Dusty Diamond’s All-Star Softball (NES)

Dusty Diamond's All-Star Softball Box Art

Dusty Diamond’s All-Star Softball

System: NES

Release Date: July 1990

Developer: TOSE

Publisher: Brøderbund

Genre: Sports

Take me out to the ball game in Dusty Diamond’s All-Star Softball! 60 of the greatest softball players from across the nation descend upon Mudville. They all want to be the World’s All-Star Softball Champion. Pick your best ten to beat everyone else.

There are two modes of play available. Either play a fast pitch game or a slow pitch game. There are slight differences between the two, but it’s baseball. Controls are exactly the same as we’ve seen for several other baseball games. The only real difference is the slow pitches are all underhand and lobby.

The most interesting part of the game is choosing your team. There are no indicators in game at what each player is good at, but the manual gives you an idea. Some players do have some special abilities like flying! Play on five different fields complete with their own rules and obstacles that get in your way. If you can beat the 50 other players, you can take on the defending champion Amazons. I didn’t play enough to get there.

Graphics: 1.5

The graphics are honestly piss poor, but I did appreciate that players are differentiated from one another.

Sound: 1.0

More annoying than anything else. It’s nothing we haven’t heard before.

Gameplay: 2.0

I’m going to be nice and say that the gameplay is average. It works enough, but pitching is lame.

Difficulty: 2.0

The computer certainly wasn’t easy, they walloped me twice, as they were able to hit home runs.

Fun Factor: 1.5

I didn’t really enjoy myself very much. This is a stripped down baseball game.

Overall Rating: 1.6

Dusty Diamond’s All-Star Softball earns a C-. There’s plenty of other better baseball games to play. Pass on this one.

Dusty Diamond’s All Star Softball Video Review on YouTube