Summary
Backyard Baseballwill soon be headed to mobile devices, according to a recent announcement from the officialBackyard SportsTwitter account. The unexpected announcement, which not only revealed thatBackyard Baseballwill be on mobile, but will be a rare mobile game entirely without ads, has led to quite a strong reaction from the gaming community at large.
Backyard Sportspublisher Playground Productions first announced the revival of the beloved kid-friendly sports video game franchise in August 2024. After lying dormant since 2015, the announcement ofBackyard Sportsmaking a comeback after 9 yearscaused an uproar of excitement from older gamers, underscored by a teaser trailer featuring fan-favorite characters like Pablo Sanchez and Stephanie Morgan. While the re-release of the inauguralBackyard Sportstitle,Backyard Baseball ‘97,has remained solely available on PC via Steam, mobile devices will soon be up to bat.
The officialBackyard SportsTwitter account made the new platform announcement in a rather simplistic way. Instead of opting for any kind of trailer, a simple static image with childish, all-caps writing stating thatBackyard Sports"Is coming to mobile." The tweet also displays the date of March 27, which could indicate a further reveal or even a release date, as it coincides with the traditional Opening Day for MLB. A follow-up to the post clarified thatBackyard Baseballspecifically was coming to mobile, fueling the theory of a release date and continuing themomentum ofBackyard Sports’perfectly-timed return.
Backyard Baseball’s nostalgic and kid-friendly gameplay has led to a successful revival since its relaunch last fall, with its impending mobile release bound to vastly increase the number of people playing the game. Some feel the casual, arcade-like baseball franchise can especially excel in its niche, given the extended absence of similarly popular series.Backyard Baseballcan capitalize on a lack ofMario Baseballtitles being released, with the last dedicated baseball game featuring Mario and company being 2008’sMario Super Sluggers.
A Double Play of Baseball Video Games
While the easy accessibility and nostalgia factor are sure to get many gamers to getBackyard Baseballon mobile when it releases, the simplistic, cartoony gameplay isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily, the premier realistic baseball simMLB The Show 25is about to be released, which includes a bevy of new features and improvements over its predecessor. With two vastly different baseball video game franchises offering extremely different gameplay experiences now going strong, it’s a great time to be a baseball fan.
