Publisher Playground Productions and developer Mega Cat Studios will release Backyard Baseball ’01 for PC via Steam, iOS, and Android on July 8, the companies announced.
28 of the original 31 MLB players are returning to the game, including Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Cal Ripken, Jr. It will also feature official MLB marks, including usage of individual team logos, names, and likenesses.
“We’re honored to partner with MLB to bring this iconic game to modern gaming devices for the first time,” said Playground Productions CEO Lindsay Barnett in a press release. “Backyard Baseball ’01 was a game-changer in many ways—introducing some of the sport’s biggest legends into the Backyard universe. We can’t wait for fans to relive the joy of building their dream team with both our beloved original characters and baseball’s greatest pros from that unforgettable era.”
MLB senior vice president of gaming and virtual reality Jamie Leece added, “Backyard Baseball stands out with a special place in so many fans’ memories thanks to its endearing qualities and features that were especially rare for a video game of its time. We are really excited to play a small part in authenticating this revitalization with MLB marks and look forward to the full circle moment where those who played this beloved game as children can bring it to a new generation in their families and friends.”
Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:
Step Up to the Plate
Relive the second baseball game in the Backyard Sports franchise, now enhanced. Whether you’re picking your dream team, playing a pick-up game, or diving into a full season, step up to the plate and experience the game that made baseball fun for everyone!
Backyard Baseball ’01 teams up the Backyard kids with Backyardified MLB legends. Create your own Backyard team, customize your uniforms, and strategize to win the Championship. Play a single pick-up game, play through an entire season, or play against other Backyard Baseball players around the country. Backyard Baseball ‘01 features intuitive controls for all ages!
Swing Back Into Baseball
Enjoy baseball like it’s 2001!
- 30 charming backyard kids.
- Legendary professional players.
- MLB team marks.
- Hilarious bloopers.
- Eight classic ballparks.
- Nine pitching power-ups and four batting power-ups.
- Lively commentary from Sunny Day and Vinnie.
To get into the swing of things, choose a batter and face Mr. Clanky for some batting practice. This is where you’ll learn just when to click to make your chosen batter hit the ball!
The G.O.A.T. Returns
Play with the legend himself, Pablo Sanchez. Build a roster from a cast of 30 hilarious child athletes and 31 legendary pros that made Backyard Baseball ‘01 a sports classic.
Game Modes
Choose from three modes of play (Easy Mode, Medium Mode, Hard Mode).
- Random Pick-Up – A quick way to jump right in! The computer chooses a random team for you and itself and the game starts immediately.
- Single Game – You take turns with the computer choosing players from a random pool of characters.
- Season – You pick your home field, create a team, and manage the team through a 14 game series. The opposing teams are computer generated. At the end of the season, the best two teams advance to the BBL playoffs (best of three). If you keep winning, you’ll compete in the Super Entire Nation Tournament and Ultra Grand Championship of the Universe Series!
Additional Information
At our core, we are fans first—not just of video games, but of the Backyard Sports franchise. Fans have asked for accessible and legal ways to play their original Backyard titles for years, and we are excited to deliver.
Without having access to the source code, there are hard limitations on the experience we can create. As an example, we can’t use the original 32bit code to support modern macOS, as even with an incredibly clever wrapper, macOS can’t execute the binaries.
Backyard Baseball ‘01 runs well, looks better than ever, is stacked with Steam achievements, includes new bonus features to test your mettle, and creates a new installation for digital preservation within the Backyard Sports catalog that allows the next generation of fans to fall in love with the game.
Watch the launch trailer below.