Big news in the video game world opens the door for the return of Backyard Hockey

Nostalgia has been a big part of the summer, especially for fans of sports video games. With the return of EA Sports' College Football franchise in July after over a decade of silence, another franchise is set to make a major comeback.

While nothing has been set in stone yet, it could mean huge possibilities for a brand many adults grew up with.

On Tuesday, Playground Productions announced the revival of the Backyard Sports franchise. While most known for its flagship Backyard Baseball games, hockey got some love, releasing four games from 2002 to 2007 on PC and handheld devices.

Along with a cast of neighborhood kids, highlighted by one of the undisputed video game GOATs Pablo Sanchez, the NHL joined the fun by allowing a few of its players' likenesses to be included in the games.

While nothing has been confirmed about the specifics of the relaunch, a return for Backyard Hockey should be part of the plans.

If we do get a return for the title after over a decade and a half on the shelf, there are some things that we need to see. Here is some of what I have on my wish list for Playground Productions:

Widespread NHL and PWHL involvement is a must

This feels like a no-brainer. If either league chooses not to get involved, for whatever reason, it would be a missed opportunity to grow its reach.

Along with all 32 NHL teams, some of each league's stars must be in the thick of it, too. That means doing tons of press and commercials to make sure that this casts as far of a net as possible.

Oilers forward Connor McDavid would be my frontrunner to be the cover athlete for the game as the league's best player.

Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews would also have a solid case. While I don't think the game needs to abide by the NHL All-Star Game rule of including a player from every team, it's important to include a wide variety of players with specific abilities.

Every major sports league needs to jump on this opportunity immediately, but the NHL and PWHL could gain the most. If they deprive us of the chance to see Pablo Sanchez and Dmitri Petrovich battle McDavid and Matthews, I might not be able to forgive them.

Interactive arena environments

One thing about translating NHL rinks to a video game like this is that there is little room for uniqueness outside of changing the center-ice logo.

The Backyard Hockey franchise has provided several fun spots to play a game in the past, and that shouldn't change. Each rink used its environments to provide unique goal horns for when either side scored, but new technology could allow them to up the ante.

Along with keeping the power-ups from previous installments, one of the easiest ways to do this is by making certain aspects of each rink a hazard during a game.

If one rink is on a farm, allow the animals to get on the ice and cause chaos. If they're at the mall, have customers walking around during the game.

This isn't meant to be an overly serious game. The relaunch is targeted toward kids. Give them fun distractions to overcome as they strive for victory while making it just challenging enough for the adults who are returning to a franchise they love.

Deeper neighborhood lore through a story mode

While bringing back the video game titles will be at the forefront of the revival, Backyard Sports will also look to create television shows and films, allowing them to tell great stories about the neighborhood kids.

These stories could translate into the games through story modes, which previous iterations have lacked. These stories don't need to be incredibly deep, though they could also open the door for a place to create a character.

My early pitch for the story would be a battle between the neighborhood kids and their NHL counterparts for neighborhood supremacy.

It would be your job to pick a side and play alongside the characters to do your part and win the war for your team. I'm unsure how it would translate through the gameplay, but it could provide cool interactive moments.

Until we receive an official announcement from Playground Productions, everything concerning the revival is speculation. Backyard Hockey needs to be a key part of the return.

We haven't gotten a chance to skate around in the neighborhood since 2007, so a new release is long overdue. No matter how it all shakes out, it's exciting to see new life being brought into a beloved franchise.