Chicago, IL, March 27, 2025 – Playground Productions, a pioneering production company dedicated to creating best-in-class content for children and families, has announced Backyard Baseball ’97 is now available for iOS and Android at backyardsports.com. Developed by Mega Cat Studios, Backyard Baseball ’97 on mobile, is the next re-release in the iconic Backyard Sports video game franchise. The GOAT video game athlete Pablo Sanchez and his friends are back with fully optimized controls, enhanced mobile gameplay and ready for some serious fun. Backyard Baseball ’97is also available on Steam.
Watch the Backyard Baseball ’97 Mobile Trailer
From the beginning, Playground Productions and Mega Cat shared the difficulties of bringing the classic game back without the original source code. Yet, the experienced team of engineers was able to get the game running smoothly on modern devices in just months. “It’s honestly surreal to play Backyard Baseball ’97 on a device that didn’t exist in 1997. Playing on a mobile device makes for the ultimate nostalgic, cozy gaming experience for me and other millennials,” said Playground Productions CEO, Lindsay Barnett.
Whether revisiting a childhood favorite game or teaching the rules of baseball to kids through an accessible entry point, Backyard Baseball ’97 is available on mobile for the first time since the inception of the Backyard Sports brand. “It has been amazing to teach my little nieces and nephews about baseball through Backyard Baseball ’97. The gameplay on mobile is so easy and accessible for them to just pick up and play,” said Playground Productions Chief Product Officer, Chris Waters.
The original Backyard Baseball ’97 is now enhanced to run on mobile platforms. Whether players are picking their dream team, hitting home runs, or just here for the witty banter, they can step back into the backyard and experience the game that made baseball fun for everyone! Players can jump into pick-up games, practice batting, keep track of stats, compete in single games or a whole season! Backyard Baseball ’97 features all of the realism and statistics of adult baseball games but with simple, intuitive controls that anyone can master.
Game Modes and Features
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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.
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Single Game: You take turns with the computer, choosing players from a random pool of characters.
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Season: You 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 3). The playoffs winner advances to the championship series which consists of the Super Entire Nation Tournament (best of 3) and then the Ultra Grand Championship of the Universe Series (best of 5)!
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Fully offline: No internet connection required!
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COPPA compliant: Kid-friendly, private, no data collected
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Pick up and play on the go with fully mobile optimized controls that are simple, and responsive
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Become the Ultra Grand champion of the Universe Series
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Compatible with controller devices
The release of Backyard Baseball ’97 continues Playground Productions’ broader vision to relaunch Backyard Sports across multiple verticals, including video games, merchandise, film, television and more. Beloved by millions, Backyard Sports was a popular family-friendly computer game that became a staple of life for kids everywhere. With baseball, basketball, football, soccer and hockey, the games were loved by a generation as they featured a stable of neighborhood athletes that reflected a real-life playground of boys and girls. Siblings and friends vied for the coveted seat at the family computer to play as their favorite characters, with none more popular than Pablo Sanchez. Backyard Sports allowed kids to be kids and celebrated the imagination of children.
BACKYARD SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @backyardsportsofficial
TikTok: @backyardsports
YouTube: @backyardsports
PLAYGROUND PRODUCTIONS SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @playground.productions
ABOUT BACKYARD SPORTS
Backyard Sports is a nostalgic brand for the whole family, capturing the feeling of the 90s. The franchise features over 30 diverse characters and is one of the only brands where boys and girls share the same athletic abilities. The Backyard Sports content is centered around everyday neighborhood children playing sports together. The charm of the games was due in large part to the Backyard kids embodying the same quirks and humor as seen in children’s little league, little dribblers or pee wee football.
ABOUT MEGA CAT STUDIOS
Mega Cat Studios breathes new life into old video game consoles with artisanal, exclusive projects you won’t find anywhere else. From the original Nintendo to Virtual Reality ports, we’re bringing our fans the games they want. Every game we release has meticulous attention to detail. Brand new custom PCB boards and cartridge shells, professionally printed and bound manuals, and boxes featuring artwork our team pours themselves into to bring the physical product to life. We are all collectors and enthusiasts first. This is, and always will be, a passion project we’re proud to put our name on. In a world of cloud storage, download codes and virtual licenses, we want to provide a medium to keep things physical.
ABOUT PLAYGROUND PRODUCTIONS
Playground Productions is a children’s and family company focused on making best-in-class film, television, digital media, and video games. Playground’s founder Lindsay Barnett spent close to a decade teaching second grade in a Chicago Public School in addition to manufacturing educational products. Playground’s content aims to inspire a love of learning and play. By leveraging the best technology, talent, and character IP, Playground creates content that celebrates the spirit of play, meets children where they are developmentally, and allows kids to be kids.
