Earlier today I had the honor to get my hands on EA’s upcoming Wii exclusive NBA JAM. Originally a Midway 90s arcade classic, JAM thrived by transforming the traditional basketball genre into an outrageous spectacle that attracted all walks of life, including non-sports fans like myself. Between a big head mode, celebrity appearances, an all-star old school lineup, quirky catchphrases and backboards on fire, JAM is one of a kind. After seeing and playing the revived and revamped NBA JAM at E3, I can tell you this game is exactly what you want.
I had the privilege of sharing my play session with Abe Groening, son of The Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening, who stood by and watched us play. To say that I was exuding excessive perspiration due to the overwhelming presence of a cultural icon would be quite the understatement. Nonetheless, I was able to successfully show off my skills on the court (and by skills I mean shooting consecutive bricks for the duration of my play session).
JAM visually looks great, offering the charm of the original title’s unique style with a fresh coat of next-gen polish. The player’s faces are 2D snapshots plastered over 3D bodies, that alternate depending on the different in-game occurrences. If you get fouled, your player’s face will show his embarrassment. My play session was spent on the easily accessible classic 2-on-2 game; unfortunately I wasn’t able to try the Remix Tour (a new game mode that’s set to add diverse power-ups to the game) nor any of the boss battles (which Larry Bird and Magic Johnson have been confirmed to appear).
While several controller options are said to be available, the E3 demo offered the Wii Remote and Nunchuk setup. The game utilizes button controls for nearly all player actions, aside from your jump and shoot moves. Simply flick the Wii Remote up in the air for a quick jump, and motion a quick in-air flick towards the screen to shoot. I can proudly say that both motion fueled moves feel very satisfying. I could even imagine those outspoken gamers against motion controls getting caught up in the heat of the moment and slamming their Wii Remote’s down to execute a last minute buzzer-beater dunk against a friend, only to be followed by a “nanny-nanny-boo-boo.”
Being a 2-on-2 fast paced basketball title, I quickly remembered to use turbo and shove to steal the ball and keep my team on top. New this time around is a spin move, which can counter a shove by your opponent. I was also reminded by my demo instructor that an alley-oop move has been added, something I was couldn’t believe wasn’t in the original. Despite any slight changes, if you’ve played the game’s original arcade counterpart, it will be like riding a bike. Instantly, you’re brought back to the days of playing sports titles that kept their focus on fun, and not on graphical innovations. With JAM, you’ll find yourself grinning from ear to ear, because it strives to be nothing more than a fun arcade sports offering. In my book, it succeeds.
NBA JAM is scheduled for a Fall 2010 release.
