Mega Cat Studios brings back Backyard Baseball for a new era of gamers

When I was a kid, I would tuck my purple Gameboy Advance into my sock so that my mom wouldn’t see that I was sneaking it into summer camp. What game was I risking a phone call home and having my Gameboy taken away for the entirety of that hot Florida summer? “Backyard Baseball.”

I don’t think I’ve thought much about the game since then, but it’s a memory that will be with me for the rest of my life. Despite the irony of playing a sport on a digital screen, it basically taught me everything I needed to know about the sport. It even introduced me to the idea of different skill levels per player, resulting in a lot of fights about who got to pick what player in local multiplayer.

So, it was a no-brainer to schedule an appointment to get my hands on the upcoming “Backyard Baseball” by Mega Cat Studios during my visit to PAX East in Boston, Massachusetts. However, I’ll be the first to admit that I overscheduled myself that Saturday and had to contact Mega Cat Studios to see about getting an appointment the following day, on Sunday. I also had a bit more of an unconventional request: could my seven-year-old niece come along?

More News: Review: ‘Tombwater’ Is a Soulslike That Meets Me Halfway

She was only at PAX East for the Pokémon cards, and I don’t blame her. She isn’t a big fan of non-Nintendo titles, hardware, or much else. The thing is, I had promised her she could tour the show floor with me and buy, sell, and trade cards. The tradeoff was that she had to come with me to my appointment. Fortunately, the Mega Cat Studios guys were kind enough to allow her to sit in and enjoy the game.

So, she walked with me when the time came and sat down at a PC running “Backyard Baseball.” I wasn’t too sure if she was actually able to play the game, but before I could ask, she turned to the booth attendant and me and asked, “Can I play with you?”

The attendant immediately explained how the game worked and opened up the demo for the all-new Backyard Derby game mode. After four or five rounds of going through Pablo Sanchez, Keisha Philips, and Kenny Kawaguchi, stance types, hitting techniques, and just having a good time, I could tell that my niece was really enjoying it.

The mode is a fast-paced, arcade-style home run challenge that asks players to swing for the fences and earn points to discover just who has the best arm.

It was no surprise to me that the demo won ‘Best in Show’ at PAX East, especially considering just how many people on the floor have probably played the original and are eager for a new version. While it was incredibly nostalgic to go back to when I was young and play something that once brought me extreme comfort, it was even more rewarding to see someone else have a similar experience over 20 years later.

Many sports games nowadays focus on either realism and being true to the sport or the thrill of fast-paced action. “Backyard Baseball” might not be an “NBA 2K,” but in that one demo, it was obvious to me that it would make sports seem more approachable to kids who wouldn’t otherwise play them.

At least, I never once clocked my niece as even being remotely interested in baseball.

The demo, which includes the Backyard Derby mode we played, is now available to play on Steam, with the full release launching on July 9 for Steam (for PC and Mac) as well as all major consoles such as the Nintendo Switch 2, XBOX (Series S and X), and PlayStation (4 & 5).