Welcome to the FAQ for MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL FEATURING KEN GRIFFEY JR For the Nintendo 64! ------------------------------------------------------ Note: This is an FAQ/Walkthrough of the first version of MLB Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. NOT for Slugfest. Now, on with the FAQ! ------------------------------------------------------ Version 1.0, by Dane Lagasse TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. How to contact me 2. Game controls 3. Starting a new game 4. Racking up the points 5. Throwing the K's 6. Fielding finesse 7. Tricks and Cheats 8. Credits ------------------------------------------------------ 1. HOW TO CONTACT ME Name: Dane Lagasse E-mail: dlagasse@canoemail.com I welcome your comments and questions. ------------------------------------------------------ 2. GAME CONTROLS ** Batting A Button: Swing bat B Button: Bunt Start Button: Pause game C Buttons: Advance runner (steal) R Button: Advance all runners on-base (steal) ** Pitching A Button: Fastball B Button: Depends on pitcher (see section 5, "Throwing the K's") Z+A: Change-up Z+B: Specialty pitch (see section 5, "Throwing the K's") R Button: View pitches ** Fielding C Buttons: Throw to corresponding base Z Button: Hold Z and press C to run to that base A Button: Dive for a ball (make sure you're close enough!) B Button: Jump for a ball (jump about a step away from the wall) ------------------------------------------------------ 3. STARTING A NEW GAME ** Season Play a complete Major League Baseball season. Options include trading to improve your team, or free agency to fill in the holes. Interesting feature called "Sportswire" contains all the information you'd want to know about your season. Sure does take a while, though. ** Exhibition Don't want the commitment of a season? Go for an exhibition game. Trading and free agency options are disabled. Basically all you have to do is pick your team, stadium, and play. ** World Series Don't have time for a full season? Skip right to the World Series. Again, trading and free agency options are disabled. ** Home Run Derby You pick your player, and a pitcher will throw you easy-to-hit pitches. Remove them from the park to win. I suggest Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, or Barry Bonds. ------------------------------------------------------ 4. RACKING UP THE POINTS (Batting & Base-running) ** Cursors When it's your turn to step up to the plate, you'll see a batting cursor (the round one), a pitching cursor (+ sign, then turns to a square), and the strike zone. The zone only appears in the beginning, and then flashes when the pitcher begins his wind-up. Remember, pitches move, and be ready to move your cursor. ** Choosing Batters Batting in Griffey 64 is based on batting averages, not homers. Trying to use Sosa in this game would be a mistake. Griffey, Bonds, and Edgar Martinez all have larger batting cursors, which makes the ball easier to hit. Still, you'll have to center it to connect solidly. ** Stealing and Leading off Press to appropriate C button to lead off toward that base. For example, if your runner is on 1st, press the top C button to make him lead off once. You can lead off THREE times, the fourth time, you'll run. I suggest only running when the pitcher has begun his wind-up. If he doesn't anticipate your stealing and throws a super-change, you're home-free. Press R to lead off all your runners on base. Similarly, four presses will send all your runners running, which will likely end up in one of them getting out, if the ball is still in play. Choose steals wisely! ------------------------------------------------------ 5. THROWING THE K'S (Pitching) ** Cursors You'll see the same cursors when pitching, only this time you control the + sign. When you press the buttons to throw the pitch, this sign will turn into a square. Now you can move it while the ball is in the air. ** Pitches There are a number of pitches to choose from in the game, but your pitcher can only use 4. Here are the pitches: Fastball - All pitchers have one. Easy to move down. Use to fake out the batter. Curve Ball - Curves as the name suggests. Easy to move in the direction it's curving. Change Up - A fairly slow pitch that's hard to move. Use it after a couple of Super fastballs. Super Fastball - Blows over the plate at a blistering 106 mph. Vary with slow and fast to keep the batter guessing. Super Change Up - VERY slow. Excellent to use after fastballs. Knuckleball - Very interesting pitch. Fakes the batter out with it's twists. Slider - Faster and harder to hit than a curve ball. Screwball - Basically a curve ball in the opposite direction. I recommend getting Pedro Martinez for your team. ** Picking off runners If you see a runner stealing, throw to the destination base immediately, then get ready to run to the base that the runner is coming from, because they will probably run back. Luckily for you, your man can run faster. While on the mound view the bases by holding Z and pressing the corresponding C button. ------------------------------------------------------ 6. FIELDING FINESSE (Fielding) ** Throwing Once you have the ball in possesion, press the corresponding C button to throw to that base. ** Running Hold Z and press the corresponding C button to run to a base. You can also hold Z and use the control stick, although this control can be awkward. Even if you are further out than 2nd base, you'd still have to press up on the stick. I recommend using the C buttons. ** Jumping around Press A to dive and press B to jump up on the wall. Dive only if within a couple of steps of the ball, and be sure to time it right. When pressing B, you do not have to time it right. Jump before the ball lands to be sure, and if you grab the wall in the right spot (indicated by the circle), it'll land right in your hand. ------------------------------------------------------ 7. TRICKS AND CHEATS ** Called home run When Griffey comes up to bat, pause the game and wait until he's in his batting stance. Now switch to the control PAD and press left, left, right, right, right, left, left. Griffey will point his bat and if you hit the ball on the next pitch, it is guaranteed to be a homer. ** No-hit pitch When pitching, move the cursor anywhere in the strike zone except in the yellow batting cursor. Now hold Z and look at one of the bases. Let go of Z first and then the C button. All the cursors will disappear. Throw any pitch and the batter will not hit it. ** Secret Teams Highlight "Exhibition" on the main menu and press the four C buttons down simultaneously. Keep doing this until you hear a sound. Now Nintendo and Angel Studios teams will be selectable in the All-Star teams section. ------------------------------------------------------ 8. CREDITS ** Special Thanks Thanks to Angel Studios for making such a great game. Thanks to Nintendo Power magazine (www.nintendo.com) for the info and Digital Edge N64 Cheats (www.den64cheats.com) for the tricks. Remember visit www.gamefaqs.com for all your FAQs and walkthroughs! ------------------------------------------------------ This FAQ is Copyright 1999 Dane Lagasse. Ask for permission before using this FAQ on any other website other than GameFAQs. Thanks, have fun playing this great game! ------------------------------------------------------ Dane Lagasse dlagasse@canoemail.com