The fortunes of Tony La Russa may have taken a turn for the worse (hello, St. Louis), but each installment of his namesake game just keeps getting better. While owners of the ‘95 edition won't find new features in this upgrade version to warrant buying it, new players will be thrilled with what this title has to offer.
The Tony La Russa series has always focused on managerial options and lifetime play over actual batting/fielding gameplay. Everything revolves around a “baseball universe” of your own creation, complete with teams either drafted, chosen, called up from the minors, or made up from scratch. You can either step up to the plate or manage from the dugout, where you can develop individualized managerial strategies, such as whether to hit-and-run or play it safe. Piles of statistics and options are at your disposal, and the actual gameplay is very good, with quick player response times and clear SVGA graphics.
While only marginally different from the 1995 release, this is more than just a repackaged clone. The best new feature is the addition of head-to-head statistics showing how particular pitchers and batters have performed against each other in the past. This helps you to make those tough decisions about whether to pinch hit or go to the bullpen. The gameplay has been tightened up some (adjustable speeds for batter/pitcher and fielding), but there are still a few annoying quirks, like the inability to move the batter in the batter's box, and the occasional ball that rolls offscreen when you are trying to field it.
Basically, the folks at Stormfront know how to do two things well: make a solid game and listen to their fans. By addressing some of the problems with the earlier version, TLB: 96 Edition takes a very good game and makes it even better.
