The Backyard Baseball 97 Release Date is arriving soon, bringing back the classic gameplay experience fans cherished 27 years ago. For the first time since 2015, we have a Backyard sports game as the series seeks to make a return. And what better game to come back with than the classic Baseball title from the late 90s? Pretty soon, the whole world will once again know about Pablo Sanchez. Without further ado, let's take a look at the Backyard Baseball 97 Release Date.

Backyard Baseball 97 Release Date – October 10th, 2024

The Backyard Baseball 97 Release Date is planned for October 10th. You can wishlist the game now on Steam, which will cost $9.99 at launch. Backyard Baseball 97 is developed by Mega Cat Studios, the same team behind games like WrestleQuest. But now they've stepped out of the ring and onto the field.

Unfortunately, the game is only launching on Windows, as the developers “can’t use the original 32bit code to support modern macOS”. This is because they do not have access to the original source code, which limits what Mega Cat can do.

Backyard Baseball 97 Gameplay

Backyard Baseball 97 is faithful remake to the 1997 game of the same name created by Humongous Entertainment. Humongous were the original developer and publisher of the series, but the company went defunct in 2005. Since then, we've seen various developers and publishers take a shot at making their own Backyard Sports games. But nothing truly compares to the original games from Humongous.

So instead of fixing what isn't broken, Mega Cat has developed a the original title but with a few new convenient features like achievements and Leaderboards (via Steam).

Backyard Baseball 97 features three main modes, which you can access from the Club House:

  • Random Pick-Up – Play against the AI using teams generated by the computer
  • Single Game – Take turns between the computer and pick players to put on your team
  • Season – Create a Team and manage them throughout the season

But what truly makes Backyard Baseball 97 is its cast of loveable characters. They all come with their own funny dialogue, but more importantly, their own strengths and weaknesses on the field. Each character has four core stats:

  • Batting
  • Running
  • Pitching
  • Fielding

Each stat has four different levels, representing how good a player is at that particular area. For example, Angela Delvecchio has a 4/4 pitcher rating. However, she's a slow runner (1/4) and a terrible fielder (1/4). Therefore, you need to decide carefully which players you want to put on your team.

On the field, Backyard Baseball offers an addicting experience, whether you're pitching or up at bat. During the former, you need to keep track of the Juice Meter, which essentially means how much stamina your pitcher has left. Every time you throw a Hook, Slowball, Heater, or any other type of pitch, your juice slowly wears down.

The player also has different options when up at bat. You can aim for a line drive or a bunt, or put all of your power into your next swing. Before the pitch comes your way, you can change the direction of your swing to influence the hit. And your player stats will play a big role in determining your success on the field.

Backyard Baseball 97 Story

While Backyard Baseball does not necessarily contain a story, it features 30 different playable characters. Each kid has their own hilarious backstory, which adds to the depth of your team building.

Backyard Baseball's Season Mode could be considered a story mode, since you create your own team from scratch. Choose from one the pre-made logos, and edit your team color and name before drafting your players. You can have up to nine players on your team before setting up your lineup and preparing for the season.

Overall, each season contains 14 total games before going to the playoffs. There are three different stages of the playoffs in Backyard Baseball 97:

  • BBL Playoffs (Best of 3)
  • Super Entire Nation Tournament (Best of 3)
  • Ultra Grand Champion of the Universe (Best of 5)

In the Season Menu, you can see your schedule, look at stats, manage your team's lineup, and look at your team photo. The quickness of the seasons ups the replay value, making you want to play another season and see your team win it all again.

Overall, that's everything you need to know about Backyard Baseball 97, which releases soon. We look forward to revisiting our childhood and playing one of the most memorable baseball games ever made. See you on the field this October.

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