Here's a trivia question: What's the only company to have the license to include real-life players from all five major American professional sports? The answer is, surprisingly, Atari, whose Backyard Sports series has evolved from a curiosity to a series and, now, a brand with multiple games released each year. The centerpiece of the series is Backyard Football, whose 09 release represents the seventh iteration of the Backyard Football series. A game focused on child-like characters is obviously a good fit for the Wii, which is why Atari was primarily showing off the Wii version of the game at E3 this year.
The graphics are very reminiscent of earlier Backyard Football games since they're cartoonish and geared towards the tastes of a kid. The players have oversized heads and little bodies while the scenery surrounding the different playing fields is equally as silly. Don't expect a whole lot in the way of music and sound since there are no NFL pro voiceovers or killer soundtracks in this game.
Gameplay 6
Graphics 6.5
Sound 5.8
Difficulty Easy
Concept 7.8
Overall 6.8
Out of Eight writes: "Those of us looking for an NFL-licensed game outside of the DRM empire have been out of luck for several years, due to an exclusive license between the NFL and the DRM empire that involves an uncomfortable three-way with John Madden. But lo! What is that gleam of hope on the horizon? All right, I admit, it's a "kids game," but still, Backyard Football '09 might offer up some simple gridiron fun, right? I mean, the game does features real NFL teams and one real NFL player from each time, and who doesn't want to play with an even shorter version of Maurice Jones-Drew? So grab your helmet and let's head outside for some kid-on-kid sports violence!"
The Good:
+Straightforward mouse-driven controls
+Simplified but entertaining gameplay
+Numerous game modes
+Real NFL teams and players
The Not So Good:
-Completely unfair power moves
-Have to unlock some players
-No online play
-Stability issues
IGN writes: "There are a lot of football games out there to sort through and try out, but only one franchise has consistently tried to deliver a fun, pick-up-and-play experience that's accessible to kids: Backyard Sports. Touted as the only brand licensed by all the professional US sports leagues, Backyard Football '09 carries on the Backyard Sports tradition by letting major NFL athletes (in child form) play with a classic group of kids from the series. I had the chance to try out the game at an Atari event in San Francisco recently with Humongous Executive Producer Skip Saling, who walked me through the details."
