Backyard Basketball

by Humongous

Product Features

• Featuring Pro Players as Kids, create a player with new body types and skills that improve over time
• Choose your court and customize the game settings.
• Full-court basketball action with easy-to-use point and click controls.
• Keep track of your stats and watch your progress.
• Join the backyard kids for real sports action.

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005ME4W
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: October 30, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,969 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #13 in Video Games > Mac Games > Sports

Product Description

From Children's Software Revue® -- "Subscribe Now!"

Infogrames scores another big one with this terrific, easy-to-play basketball simulation designed especially for kids. As in more sophisticated sims, players pick teams and game options, only in this case, players choose kid characters to fill out the roster. Each kid has a unique personality and set of skills. "Pint-sized" versions of a few pro players like Lisa Leslie and Kevin Garnett are thrown into the mix, adding an element of humor to the game, as kids meet and play with these little future superstars. What we like most about the program are its many options that give children control over the experience. Players can design team uniforms, create custom teams and can determine who to play against. They select each character's position as well as when and where to bounce the ball. Just like the real thing, the game takes practice, but it's thoroughly engaging and downright addictive. Flaws are few. The save features are limited, permitting only season games to be saved, but the other features are plentiful allowing children to control background sounds and play-by-plays. Also, the program requires some reading at first, until players have the navigation system memorized. All in all, though, this is a great program for many reasons. The software is one of the few that breaks stereotypes by putting boys and girls from all ethnic groups on the roster, some of whom are physically challenged. It gives kids unusual control over the action and is exceptionally easy to figure out.

Product Description

Backyard Basketball (WIN/MAC CD-ROM), Product #22673

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars way too easy., December 25, 2002

By 

L. Powles "mpowles" (Palatine, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Backyard Basketball (CD-ROM)

Don't get me wrong though, I like this game. But even the hard level is child's play. However, this game is designed for kids 5-10. I like it, but it is too easy. My best game so far was 132-12. I think that even a 5 year old wouldn't have a problem kicking everyone's butt in this game. Its fun, and anyone who likes the other Backyard games (hockey, soccer, football, baseball) will like this one.

Pros:
- Very simple controls
- Not hard for little kids
- No offensive content (it is, however, targeted to younger persons)

Cons:
- Way too easy for older gamers (e.g. 9-12)
- Gets stale and repetative after awhile

Altogether this is a good game, but if you are over age 9, this one will be way too easy and you shouldn't get it. Otherwise, you will like this one. It's fun, just too easy, which is why the younger audience will like it.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawed But Excellent, October 24, 2002

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Backyard Basketball (CD-ROM)

Like many games in the "Backyard" series this is very enjoyable but flawed. The main problem is the stats. The list of top ten players doesn't track blocks. Rebounding is so difficult that your team and players will never appear in the top ten. The end-of-season awards for top player on team and in the league don't work at all. And please see the reviewer below, of all the Backyard games, this appears to require the most computer power. If your computer is not very powerful, the game will play in slow motion--very frustrating. Finally, there are only two pro players; hopefully, future versions will include more.

There are many positive points that we've come to expect from manufacturer "Humongous Entertainment," including trick plays, offensive and defensive strategies (Offense: Crash, Normal, or Fastbreak; Defense: Tight, Normal, or Loose), decisions about which players to pick and at what positions, when to sub, etc. Except for the lack of rebounding and outside shooting (especially in the most difficult level), game play is fairly realistic.

My player recommendations include the always-speedy Pete Wheeler, defensive specialist and inside shooter Keisha Phillips, all-around threat Lisa Leslie, Reese Worthington (great ball-handling and speed)and outside shooters Kenny Kawaguchi and Pablo Sanchez. Our current team features Pete, Lisa, Reese, and two players whose skill distribution and build are determined by the player. The skill points of these latter players increase after one season; they become among your very best players. The game requires quick responses; I recommend it for older grade school kids (maybe around 3rd through sixth grades) and adults who enjoy this series of sports games. Others may enjoy the somewhat easier-to-play Backyard Baseball or Football.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Series So Far, March 27, 2002

By 

Doug Wicker (Milroy, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Backyard Basketball (CD-ROM)

This is truly the best one in the series. If you like basketball you will love basketball. I love basketball , so I love it. The weirdest part and probably the best is that the kids can dunk. How many 6-12 year olds do you know do that? The power-ups are very cool. You can make the other team think about ice cream, while you steal the ball. Or have the hot hands or cold. You can hve super speed, or make the other team have slippery hands. Watch out for getting called for a foul though. There are two pro players in this game. Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks. Kevin Garnett can dunk and shoot close-in shots. He usually doesn't make three-pointers. Lisa Leslie can sometime make them. She can't dunk very easily though. If you want to make yourself, do that. Choose how good you are at inside shooting, outside shooting, ball-handling, defense, and quickness. This game takes a 166MHz, I reccomend having a 200MHz or higher. If not it will go a little bit slower. But,BUY THIS GAME!!!! IT is WORTH IT!!