While basketball games from 2K Sports and Electronic Arts focus on the sport's simulation aspects, Atari's Backyard Basketball 2007 presents a watered-down 3-on-3 game of hoops. Players needn't worry about pressing buttons to perform post ups or drop steps. The user friendly controls make the game accessible to just about anyone. That notwithstanding, developer Humongous created it with kids in mind, making the game hit or miss with adults.

Like all Backyard Sports, Basketball lets players select from a group of kids, then take part in simple yet fun games. The roster includes real NBA players as kids, including Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Yao Ming and cover athlete Paul Pierce, among others, and even fictitious children such as Achmed Khan and Arthur Chen,. Humongous does an excellent job balancing each player's five stats (Inside Shot, Outside Shot, Ball Handling, Defense and Quickness), eliminating the possibility of NBA superstars running amok and lighting up the competition.

In addition, the game sports all 30 NBA teams, plus 19 fake ones with names like the Jumping Gym Rats, Sharp-Shooting Shorties, Fabulous Fast Breakers and Hyper Hot Doggers. The game also includes ten courts set in "different" locations, such as a haunted house, an apple orchard and even a fish market.

Unlike most basketball games, Backyard Basketball doesn't take itself too seriously. It still features a shot clock and fouls, but for the most part, gamers rebound and shoot. They also unleash special attacks on their opponents; making the ball slippery, encasing their feet in ice and even electrocuting them. This adds depth to the experience as well as some humor. With that being said, the game features only cartoon violence and parents shouldn't worry.