Backyard Baseball 1997 has made a comeback, thanks to Mega Cat Studios, and it’s now available on Steam for all the fans to enjoy. But the journey to remaster this cult favorite game was not an easy one. Founder James Deighan had to dig through decades of old files and disks to find the source code needed to bring the game back to life.
Playground Productions, a children’s media company, acquired the rights to the Backyard Sports games, originally created by Humongous Entertainment. However, the source code for the games was missing, making it a challenge for the team at Mega Cat Studios to revive the game. With the help of engineer Luke Usher and modder John Simon, they were able to piece together the game and make it compatible with modern systems.
John Simon’s expertise in working with the SCUMM game engine, which was used to build the Backyard Sports games, was crucial in the remastering process. Despite the challenges they faced, the team at Mega Cat Studios remained dedicated to preserving the original feel of the game while adding new features like Steam achievements for an extra challenge.
The success of bringing Backyard Baseball back to life has inspired Mega Cat Studios and Playground Productions to remaster other classic Backyard Sports games, including Backyard Soccer ’98, Backyard Football ’99, Backyard Basketball ’01, Backyard Baseball ’01, and Backyard Hockey ’02. The overwhelming response from fans has kept the team motivated to continue their work in reviving these beloved childhood games.
With the remastered version of Backyard Baseball now available on Steam, fans can relive the nostalgia of playing as Pablo Sanchez and the gang. The dedication and passion of the team at Mega Cat Studios have ensured that these classic games will continue to be enjoyed by both old and new generations of players. So, grab your bat and glove, and get ready to hit a home run in the remastered Backyard Baseball 1997!
