NBA Jam 2010
Electronic Arts (EA Sports)
Nintendo Wii (Also available on PS3 and Xbox 360 on Nov. 15th)
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| Photo by Shu |
BOOM SHAKALAKA! I am not sure if I would enjoy this game as much as I did if it weren't for the voice of Tim Kitzrow and his hilarious commentary. Aside from that detail, the game delivers a satisfying experience with each dunk, steal, and shove that the player performs by integrating modern art, technology, sound, and controls into the old school, arcade-like gameplay from the original Super Nintendo/Arcade Machine (depending on which one you played it on). I'm normally not a huge sports game player, but NBA Jam is a definite exception among the many basketball videogames out in the market.
Graphics
The overall game is done in a semi-real retro design to utilize the modern day technology we have now compared to the 16-bit days while still retaining the quirky and ridiculous nature of moving limbs, sprite animation, and arcade-like feel. Players’ faces can be seen clearly now rather than an ambiguous muck of a face from the Super Nintendo/Arcade with limbs of shorter frame animation sequences. What does this mean? They look like freaking rag-dolls with faces playing basketball! And I find that rather acceptable for the game. Movements within the animation are fluid. The background sprites add a touch to the overall theme, but it is not distracting. If anything, I would have liked even more animations for dunks. Graphics: 9/10
Audio
It took me by surprise, but there was music playing in the background during the gameplay. At first, it was distracting. I seldom find a sports game that plays music other than the Mario sports games from Nintendo. But after a short while, I enjoyed the music very much and my friend and I started humming to it while we were playing. One of the concerns that I, and possibly many other NBA Jam fans from the SNES days, had was whether the game became more realistic in this reiteration of the classic. Was the slam going to sound exaggerated or just a regular dunk? Were players going to just fall over when getting shoved or have a weird grunt when being man handled? Thankfully, the game sounded and felt like the classic with upgrades to the quality. Even greater with Tim Kitzrow, once again, gracing the commentary with his charismatic voice. I would have to agree with my friend who played the game with me when he said that the “sound and feeling of a dunk and shove was very satisfying.” Audio: 9/10
Gameplay
Sports games are difficult to get “non-sport fan” friends to play since they may feel intimidated by all the rules of a sport, learning all the buttons, and figuring out all the techniques. NBA Jam is easy to pick up and play! And it has one factor that realistic basketball games don’t allow that makes it even more fun: SHOVING! While allowing your friend to constantly shove people around in NBA Jam, they get the chance to learn the rest of the controls and play on par without long explanations about the rules and techniques. What made the experience more enjoyable was the use of the wiimote and nunchuck. The game utilizes the motion sensor to allow players to swing up to either jump up for a block, dunk, jump shot, or alley hoop and a swing down to release the ball or slam it in. It makes good use of the controls for the wii and felt more natural than trying to use buttons to jump and slam (there is an option to use the classic controller or wiimote without the nunchuck). The game can still be strategically played and challenging when using all the moves correctly, so it isn’t just ridiculous arcade dunking. It does bug me that there is a delay in steals like the old one did. Even for those who plan on buying the PS3 and Xbox 360 version, it’s still worth trying the wii version out. Gameplay: 8/10
Difficulty
The difficulty of the game must be pointed out. EA did a good job on the computer AI…too good. If it is the first time for someone to play NBA Jam, more than likely they’re going to get a bit frustrated with how well the computer AI plays and how cohesive their team work is. They’re like crazy machines that read your mind and laughs at your face with each shove and dunk they slam into you. For me, it wasn’t until I got used to the movements and patterns of the AI that I began to do the shoving and dunking. The computer AI will seemingly move faster to pick up a stolen ball and act impenetrable to all grabs and pushes when holding the ball when playing on harder difficulties (or when the player is leading). I have to play on easy in order to enjoy the game, and it’s still challenging! What is more frustrating than the main game mode is the special mode which has specific rules such as the domination mode. The computer will know exactly what to do one step ahead of the player, even at easy. Unless the player is super hardcore about the game and wants the challenge, this may be a turn off for many regular gamers. Difficulty: 7/10
Replay Value
This is debatable and is also determined by the type of gamer the player is. If the gamer is a solo player and NOT a hardcore, this game can get old fast. But if the player always has friends over to play, this game could last quite a while. Playing against the computer can only do so much for NBA Jam. It’s similar to how fighting games are in how computer AI will play a certain way which players can find predictable and use a specific method to beat them. Or the computer can be so difficult that there doesn’t seem to be any point in playing anymore. NBA Jam is already challenging enough, so playing the harder difficulty levels will not contribute to the replay value as much. Playing with your friends and other human players bring a dynamic to the game because everyone plays differently and so you have to adjust to their play style in order to win. Aside the actual game mode, NBA Jam is filled with a lot of unlockable content. There are numerous amounts of cheat codes, secret characters, and legendary teams that can be obtained by playing through all the types of modes in the game. Replay Value: 8/10
Overall
This game is worth getting. Even if it’s not the most desired game on your want list, get it during a sale or price drop as it will provide hours of entertainment and satisfactory experience. I actually bought the game on a whim when I received a $5 off coupon for Gamestop to celebrate 25 years of Super Mario Bros. I was actually looking for Sin and Punishment that day, but bought the game and realized that I didn’t get gamestop points on my power up card (I forgot), AND I was given a cracked box:
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| Photo by Shu |
Despite those small mishaps, I am satisfied with my purchase and look forward to unlocking everything I can in the game (unless it requires playing anything beyond hard difficulty, because that’s just nuts!)
Graphics: 9/10
Audio: 9/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Difficulty: 7/10
Replay Value: 8/10
Overall: 8.5/10
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