- Publisher: EA
- Developer: EA Canada
- ESRB Rating: “E" for Everyone
- Genre: Arcade Basketball
- Pros: Fun gameplay; lots of unlockables; great announcer
- Cons: Shallow; new modes only so-so; rubberband A.I.
Game Trailer - NBA Jam Teaser X360/PS3
The back story on EA's NBA Jam is that it was first announced as a Wii-exclusive, then was revealed to be a bare bones (but with online play) bonus game to come with NBA Elite 11 for Xbox 360 and PS3. When NBA Elite 11 was cancelled, NBA Jam became a full retail release that had all of the features of the Wii version, plus HD graphics, plus online play for $50. I suppose it could be argued that it would have been better as a cheaper XBLA download or something and it was greedy to put it out at full price, but I'm not that bothered by it. You get a lot of features and modes for the price. And I distinctly remember paying about $60 for NBA Jam T.E. on the SNES back in the day, so $50 for a lot more features and a better game on the Xbox 360 doesn't sound that bad.
Gameplay
EA
The gameplay is pretty simple. You can pass. You can shoot. You can dunk from well beyond the free throw line. And you can do crossovers and spin moves to fake defenders out. On defense, you can swipe at the ball to try to get a steal, shove your opponent (there are no rules, remember) and jump to block shots. You have a turbo meter to sprint or give these moves a little boost. It is all very simple, and fun, especially when you're raining down threes, doing crazy double alley oop dunks, and making All-Star Game dunk contest-style slams look easy. It is fast paced, and really, really enjoyable.
Don't get me wrong, it is still fun, even if it is shallow. And even more fun if you have human opponents to play with as they offer a more even and unpredictable challenge than the A.I. It is also nice to have a game with an old-school feel that is full of cheats and hidden characters and unlockable stuff.
Graphics
Graphically, NBA Jam looks pretty decent. Not that it is super detailed or fantastic or anything, but it moves at a good framerate and the players faces look good and are recognizable.
EA
The sound is really the high point of the NBA Jam experience. Sure, the sound effects are so-so (and the same ones used for all the players) and the same music track loops over and over, but the commentary is amazing. Announcer Tim Kitzrow delivers hilarious one liners as you play, and they are just fantastic all around. Boomshakalaka.
Bottom Line
In the end, NBA Jam is a solid remake of the original arcade classic. It features all of the highlights of the original - fast pace, over the top dunks, great announcer, unlockables - but also struggles a bit with the same core problem - a lack of depth. You can only dunk from the 3-point line so many times before it loses impact, after all. Playing with human opponents help keep things fresh for much longer than playing against the A.I., however, and for this reason my recommendation for NBA Jam goes like this. Buy it if you have friends to play with. Rent it if you only intend to play against the A.I. It is definitely worth playing, though, whether as a walk down memory lane for us older folks, or as a history lesson for younger players. NBA Jam is still a blast.
