Today is a special day for those who loved a certain sports series growing up, and wanted to dive back into it. For today was the release of Backyard Baseball on Steam. Yes, the beloved kid’s sports game that mixed together original characters with sports icons is back and “updated” for modern play. While it didn’t get a full overhaul, the classic gameplay is still there, mixed in with new things like leaderboards, so you can put your skills to the test against other players worldwide. But wait, there’s more: the Backyard Sports brand is about to expand in a big way on Steam!
Yes, if you go to the official Backyard Sports Steam Page, and go under “Upcoming Releases,” you’ll find that not one, not two, but FIVE new games are scheduled to come out from the franchise. Specifically, you’ll be able to soon get Backyard Soccer ‘98, Backyard Football ‘99, Backyard Basketball ‘01, Backyard Baseball ‘01 and Backyard Hockey ‘02.
To say that many will be excited about this is an understatement. Yes, compared to the more ‘realistic’ video games depicting the various sports leagues that are out there, these aren’t “that impressive.” But if you’re feeling that way, you’re missing the point. The beauty of these games was that they were easy to learn but could be hard to master, depending on how “in tune” you were with the mechanics. Plus, this was a unique way of getting kids into sports or letting them play sports that they couldn’t honestly play themselves for one reason or another.
Another thing that this series had was a lot of personality. The original characters shined, and some of them became iconic within the gaming community, such as with Pablo Sanchez. He was the “Secret Weapon” that everyone wanted to draft onto their team. Plus, again, they brought in superstars like John Elway, Lisa Leslie, Randy Johnson, Barry Sanders, and more, gave them a “backyard look,” and let players have fun with all-star squads.
That doesn’t even touch on the great color commentary that featured one main host and a Rolodex of special co-hosts based on the sport itself. If you haven’t played these games in the past, this will be a treat for you. Plus, the baseball title that just launched today is available for only $9 on Steam! Also, it just got verified on Steam Deck, which means it’s the perfect game for you or your kids to play on the way to certain trips.
