Backyard Baseball '97

The classic children's sports gaming franchise is back after years out of the lineup, and it still holds up--so long as you're still a kid.

Backyard Baseball ‘97 is a very fun game. The core gameplay loop is fun. It features a unique roster and a lot of content. Even with all this content, it maintains a low price point.

If you grew up with Backyard Baseball, you will feel a sense of nostalgia like reconnecting with a childhood friend you haven’t seen in a long time. The gameplay is simple enough and smooth enough that a new player can pick up the game and just play while a returning veteran will know some tricks of the trade.

If you are looking for a sports game to surprise you with depth and clever game design, that’s not what you’ll find here. But if you for whatever reason are interested in what games were like before open worlds and crafting minigames, you will find no time capsule better than Backyard Baseball ‘97. In a way, the ‘97 is the most important part of the title. So hop in your time machine, assemble your team and do yourself a favor and make Pablo your cleanup hitter.

Backyard Baseball ‘97 is a fun game that'll attract any baseball fan, especially if they played the original. The cast of characters are the remaster's real MVP, as each kid is memorable and leaves an impact. While the mechanics are pretty simple, there’s a little more depth than players might think. It may take some time for newcomers to adjust to the game's old-school pace and speed, but it works charmingly for those who grew up in that era. Backyard Baseball ‘97 is a fun, casual game that will scratch that baseball itch.

Backyard Baseball stood out back then not just for its humor and accessible mechanics but for creating a sense of nostalgia around backyard sports. The success of the ’97 title spawned multiple sequels, many of which included licensed Major League Baseball players as kids in the neighborhood in the following years. This original installment remains a classic, beloved by fans for its simplicity, colorful characters, and the feeling it evokes of long summer days spent playing with friends. While there aren’t any new features or changes other than Steam achievements and leaderboards, the game’s nostalgic and cozy charm is what makes this game the same success as it was back in '97.

I’m not going to say that the re-release of Backyard Baseball ’97 is a game-changing moment for baseball titles, with MLB The Show still being equally accessible and enjoyable, but I’m glad this exists, and it’s so readily available on Steam. It’s a charming and nostalgic reminder to specific era of kid-centric PC gaming, when titles featured long and high-quality spritework and animations, and were filled to the brim with fun dialogue and simple controls. I guess you had to be there, but well… I was. So I’m glad I’m now able to revisit some of Humongous’ more “gamey” games in an easier manner.