Backyard Soccer MLS Edition | |
---|---|
![]() Original cover art featuring kid versions of Brandi Chastain and Cobi Jones (both foreground), and Backyard Sports character Reese Worthington (background). | |
Developer(s) | Humongous Entertainment |
Publisher(s) | Infogrames |
Series | Backyard Sports |
Engine | SCUMM |
Platform(s) | Macintosh, Windows |
Release | October 3, 2000 [1] |
Genre(s) | Sports |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Backyard Soccer MLS Edition is a children's soccer video game developed by Humongous Entertainment and released on October 3, 2000, for Macintosh and Windows as part of the Backyard Sports series. [2] [1] It is the second game in the Backyard Soccer subseries and the fifth Backyard Sports title overall. Unlike the first Backyard Soccer, this game features Major League Soccer (MLS) teams and players, [3] as well as three women from the United States women's national soccer team that won the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, [2] making this the first time that female professional athletes were represented in the Backyard Sports series. [2] [3] Brandi Chastain and Cobi Jones both appear on the game's cover, redrawn as children.
A planned release for the Game Boy Color was cancelled. [4] In 2003, a third Backyard Soccer title called Backyard Soccer 2004 was released. [5]
The gameplay of Backyard Soccer MLS Edition is mostly the same as the original Backyard Soccer game, with a few additional features. The biggest addition is the inclusion of 12 Major League Soccer players as children, which represent each of the 12 MLS teams, along with three USWNT players. [6] Another new feature is a two-player mode on a single computer which allows players to control their respective teams with either the computer mouse, keyboard, or gamepads. [1]
At the 1999 E3 event, Humongous Entertainment announced license deals with several professional sports leagues, including Major League Soccer. [7] The following year, Backyard Soccer MLS Edition was formally announced with the reveal that it would be the first game to include female professional sports players as playable characters. [6] To promote the game, Humongous Entertainment organized a sweepstakes with the top prize being a trip to Los Angeles and a meeting with Los Angeles Galaxy player Cobi Jones. [1]
The Dallas Daily News noted that the game only offered three female soccer stars to play as, but they appreciated the game's replay value. [3] GameZone gave the game an overall score of 8 out of 10, praising its graphics, audio, and overall concept. [8]