try and cover a few basics for now, and make the page better as I get time to work on it. I don't really have the ability to make screen captures, so I'll try my best to be as clear as possible with my tips.
For now, I'll just cover the players I tend to use, and add the rest as I get feedback, or play the game some more.
Mikey 'The Machine' or 'The Rock' Montrose
Mikey's throwing arm is terrifyingly strong. Good glove, good arm and he can hit the long ball. Although his constant errors make him an unreliable player, he can definately be worth having on your team.
This guy is my #1 pick everytime I play and is good enough to merit having two nicknames. He hits for both power and average, and can steal bases. What is said about his errors don't matter a whole lot with his arm strength. He may bobble the occasional grounder, but he gets it back and throws it hard enough to nail any runner.
Running: #7. Arm Strength: #1.
'Sparky' Nackledrag
Sparky has a strong arm and can come in handy as a utility player. The only problem is, this guy makes a lot of errors. He can throw, but he can't field to save his life. He can throw, he can hit, he can climb (climb?), but he can't field to save his life.
If Mikey is taken, I usually grab this guy next. He's nearly as good as Mikey in hitting and and throwing, and his pitching ability makes up for it. I rarely put him at pitcher since I've gotten used to other players there. Sparky's errors are also balanced by his throwing arm. He can recover and still throw most anyone out.
Arm Strength: #2. Stamina: #5. Tricky Pitching: #8.
'Slick' Slickster
Although he's still in elementary school, Slick is an outstanding defensive player. As a matter of fact, he's my choice for the #1 defensive player. He can be a very effective hitter too.
What isn't mentioned here, or in the rankings in the manual, is that Slick is pretty fast. He steals bases and eats up ground defensively. He's like a vaccuum defensively. Anything near him gets sucked in and shot out with a decent arm.
Defensive Ability: #1.
Louis Johnson
This guy is so fast, he ought to be in the Olympics, although he's a pretty incompetent batter. Since he's very fast on his feet, he can be excellent at getting bunts. This guy is tireless (for a few innings anyway)
They have the speed part right. Louis flies around the bases and probably leads in inside the park homeruns. Defensively, he makes a very good outfielder. His speed can run down fly balls and cut off the gaps. His arm is so-so, as is his ability to catch the ball.
Running: #1
Fuji Yamamoto
Fuji has excellent hitting and blocking abilities. He could be a central player in your team. Strong till he tires.
Saying Fuji has excellent blocking abilities is sort of like saying Bill Gates has a little money. Fuji is a little slow, but plain runs over people on the base paths. If you think you have Fuji in a rundown, forget it. He'll trample over everyone. Also, his batting average and his hitting power are way up there. This guy is definately a top 2 or 3 pick.
Long Range Hitting: #4. Batting Average: #10. Defensive Ability: #10
Johnny can be an excellent power hitter. He also makes an excellent catcher because he has a strong throwing arm. Very good tackler too.
With Johnny's hitting, it's feast or famine. He hits the ball hard and runs slow. It isn't rare for him to get thrown out from the outfield, and he is easily doubled up on his ground balls. But when he hits it in the air, the ball is gone. He makes an excellent catcher defensively.
Long Range Hitting: #2. Arm Strength: #7. Stamina: #8.
Casey Roguefort
Casey is the worst hitter on the roster, but he's a great defensive player.
Here's a tip that I'll probably mention again later: 'You can take someone who is fast, but not listed as a good hitter and make him hit. What you can't do is take someone who is slow and a good hitter and make him fast.' It took me a while to warm up to Casey, but I always take him now. One style I've adopted is to load up my outfield with speed. Besides, taking Casey makes the decision of who I bat 9th easier. One last thing: Casey is a 'tornado' pitcher.
Running: #2. Arm Strength: #4. Defensive Ability: #9
Rocky Ricardo
His flashy tornado-like pitching windup is wroth seeing in action. Since he's also an excellent hitter, you might want to have him pitch and bat cleanup.
Can't say that I've ever had Rocky bat cleanup, but I do choose him when I can. His pitching is better than they list it. And he makes a very good infielder with his strong arm. His speed and batting strike me as average or below, but all in all a good player for any team.
Arm Strength: #3.