Comparison

Backyard Baseball '97 vs Fairway Forever

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Backyard Baseball '97

Relive the classic baseball game with iconic characters, fun power-ups, and intuitive controls. Play quick games, practice batting, or manage a full season with unique game modes and simplified rules.

Highlights
  • Iconic character roster
  • Power-ups and special pitches
  • Pick-up and single game modes
  • Full season management
  • Batting practice mode
  • Simplified T-ball mode
Read full description

Rediscover the joy of the original Backyard Baseball 1997! Build your roster from the iconic cast of 30 characters stacked with charming personalities and witty banter, and get the edge on the competition with power-ups, fireball pitches, super strength, and Pablo Sanchez! Play pick-up games, practice batting, and compete in single games or a whole season with simple, intuitive controls that anyone can master! Game Modes: Random Pick-up: A quick way to jump right in! The computer chooses a random team for you and itself, and the game starts immediately. Single Game: You take turns with the computer to choose players from a random pool of characters. Season: You create a team and manage it through a 14 game series. The opposing teams are computer generated. At the end of the season the best two teams advance to the BBL playoffs (best of 3). The winner advances to the championship series which consists of the Super Entire Nation Tournament (best of 3) and then the Ultra Grand Championship of the Universe Series (best of 5)! Batting Practice: Choose a batter and face Mr. Clanky for some batting practice. This is where you’ll learn just when to click to make your chosen batter hit that ball! T-ball - Select T-ball mode for more accessible game play. Simply click to hit, run, and field! BACKYARD BASEBALL RULES The rules for Backyard Baseball are a hybrid of Pro and Little League rules: No leading off No Injuries Bunting is allowed Tagging up is allowed Stealing is allowed At our core, we are fans first–not just of video games but of the Backyard Sports franchise. Fans have asked for accessible and legal ways to play their original Backyard titles for years, and we are excited to deliver. Without having access to the source code, there are hard limitations on the experience we can create. Backyard Baseball '97 runs buttery smooth for iOS devices, looks better than ever, and creates a new installation for digital preservation within the Backyard Sports catalog that allows the next generation of fans to fall in love with the title that started it all.

About

Fairway Forever

Features
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Every round of Fairway Forever is played on a course that's never existed before, freshly generated the moment you tee off, gone the moment you finish. Drag to aim, feel the wind, and watch your putts break, curl, and drop with real physics! COURSES THAT NEVER REPEAT Every hole is procedurally built: new terrain, hazards, and layout each time you play. Choose a quick 9 or a full 18, and watch the course shift through day, sunset, and starlit night as your round goes on. PUTTING THAT FEELS REAL This isn't tap-and-forget golf. Drag to aim and feel real ball physics with bounce, roll-out, slope, and wind. On the green, watch your putt die out, curve with the break, or catch the lip and drop. LEVEL UP YOUR GAME Earn coins for every hole you finish, gain XP, and level up. Spend your coins on upgrades that boost your Power, Aim Guide, and Control. Chase a new best score every round! MAKE IT YOURS Unlock ball skins and trail effects. Show off your style on every shot. Fairway Forever is free to play, supported by occasional ads between holes. Prefer an uninterrupted round? Remove ads entirely with a one-time purchase. No two rounds are ever the same. Tee off and see what course you get today.

Screenshots

Backyard Baseball '974 screens
Fairway Forever4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Fairway Forever at Free against Backyard Baseball '97's $4.99. Backyard Baseball '97's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Fairway Forever is free to download; Backyard Baseball '97 costs $4.99 up front. Fairway Forever sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backyard Baseball '97 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Backyard Baseball '97 versus Fairway Forever: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackyard Baseball '97Fairway Forever
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (1.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 days—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#8 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size326 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPlayground Productions LLCPeter Schmitke

Bugs and requests

Backyard Baseball '97

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Gameplay freezes and crashes
  • Inconsistent fielding and throwing mechanics
  • Hitting mechanics feel unresponsive
  • Inability to save progress after crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Full-screen mode
  • Improved controls and input responsiveness
  • New game modes (e.g., home run derby, playoffs)
  • Ability to select home field
  • Option to mute all sounds

Fairway Forever

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Backyard Baseball '97

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Fairway Forever

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is Backyard Baseball '97 free?
Backyard Baseball '97 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Fairway Forever free?
Fairway Forever is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Backyard Baseball '97 or Fairway Forever have ads?
Fairway Forever shows ads; Backyard Baseball '97 does not.

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