Backyard Baseball is a sports game for computer systems, released in 1997. It is the first installment edition in the Backyard Baseball series, and the first game published as a part of the Backyard Sports (then called "Junior Sports") series overall.
Gameplay
There are two primary ways to play: The "Pick-Up Window," and "League Play."
Pick-Up Window
The player can choose between "Spectator" mode (a simulated game between two generated teams of the backyard kids), "Batting Practice" (a mini-game in which the player can choose a player, and receive pitches from Mr. Clanky to practice batting), or a "Pick-Up Game." In a pick-up game, the player chooses between the seven fields available in the Pick-Up Window, and may also "create a team." The player then takes turn picking team members from a selection of some of the backyard kids, alternating with the CPU. The two teams play against each other on the selected field.
League Play
In League Play, the player creates a team and picks nine players from the entire selection of the backyard kids, entering a team into the Backyard Baseball League (BBL). This league consists of eight teams created from custom team naming options, and a 14 season regular season. The teams with the best two records in the league at the end of the season are entered into the "BBL All-City Playoffs," which is a best-of-three series determining the team that will advance to the "Super Entire Nation Tournament." Upon winning this tournament, the player advances to the "Ultra Grand Championship of the Universe Series," which is a best-of-five series determining the overall world champion of Backyard Baseball. Winning this series beats the game and unlocks the "World Tour."
Fields
Pick-Up Window
League play
Custom Teams and Names
Names | Teams |
---|---|
Blue | Bombers |
Red | Rockets |
Crazy | Hornets |
White | Socks |
Green | Giants |
Little | Wombats |
Mighty | Melonheads |
Super-Duper | All Stars |
Humongous | Monsters |
Junior | Fishes |
Trivia
- In 2002, this installment of the Backyard Baseball series was re-released as a free CD-ROM in some select General Mills cereal boxes.
- When your team is the "Socks", and pick either Red or White as the front name, then you get a reference to MLB's Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox.
- The characters' player card portraits were used only in this game.
Demo
External links
- Press release for Backyard Baseball, dated September 9, 1997
- Press release for Backyard Baseball for E3 1997, dated June 10, 1997
Backyard Baseball series | |
---|---|
PC games | Original (1997) • 2001 • 2003 • 2005 • 2007 • Sandlot Sluggers |
Mobile games | 2015 |
Console ports | 2002 (GBA) • 2005 (GBA) • 2007 (GBA) • 2003 (PS2, Gamecube) • 2009 (DS) • Sandlot Sluggers (Xbox 360 and Wii) |