Parents' Guide to

Backyard Basketball 2007

By Jinny Gudmundsen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Fun way to crash the boards with pros as kids.

Game PlayStation 2 2007
Backyard Basketball 2007 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What’s It About?

BACKYARD BASKETBALL 2007 is the fourth iteration of the popular series where kids play basketball with fictionalized kid versions of professional athletes. In this game, kids can take it to the hoop with youthful versions of Paul Pierce, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, and others. The game is available for Sony's PlayStation 2, PC, and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. This is a review of the PS2 version.

Modes include Mini Games, Horse, Pick-up Game, and the single-player Season Game. Kids select five players from a pool of 18 kid-pros and 22 regular Backyard Kids. On offense, you push one button to shoot, and the others to pass, crossover dribble, or call for a screen; on defense, buttons are for trying to steal, rebound, guard hard, and switch players. And for kids who aren't very good with using the controls, the game's artificial intelligence kicks in to make things happen.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This game works well as an introduction to playing sports video games because the controls are easy. Minor annoyances include repetitive comments by the color commentators, limited dunk moves, and the inability to do much on defense. On the plus side, the sound reflects the ambiance of a real game, and the chatter is amusing.

It's just plain fun to play with pint-size versions of the pros on over 10 different courts with real NBA team logos and uniforms, three levels of difficulty, and with or without a friend. You can even unlock new players and bonus items -- in one, you can make players' heads expand. Don't be surprised if this game turns your mild-mannered kid into a boards-crashing hoopster.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how you think the pro athletes look as kids here. Do these depictions seem accurate? How do you go about selecting players for your team? Since the game allows you to design your own player, what skills do you look for most: shooting, speed, defense, quickness, or ball handling?

Game Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate