Backyard Soccer (Windows, Mac OS Classic)

Backyard Soccer
Developer: Humongous Entertainment Publisher: Humongous Entertainment Platforms: Windows, Mac OS Classic Released in US: 1998 This game has unused areas. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material.

The second game in the Backyard Sports line, Backyard Soccer has the lovable cast joining a soccer league this time, advancing through three divisions in order to win the Astonishingly Shiny Cup of All Cups Trophy.

Unused Text

Like most Humongous games, there are unused subtitles for all the dialogue in the game's resources. However, like Backyard Baseball, "TextOn=1" does not turn them on this time around. ScummVM is the only possible way to see them.

Debug Mode

This game, like many other Humongous games, has a debug mode...but due to the nature of this game, there are no debug rooms or item select screens. They only turn on the debug commands. To enable it, add one of the following to hegames.ini:

Striker=15

Striker=42

Striker=69

Striker=666

Striker=999

They will enable the following debug commands:

• Fast Mode - With debug mode enabled, press Ctrl + F to enable fast mode on the original interpreter. It puts everything in turbo speed.
• Room Goto - Press Ctrl + G to bring up the room goto box.
• Object Pickup - Ctrl + O prompts which object number you want to pick up.
• Change Variable - Pressing Ctrl + E first asks for a variable number to change, then gives the value of that variable and prompts the user for a new value to set it to.

(Source: The ScummVM Wiki)

Area 51 1/2

By adding the line

area-103-halves-enabled=1

to hegames.ini, the special field shown above will be available for play in a pick-up game. It was probably chosen to be cut for being out-of-place in a neighborhood setting.

(Source: The ScummVM Wiki)

Collision Map and Unused UI

By typing "4" in the room goto window or typing "room 4" in ScummVM's debugger, a collision map of one of the fields is shown (it seems to be the Off-the-Wall Indoor Invitational map). It flickers constantly though and hardly seems to serve a purpose. It is also very low-functioning in ScummVM as a developer has stated it requires extra coding that isn't worth it. Additionally, the UI on this screen is from Backyard Baseball rather than Soccer, though it's likely just a leftover.

Season Debugger

By adding the line

season debugger=1

to hegames.ini, this screen will appear upon signing into a season. It displays the names of all the opposing teams, their colors, formations, strategies, and players, and was likely used as a debugging feature. Interestingly, the Boots are called the Strikers on this screen, indicating that the name was changed at some point during development.

(Source: The ScummVM Wiki)