With the holidays rapidly approaching, it's time for parents to set out on what has become an age old quest....finding out exactly what's inside that game box. That's particularly true for sports games for the 4-to-10 year old sports enthusiast crowd, because it often seems that the only thing available to them - complete with nasty jibes, violence and dangerous moves - is the "meant for adults" sports titles like the Madden series. "Say it isn't so," pleaded one Mom to me recently. She said she's so tired of the trash talk her 7 year-old football fan is beginning to absorb while playing his favorite "adult strength" football video game that she could scream.
Well good news, Moms and Dads. It isn't so. If for some reason you have missed out so far on discovering the best-selling video and Windows PC game franchise for kids, write this name down - Backyard Sports. If you are already familiar, there's even more good news. There are three updated titles.
Backyard Football '08 is the sixth iteration of the best selling children's football game of all time. The game features a roster full of current NFL Superstar including the hottest NFL quarterback right now and two time SuperBowl MVP, Tom Brady who plays as himself as a kid. LaDanian Tomlinson, Peyton Manning, Reggie Bush, Shaun Alexander and Brian Urlacher also show up in their youthful guises. They all can take part in the on-field action that includes authentic NFL plays as well as some wild and whacky antics depending on which players from the Backyard gang of kids players pick to augment their teams. For example, special powers for certain players can be unlocked during certain plays and power-ups for even the smallest kid on the field can become available. There are also multiple levels of difficulty and handicapping options so that younger kids and older siblings (and adults) can share an equal playing field.
Backyard Basketball 2007 hits the court with pint-sized versions of superstars Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade, and even LeBron James available to play along side kids. This full-court basketball simulation game features graphics, interactive backgrounds and realistic gameplay that makes the game of basketball up-close and personal.
While Backyard Hockey is only available for the Nintendo DS, it just came out in October 2007 in a new version. Now in its fourth version, it features 3-on-3 action with realistic NHL plays and strategies. Just like the other games in the series, it features kid-sized versions of NHL stars like Ryan Miller and Eric Stahl. It's hard to conceive of hockey without violence, but Backyard Hockey does a great job of adding a little comedy and power-ups that make the multiple levels available fun for rookies as well as die-hard hockey fans.
Product Information
Check the Backyard Sports site for full information on latest pricing and available platforms.
