The Wonder Years: Week 4 - NBA Jam Tournament Edition
Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 05.10.2007
It’s basketball, Jim, but not as we know it.
Welcome to the column where all gamers of a certain age come to wallow in 16-bit nostalgia. I'm your host, Owain J. Brimfield, and I'll be discussing some of the hidden gems and instant classics of gaming's golden era. Some of these games may crop up on the Wii's Virtual Console at some point, some may be consigned to the annals of history. Either way, they're worth tracking down if you missed them first time round, or replaying if you were lucky enough to catch them. Let's take a trip to:
NBA JAM TOURNAMENT EDITION
(Acclaim, Genesis & Super NES, 1994)
When arcade classic NBA Jam was first released, it proved to be something of a phenomenon, quickly garnering a strong following in the gaming community. Its modus operandi placed it squarely in the Sensible Soccer camp of sports simulations, with an emphasis on accessibility, humour and lightning-fast gameplay over any sort of realism. Of course, with the game's success it was inevitable that a franchise would be spawned, and NBA Jam TE was the first - and indeed best - of the string of sequels. With around 30 teams featuring a total of 120 players, plus a new-fangled power-up system, the introduction of ‘hot spots' and of course the eponymous tournament mode, everything about this game was a step up from the original.
Thankfully, the central gameplay mechanic was left untouched as it's an absolute blast. Stripping basketball to its utter basics - run, pass, block, shoot - with fast-paced two-on-two games of a few minutes' length, NBA Jam is a game that prides itself on its ‘pick up and play' potential, with the result that it's easy to become quickly addicted. However the simplistic control scheme (only three buttons are used) belies the importance of strategy - NBA Jam TE is a fine example of a game that's easy to play but hard to master. While running blindly at the opposition and unleashing three-point attempts from all corners of the court represents the quick and easy approach, it won't serve you well when the difficulty is ramped up. The game swiftly becomes unforgiving and as a result tactical passing becomes ever more important, along with economic use of the turbo meter. Charging down the court hoping for a big dunk soon results in a player bereft of stamina, unable to get back and defend.
Given some practice though, a more measured approach (along with some judicious use of the substitution system) can result in some epic games against computer opposition. Of course, there are some predictable frustrations, such as the frequency with which fouls occur on higher difficulty settings, the ease with which accidental goal tending can happen, and the bizarre inability to choose your team's opponents. These are all minor inconveniences, but what really grates is the lack of depth the game exhibits. With no league system or player records to speak of, the single player is left to a series of mostly redundant match-ups against random teams, with the eventual intention of beating every team in the game. While this is undoubtedly fun in short bursts, the novelty soon wears off and multiplayer becomes the only means of extracting any long-term enjoyment from the game - with multitap support for up to four players though, this is something that can keep you and your friends entertained for a fair time.
While not outstandingly technically impressive, the game is pleasing to look at, with nice chunky sprites moving at a blistering pace, and sounds good as well with its digitised speech samples - which, incidentally, offers plenty of catchphrases for the man about town to appropriate. "Monster Jam!" can be used in a surprising variety of social situations, just give it a go. Naturally, the game's music and sound effects are pretty horrid, but for some reason this has been the case with sports games since the dawn of time (in fact, if anyone can name me a 16-bit sports sim with catchy music, there may well be some sort of prize). And besides, there are only so many ways the squeak and bounce of basketball can be made to sound exciting.
All in all, NBA Jam TE is a game well worth owning for a quick five-minute spurt, and it's not too tricky to track down (although you may end up with the slightly inferior Playstation version). In the pantheon of great sport franchises the Jam canon holds a deserved place, and this proved to be the series' high point. You might even say "it's on fire!" [dies]
NBA Jam Tournament Edition trivia
Unlockable characters include Bill Clinton, the Beastie Boys and Will Smith.
Michael Jordan, the NBA's biggest star at the time, was contractually prevented from appearing in the game, possibly due to his involvement with Chaos in some Windy City somewhere.
Despite being blatantly imitated in earlier games, commentator Marv Albert didn't participate in the series until 1996's NBA Jam Extreme.
NBA Jam TE is number 71 in my official all-time Top 100 games.
Tangential musings
Apologies for the brevity of this week's column, I'm currently in the middle of moving house. Joy of joys.
Having paid to see only my second movie of the year at the cinema, I should warn people that Sunshine, while enjoyable, seems to be Danny Boyle's attempt at a 2001 for our generation, and it doesn't quite come off.
With the news that Ricky Gervais is planning a one-off special episode to finish Extras, is it too much to hope for a similar treatment for Edgar Wright's Spaced?
I've just finished reading Richard Morgan's Market Forces, and can't think of any other novel of which I'd rather see a film adaptation. Still, next on the reading list is the new Tolkien, so that may change.
And finally…
As always, reader feedback and suggestions are welcome, I respond to everything so just drop me a line. Next week in "The Wonder Years" - it's Pro Evo's great granddaddy! Until then - keep it real, keep it retro.
