Backyard Sports returns: Iconic children's video game franchise to return after nearly 20 years

The "Backyard Sports" video game franchise, including the iconic "Pablo Sanchez," will be making its return in the near future. Playground Productions announced that the video game will be relaunching, while the series will also be appearing in film and television in the future.

"'Backyard Sports' is more than just a game; it's a cherished part of childhood for millions of people," Backyard Sports creator and Playground Productions founder Lindsay Barnett said in a statement . "I look at media as the largest classroom in the world. As such, our goal is to produce meaningful content that not only entertains but also educates and inspires. The return of 'Backyard Sports' is the perfect embodiment of that goal."

"Backyard Sports" began back in 1997 when the company released "Backyard Baseball." The series ended up becoming incredibly popular and eventually saw other sports become transformed into video games, including "Backyard Basketball," "Backyard Football," "Backyard Hockey," "Backyard Soccer," and "Backyard Skateboarding."

The games were released from 1997 through 2005 by Humongous Entertainment.

"We're incredibly excited to reintroduce 'Backyard Sports' to a new generation of players," Playground Productions chief product officer Chris Waters added. "We're taking great care to preserve the look and feel that made the original games so special while updating them with modern features and gameplay that today's audience expects. I can't wait for fans to see what we're building on the Playground."

The most noteworthy character in the video game franchise was Pablo Sanchez. For several years, Sanchez was an essential part of many young gamers' childhoods, and now gamers can feel some of that nostalgia decades later.