Like the last version the game is still a blast to play, but those who own the original Backyard Baseball won't find much reason to move to this new, updated title. There's an easy batting mode that shows kids where the ball will cross the plate, lets them position the bat and then time the throw to swing and make contact. This excellent approach from the original Backyard Baseball mostly stays intact. In addition to the kid players from the original game, Backyard Baseball 2001 features cartoon children who are younger versions of popular major league players. Such notables as Randy Johnson, Mark McGwire and others have lent their names to the game.
Kids can also use the names and logos of professional ball clubs for their own teams.
However this major league licensing adds little to the game, and takes away from the innocent and time-honored tradition of choosing players to form teams. Now, instead of choosing average cartoon kids from the neighborhood for a sandlot game, youngsters will undoubtedly select the kid versions of pro ballplayers. But even with these players, the level gameplay remains much the same. In the original Backyard Baseball , Humongous provided a good mix of young boys and girls with varying baseball skills, and even represented a character in a wheelchair. But with the addition of major league players, kids will pick the well known players for their teams, and not the mix of regular boys and girls.