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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pete Wheeler on the Big Screen!, November 20, 2003
My child and I have long enjoyed Humongous Entertainment's (HE) "Backyard" series on the PC, especially because of the kid players: Speedy Pete Wheeler, good-natured Keisha Phillips, spunky Annie Frazier, and powerful Pablo Sanchez. The usual crew is here, along with 10 actual MLB baseball players (e.g., Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez) playing as kids. (You can also create your own player, distributing attributes such as contact and power).There are a few differences between the Gamecube version and an earlier one we have for the personal computer. The one negative is the graphics: The characters' faces here have lost some definition and detail and tend to look like Pillsbury doughboys. This really took some getting used to, but eventually we did. There's also no random game mode: Even for a single game you have to go to the trouble of selecting individual players. However, the Gamecube version has many excellent features. Video baseballers will probably play on a TV monitor (for many families, this is will be larger than the PC monitor), and this enhances the experience and eases eye strain. A major improvement is the ease of fielding compared to the "follow the blue dot" method used on the earlier PC game. As in the PC version, you can play a single game or an entire season, Gamecube also offers a homerun derby mode that is a lot of fun. We really enjoy season mode in which your selected players and team go through a regular season and can advance to the playoffs.The game tracks season statistics (e.g., RBI, HR, ERA, Strikeouts), which, of course, is often important to baseball fans. HE has included several great fields (including an underwater stadium that "unlocks" once you win a few games), and, as usual, you can adjust the game according to your ability. The background noise and commentary add authenticity and humor, and the sound levels can be individually changed as well. Overall, an excellent game.
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