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I donít mean to sound like an old guy, but six cents went a lot further when I was a
kid. Someone found a nickel and a penny back then, sh*t got real. Youíd take it down to
the corner market and grab six pieces of penny candy.
Anyway, six cents seems a lot less valuable these days. Because all it got Drew from Arkansas
was three mediocre PS2 games. And what did he do with ëem? He sent them to us. Shrewd
move, Drew. And we appreciate it. I appreciate it. In fact, thisóthe third and final game
of that unholy trilogyóis my favorite of the bunch.
Letís go out on a high note. Itís Backyard Baseball í09.
So this game was released back in 2008, and it was pretty much destroyed by the critics...as
were the two other games Drew sent us, hence six cents. Nonetheless, Iím a fan of anything
that involves baseball and me. Look at thatóred hair, Pirates shirt, ponytail and camo shorts...this
is how I look on a daily basis in the summer.
Base hit !
Iíll tell you what I like about Backyard Baseball í09. It takes that old-school approach
to baseball games, you know? Itís got that R.B.I. Baseball simplicity that makes the
game immediately accessible. And the other thing I like is that...one, you can make your
own character. And two, it has a real backyard feel to it. So you can put any player on any
team, just like a real pick-up game.
You play on schoolyard diamonds, city streets...I dig that.
The modes are pretty straightforward. You have single games, tournaments and a season
mode, which actually tracks your playersí stats and everything. Thereís also a home
run derby, because chicks dig the long ball. So thereís actually a pretty decent amount
of content here.
So what holds back Backyard Baseball í09? Well...it could definitely use some polish.
The graphics, the presentation, the menus...definitely rough around the edges. And as much as I like
simple gameplay, this one is a bit too simple. It crosses more into kidsí game than old-school
arcade baseball.
Nonetheless...uh, and this is going to sound crazy...Iíd rather play this than most of
the big-name MLB games. It has more retro baseball spirit than youíd expect, and although
itís definitely more of a game for your little brother...itís a game you wonít mind playing
with him. Plus, Iím in it. And I turn double plays like Iím getting paid for it. Itís
Backyard Baseball í09 for the PlayStation 2.