Backyard Baseball ’97 review – ” A nostalgic baseball experience”

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  • Intuitive controls let you get right into the batting action
  • Cute, witty commentary
  • Build your team and compete to win the Ultra Grand Championship 

Backyard Baseball ’97 offers a friendly baseball adventure where you manage a team of humorous, witty children striving to triumph in one match after another. A revamped version of the 1997 classic, this whimsical tee-ball game will captivate you with its amusing commentary, clever kids, and easy-to-grasp batting mechanics.

Backyard Baseball ’97 is All About Batting

In Backyard Baseball, you control each member of your team when it’s their turn to swing. Once the pitcher throws the ball, you’ll need to time your swing in order to hit it. Getting the hang of when to swing can be a bit tricky, which is why I recommend hitting up batting practice mode before jumping into a game.

At home plate, you have four batting styles to pick from: power hit, line drive, grounder, and bunt. Instead of swinging or lofting the ball, opt for a bunt to gently tap it or go for a grounder to make the ball roll instead of fly across the field. A line drive allows you to smash the ball so it races quickly and close to the ground, while power hit enables you to send the ball flying far away.

During your team’s turn to bat, you’ll be offered several pitching choices: Fast (Heat), Slow (Slowball), Left-Handed Break (Left Hook), Right-Handed Break (Right Hook), and Intentional Pass (Intentional Walk). Observe whether the pitcher indicates ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when choosing a pitch for optimal results.

Running the Bases in Backyard Baseball is Out of Your Control

When you successfully hit the ball, you’ll see the entire field from a bird’s eye view, where you’ll watch your players attempt to hit the bases while the other team scrambles to stop them. This part is entirely out of your control, so whether your player makes it to a base or not is more luck than anything else.

It’d be great if you could manage your player during base running for a more engaging gameplay. But even if you prefer classic or traditional baseball games, you’ll find the batting-focused play enjoyable as well.

Backyard Baseball ’97 Features Multiple Modes

Backyard Baseball ’97 features several modes, including Random Pick-up, Single, and Season. In Season mode, you’ll need to build your own team. You’ll mix and match words from a list of adjectives and names to create a silly name for your team, such as Junior Melonheads or Super-Duper Wombats.
You’ll also need to choose a colour for your jerseys and hats. Next, take turns against AI, picking team members from a slew of kids sitting on the bleachers, after which you’ll partake in a 14-game season with the ultimate goal of making it to the Ultra Grand Championship.

In simple terms, Single Game mode allows you to pick your team for just one match, similar to Season mode where you select your players from the sidelines. On the other hand, Random Pick-up mode instantly assigns both your team and opponents, enabling you to jump straight into the action without needing to make a team selection first.

Get to Know the Backyard Baseball ’97 Players

You can learn more about the various players by checking out their stats in the card binder. Each player’s card features their nickname, a brief description, and how they rank in batting, running, fielding, and pitching. For instance, Kenny Kawaguchi’s card shows that he’s a great pitcher and runner, while Pablo Sanchez is clearly the MVP of the group with his top-notch batting, running, and fielding stats.

1997’s Backyard Baseball offers a charming blast from the past with humorous commentary, unique characters, and traditional baseball fun. The user-friendly touch controls make it easy for beginners to grasp gameplay, but mastering it might prove challenging. Despite the potential repetitiveness of gameplay, the witty banter and amusing player behaviors during batting will maintain your interest.

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2025-04-04 14:48