By Mallory Mattingly
The retro video game “Backyard Baseball ’01” will make its return on July 8.
Per Variety, the popular game will release on Steam and consoles, including the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.
Developers Mega Cat Studios and Playground Productions recreated the game so that players can “relive the second baseball game in the Backyard Sports franchise.” The changes will include enhancements to “run on modern systems.”
“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!” the description continued.
Mega Cat Studios shared the news of the relaunch on social media, writing, “The legend returns, bigger and better! ⚾️ Backyard Baseball ’01 is swinging its way to PC and mobile soon, so get ready to dominate the field with backyard kids and legendary MLB stars!”
According to Playground Productions, “Backyard Baseball ’01” is “similar to the remastered ’97 game, [but] the 2001 relaunch will include the classic gameplay for touch and modern PC controls. ‘Backyard Baseball ‘01’ will include official MLB marks, including usage of individual team logos, names and likeness.”
Related: Beloved ’90s Baseball Game Revived. Here’s What We Know.
“It’s really exciting, because we had to go through the process of regaining all of the original rights from the game. And so that was the MLB, and then there were 31 professional players, All-Stars from that era of baseball,” Lindsay Barnett, CEO of Playground Productions, told Variety. “And so we had to get all their rights and likenesses back in the game. And the MLB has been so incredibly supportive of this game, and also of just this partnership, which has been really an exciting thing for us, because, personally, this is the game I really became a Cubs fan from.”
“I had played the ’97 version and fell in love with all the characters, but when ’01 came out when I was a little kid, then I was like, ‘Oh, I want to play as the Chicago Cubs,’ and here are all the players that I’m picking on my team,” the CEO added. “So it’s going to be really fun for original fans to play with their hometown teams or their local teams, but also for kids who are coming to the franchise for the first time to be able to have an incredible team that is with the MLB logos and marks.”
MLB’s senior vice president of gaming and virtual reality, Jamie Leece, also expressed his excitement about the new partnership with the game.
“’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,” he said. “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.”
“Backyard Baseball ’01” seems like a fun return to simpler times that anyone can enjoy.
Read Next: New Video Game From ‘Backyard Sports’ Franchise in the Works
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