Batter up! Atari, one of the world’s most recognized videogame publishers, hits a home run with the all-new Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers videogame for the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and a downloadable Windows PC version shipping out May 25, 2010. Based on one of the best selling kids’ sports videogame series, Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers allows players to join their favorite neighborhood friends and play ball in fun and exciting arcade style sports action. Sandlot Sluggers, developed by HB Studios, is a completely new take on a longtime favorite franchise with all-new features, updated graphics, enhanced gameplay, and extensive options that will keep players and gamers alike enthusiastically entertained.
I have been playing Backyard Baseball: Sandlot Sluggers for a couple of weeks now and my first impression of this game is that it is a lot of fun. My six year-old geeklet has been having a blast with it also. Let me state for the record that I do not own any other baseball game titles, so I am unable to compare to a pro baseball counterpart. In fact, my son is just finishing up tee ball, so his understanding of “real” baseball is extremely limited. This has not stopped us from having a great time with this game.
Batting and fielding are arcade-like; therefore younger gamers will have an easier time. The game automatically selects the fielding team players that are closest to the ball, so there is no need to scroll through characters until you get to the right one. It made me feel like the game sensed which player I wanted to select. Same rule applies to throwing the ball to a baseman. Just press the controller button that corresponds with the base and it is thrown correctly and caught. If the player cannot throw that far, then the ball is thrown to another player in between i.e. from deep outfield to home base. Batting is all about timing. Simply hit the button at the right time and score a run. Do not let me make you think this is a cake walk of a game. If the player wants a more competitive game, it is in here also. There are more complicated pitches and batting techniques that can be used. In fact, I threw a few curve balls to see what my son thought, be he still managed to nail them.
One great component of this game is also the arcade extras. The player can earn power-ups which can be used at any time. These power-ups are random when activated, so a pitcher could throw a slime ball that covers the screen and obscures vision or the batter could hit a fireball that makes the catcher’s glove burn.
In celebration of Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers release today, Atari, Inc. has given GeekDad five copies of the game for the XBOX 360 to giveaway! Please leave a comment as your entry and we will choose the winners at random tomorrow.
For even more information about this game visit: www.backyardsports.com
