Backyard Sports: Difference between revisions

{{quote| '''Sunny Day:''' [[Catch Phrase|Hi-de-ho]], sports fans!}}

 

 

There have been over 30 games published in the series, the first few of which are regarded as quite good and the last few of which are regarded as awful. There are six main brands associated with the series: ''[[Baseball|Backyard Baseball]]'', ''[[The Beautiful Game|Backyard Soccer]]'', ''[[American Football|Backyard Football]]'', ''[[Basketball|Backyard Basketball]]'', ''[[Ice Hockey|Backyard Hockey]]'', and ''Backyard Skateboarding'' (which has only produced one game and its [[Updated Rerelease|Game of the Year Edition]]). The series has spawned [[The Anime of the Game|a TV special]] (''NFL Backyard Basics: Football Tips from the Pros'') and [[Tie-in Novel|a few books]], as well as a [[Comic Book Adaptation]] (a [[Prequel]] to the game ''Sandlot Sluggers'') which can be read [http://www.backyardsports.com/sandlot_sluggers/comic here].

* [[Celebrity Star]]: The pros.

* [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome]]: 13 characters.

* [[Conspicuous CG]]: When the player sprites were changed to pre-rendered images, the spectators in the background were still 2D drawings. Likewise, when the camera zooms in on the game (i.e., when someone's at bat or doing penalty kicks), the players look like cartoons again.

* [[Cousin Oliver]]: Joey, Samantha, and Arthur.

* [[Market-Based Title]]: The series is sometimes called Junior Sports, its original title, in Europe.

* [[Not Quite Starring]]: Obviously, the pros do not do their own voices (except in ''[[The Anime of the Game|NFL Backyard Basics]]'').

* [[Only Six Faces]]: There are only a few enemy player faces available.

* [[The Other Darrin]]: The series has had many different voice casts.

* [[Parental Bonus]]: The references to 1980s culture.

* [[Product Placement]]: Parodied with 110% Juice.

** ''Backyard Baseball 2001'' and ''Soccer: MLS Edition'' removed the rewards for winning, besides getting a picture in the Hall of Fame.

** In the ''Football'' games on the PC, beating the game as Mr. Clanky's Tackling Dummies gives you a simple victory photo. Justified as this team only consists of robots who probably aren't programmed to {{spoiler|ride rides at an amusement park.}}

* [[Continuity Nod]]: from ''Baseball 2005''; in [[Drive-In Theater|Starlite Orchards]], you can see the intro movie from ''Football'' playing on the big screen.

** Also, Buddy Cheque (the ''Hockey'' commentator) makes an offhand reference to Vinnie the Gooch, the original commentator for the ''Baseball'' games.

* [[Feelies]]: Earlier installments came with promotional cards of the Backyard kids and pros. The ones that came with ''Baseball'' were an [[Obvious Beta]], however, as some kids' clothes are differently colored, and their pitching and fielding stats are inaccurate and labeled as "Throwing" and "Catching".

* [[Fire, Ice, Lightning]]: Powerups in ''Baseball'' are based off all three, along with [[Making a Splash|water]] (the spitball).

* [[Flying Saucer]]: In Wheeler Acres in ''Backyard Baseball 2005''.

* [[Friendly Local Chinatown]]: A stage in ''Backyard Football 2004''.

* [[Non-Indicative Name]]: ''Hockey'' does not take place in a backyard.

* [[Nostalgia Level]]: Steele Stadium in ''Baseball 2005'', looking exactly as it did in the original (except it is in 3D).

* [[One Stat to Rule Them All]]: Batting in ''Baseball''.

* [[One Steve Limit]]: Happens in the original ''Baseball'' and ''Soccer''. Averted in the later games, due to the pros.

* [[Patchwork Map]]: The island in ''Football 2006''.

* [[Power-Up Letdown]]: The Chameleon play in ''Football'', which turns your team uniforms into the offense uniforms. It really backfires, as it's still easy to tell what players are yours, and it's [[The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard|impossible to fool the computer]]. 2-player mode doesn't do any better; you can't highlight the pass icon over the defense, so the power up becomes worthless.

* [[Recycled in Space]]: ''Football 2006'' is ''Football''...{{smallcaps| ON AN ISLAND!}}

* [[Retraux]]: {{spoiler|Babe Ruth}} in ''Backyard Baseball 2009'' is done in a retro style.

* [[Self-Insert Fic]]: Typing in certain names for your coach in ''Hockey'' gave you three different teams featuring the game's art staff, producers, and programmers as kids.

** As well, in ''Football 2004'', Rhett Mathis, the original games' music composer, can be seen as an NPC kid on Season Mode teams

** Even more so in ''Football 2006'', where cheats can give characters big/small heads, big/small hands, etc; even different footballs-- from a watermelon to a chocolate eclair to a ''banana slug''.

* [[Single Pallette Town]]: Cyan Lane (which is, well, cyan) in ''Football 2006''.