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Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers (Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Windows)

common sense media says

Fabulous baseball game promotes exercise, sportsmanship.

parents & educators say
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers is more than just a cute, family-friendly baseball game -- it's a celebration of playing outdoors. And it's so well designed that it actually stands a chance of meeting its goal and inspiring your kids to head outdoors and get some exercise. The DS version is the least complicated, and the Wii and X360 versions both offer 4-player mini-games and a special "Family Co-op" mode where a younger player can help or get help from another player.

Educational value: Through the dialogue of the commentators, the game aims to teach kids the rules and terminology of baseball.
Positive messages: Not only are the implicit message of the game positive ones, like "get exercise," "play outside," and "be a good sport," but those types of messages are literally written across the screen during load times.
Positive role models: Some of the characters can be a bit braggy when they win, but on the whole these kids are all good sports who appreciate good physical exercise and play baseball not just to win, but because it is fun. It's also nice that the cast of the game is so diverse -- in terms of gender, ethnicity, and even body type.
Ease of play: The controls are very simple, but the difficulty level could have been taken down a notch on Easy level. An Easy difficulty level should be for kids who need a major handicap, but the Easy mode here, doesn't seem all too different from the Normal mode.
Violence & scariness: The game features power-ups that include flaming bats and balls, but they don't hurt anybody they come in contact with. A freeze-ball power-up momentarily locks a fielder in a block of ice. In the Hot Potato mini-game, the timer ticks down until the ball "explodes," but despite the use of that word, the only thing the ball does is pop high into the air with a poofing sound.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: An advertisement flyer for a new sports drink is included in the packaging.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

  • Families can talk about whether it is ironic that a video game should be encouraging children to leave their TV sets behind and go play outside? Can the developers of the game really want you to play outside and still play their video game? What is the lesson about moderation that can be learned from this?

  • The characters in Sandlot Sluggers are all very different from one another, yet play very well together as a team. What does this say about including others who are different from you?

  • You can create your own player avatar for this game. Would you create a character that resembled yourself? Or one that is very different? Why or why not?

What's the story?

What's the story?

BACKYARD SPORTS: SANDLOT SLUGGERS, the latest title in the Backyard Sports series, takes the franchise in a new direction, including not just the typical pickup games and season modes, but a full-fledged story mode as well. In the story, a bunch of bullies has taken over the sandlot, forcing all the other kids in town to retire indoors and play video games (ironic, we know). You come along as the new kid in town who plans to form a new team and show those thugs who really rules the diamond. But all the best players in town have their own teams, so you must defeat each of them in their own neighborhoods to show them you've got what it takes and get them to join you. If each neighborhood team has its own field, why does it matter if bullies have taken over one particular field? It doesn't matter. You're just there to have fun. Which you will.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

There was nothing wrong with the Backyard Sports series; all of its previous games were pretty great. Yet somehow, Sandlot Sluggers feels like a major improvement. Aside from the obvious benefits of having prettier graphics and smoother play control, you've also now got a bunch of fun multiplayer mini-games, a pair of commentators who provide coaching tips and useful information in addition to their color commentary, super-charged power-ups that take the game far from the realm of reality (but which come in very handy) and the awesome story mode. What you lose in this Backyard Sports entry is the childlike versions of real MLB players, but you won't miss them at all (and they never really looked like the professional players, anyway). This game has two goals which seem to be at odds with one another -- to be a fun video game, and to get kids to drop their controllers and go outside to play. Somehow, it all seems to work.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi, Windows
Not available online
Genre: Sports
Developer: Atari
Released on: May 25, 2010
Price: 29.99
ESRB Rating: E for Comic Mischief
Screenshots
This review was written by Christopher Healy
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

MiddleAgeCrisis
parent of 3 and 7 year old
4
 
Good Lessons
My little ones can't seem to put this one down. In the past week, driving by a baseball diamond, they yelled "Begya Baseba! Begya Baseba!"... haha. Although the price was cheap enough, I've had to buy two new baseball gloves for them because of this game. Better than another video game, I guess :)
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helped me decide (12) | had useful details (8) | read my mind (9)
KOPHT
kid, 11 years old
4
 
For kids.
Great for videogame starters, Great.
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helped me decide (8) | had useful details (7) | read my mind (6)
Tatedog
kid, 6 years old
5
 
great game
loves the Backyard Sports game
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helped me decide (6) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (5)

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