The greatest thing about this diverse crowd is that, after you use them repeatedly in baseball games, their statistics can go up, to the maximum of four. In the copy of Backyard Baseball that I played, Pedro, the kid who speaks no English had four in all four categories, but the best player will differ from copy to copy. Backyard Baseball is a fun and casual sports game aimed at kids, developed by Humongous Entertainment and released in 1997. The cute and colorful visuals invite youngsters (or wondrous adults) to partake in a classic game of baseball. If you want to become a major league player, you have to complete different tasks like 'Hit a Homerun', 'No Strikes or outs' or 'Pitch ball to batter'. Control the position of the Player and the angle of the Baseball bat with your mouse. Pinch Hitter is a Baseball game by Mousebreaker Ltd.
Background
Backyard Baseball, the series combining playground atmosphere along with real players and teams, continues on computer platforms with the release of Backyard Baseball 2004. The twist is that the 'real' players in the game appear as children along with the rest of the sandlot lineup. Featured pros include Sammy Sosa, Randy Johnson, Mike Piazza, Shawn Green, Barry Bonds, Ichiro Suzuki, Pedro Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and more. They'll compete along with 30 Backyard Kids, a combination of girls and boys, in the following three modes of play: Single Game, Season Play, and Batting Practice.
Gameplay
Single Game has players selecting two teams from a pool of 40, adjusting options such as difficulty level, game length, home field, and whether or not to include power-ups. More than ten fields are available, from a beach and parking lot to a swampland and junkyard. No matter which team is selected, players must pick and choose members in true playground fashion. Each character is rated from one to ten in the following areas: power, contact, pitching, running, and defense. Players can also create their own child prodigy by selecting hair color, skin, body type, accessories, and more before assigning a certain number of skill points.
Created players are used in Season Mode, where they earn experience points used to increase their attributes. Each Backyard Baseball season spans 18 or 32 games, with individual and team statistics tracked and saved to the hard drive. Batting Practice is designed to help players familiarize themselves with the hitting interface as they take their cracks at various pitch types. No matter which mode is selected, players use a cursor-based system for both pitching and hitting. Four available pitch types include a fastball, curve, screwball, and change-up, while hit types consist of power, line drive, grounder, and bunt. Fictional characters Sunny Day and Abner Dubbleplay provide the play-by-play and color commentary, respectively.
Features
- An all-star MLB lineup: Alfonso Soriano, Nomar Garciaparra, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Carlos Delgado, Ichiro, Dontrelle Willis, Sammy Sosa, Albert Pujols and Eric Gagne
- Additional bonus pros to unlock: Derek Jeter, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Shawn Green, Mike Piazza, Greg Maddux and Jim Thome Vibrant 3D visuals: players, game action and environments
- An updated game engine and all-new code, creating a fresh, 'built from the ground up' Backyard Baseball
- All 30 MLB team logos
- Thirty Backyard Kids, as well as original Backyard team names and logos
- Loads of crazy power-ups
- Customizable players
- Quick, single games as well as Season Play action
- Choice of players, fields and game details
- A Home Run Derby mini-game
- Full stats and standings in Season Play
Hardware Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP
- Processor: Pentium III 500MHz
- Memory: 64 MB RAM (128 MB for Windows 2000/XP)
- Hard Disk Space: 600 MB Free
- CD-ROM Drive: 8X Speed
- Video: 8 MB Windows 98/2000/Me/XP-compatible SVGA video card
- Sound: Windows 98/2000/Me/XP-compatible sound card
- DirectX: DirectX version 9.0 (included) or higher
Backyard Baseball is a fun and casual sports game aimed at kids, developed by Humongous Entertainment and released in 1997. The cute and colorful visuals invite youngsters (or wondrous adults) to partake in a classic game of baseball. You'll pick your team from a group of neighborhood kids, and enjoy a simplified and addictive match of the sport. As a series, the Backyard sports titles have found great ways to introduce sports to gamers of all skill levels. Whether or not you're a fan of baseball, Backyard Baseball finds charming and fun ways to motivate you to play.
From the main menu, you're able to hop into a pick-up game, check out your coach trophies, and join the Backyard Baseball League. The League mode is the main focus of the game, and where you'll find the most customization and gameplay. Once you've signed in as coach, you'll get to create your own team and pick their colors. After that, it's time to draft your team!
There are around 30 different neighborhood kids you can draft onto your team. You'll have to choose nine, and there's a wide variety of characters to pick from. Kids from all walks of life are ready to play; humble farmhands, Spanish-speaking sluggers, nervous nerds, and more. Each kid has their own stats to check out, ranging in power in four categories. Pitching, Batting, Running, and Fielding are all taken into account, so you'll want to pick a good spread of strengths for your team. For those who don't care, you can also let the game choose for you.
Once you've crafted your team, it's time to take on your opponents in the Backyard Baseball League. In the Team Dugout, you can arrange players on the field, see your schedule, and check match records. It's your job to carry your team to victory throughout the season, winning the award trophy. Playing the actual match is easy enough. When you're at bat, you simply choose the kind of swing you want to take, wait for the pitch, and try to click at the right time. You can also adjust your stance while at bat. Pitching and playing outfield is similarly easy. When pitching, you simply choose the type of pitch you want (including fastballs, intentional walks, etc) and click to throw. If a ball is hit, you direct one of your team members to catch it and throw it at a chosen base. Everything feels incredibly easy to figure out, and the overall gameplay is welcoming and cheery.
Backyard Baseball Pedro Valley
Overall, Backyard Baseball is a fun baseball title that's great for kids. The colorful cartoon visuals and personable athletes make games fun and memorable, and the commentators and player jaunts are fun and witty. Playing the game is easy and enjoyable, making it perfect for newer gamers. Multiple stadiums, over 30 unique characters, and a happy attitude make Backyard Baseball a content-rich and enjoyable game. If you've got a younger gamer you want to introduce to baseball, or you have some nostalgia for this late 90's sports game, Backyard Baseball is a must-play.