Batter, batter, batter......swing! Remember listening to the kids chant that during games? They always thought it was so funny, usually around the age of nine or ten. Backyard Baseball for the Gamecube has captured that sense of fun and innocence and translated it into a console sports game just for kids, although parents may be surprised at how much they will enjoy playing, too.

The Backyard series from Humongous (now owned by Infogrames/Atari) has been around for several years now, and has undergone several updates. Each update has mostly been cosmetic, with few changes to the essential gameplay of the programs, which may make the cynical parent question the necessity for a yearly "new edition". However, recently Infogrames has brought this lineup to the console, with the release last year of Backyard Football for the Gamecube, and now Backyard Baseball. Future releases of different titles and additional platforms are scheduled for the fall.

The trademark of the Backyard series has always been the cute, cartoony kids with their individual personalities and the accessible gameplay for all ages. Basic rules of the game are present, but are usually modified into a simplistic approach for kids, even with the many options and different difficulty levels available. The same approach has been applied here, with baseball rules based on MLB rules, but modified for easier play. The graphics have been changed to 3D, though, which changes the appearance of the characters slightly.

Upon beginning, kids can choose to play either a pickup game, season play or the home run derby. Pickup games consist of single games that can either be started immediately, or allows players to choose team lineups, team names, difficulty levels, batting order, etc. Pickup games allow one- or two-player modes. Season play basically takes the team through an entire season, keeping up with scores and stats. The home run derby is all about seeing who is the best power hitter around.

There are many options to choose from within the three difficulty levels. Errors, stamina and a pitch locator can all be turned on or off. At bat, each batter can choose various types of hits, then choose when to swing. The runners can only be seen by looking at the small view of the diamond superimposed at the top left corner of the gamescreen. Direction can be given to each runner to run forward or go back, using the control stick and the "A" button.

Field play begins with selecting the type of pitch and then the location of the pitch. If the pitch is hit, then the appropriate fielder must be directed toward the ball in order to pick it up, then the choice of where to throw must be decided using the control stick and the "A" button. Defensive play can also be toggled by moving fielders through various pre-determined options with the "R" button.

The Backyard games have successfully translated popular sports into games that are entirely accessible for kids without sacrificing reasonable strategy and game depth. Backyard Baseball for the Gamecube has followed that same formula, with some added advantages related to playing any arcade type game on a console rather than a PC. The control is just much easier with a gamepad, than with a keyboard or mouse. Our family, for whatever reason, has enjoyed playing this version more than the computer ones we've played. However, getting used to the fielding controls is a trifle difficult for younger players, and a tutorial option would have been a nice addition in order to learn the controls before gameplay. Also, having an option to toggle the view of the field in order to see the runners would have been great, instead of having to see little dots move around a tiny diamond.

The graphics have been changed from cartoons to 3D. Our enjoyment of the game wasn't lessened any, but the overall charm and individuality of the characters was lost somewhat in the translation. The argument of 3D vs cartoon has strong proponents in each camp, but I myself prefer cartoons over 3D. However, no one else in my family cared one way or the other.