Review: NBA Jam

After spending some more time with Jam, everything that I stated in my previous article still holds true. This review will just cover the rest of the modes that are included in the game, and if they bring anything new and exciting to the overall experience. For those of you who did not take the time to read the last post, I will go over those sections very briefly as well. Well, it’s time for tip-off, so let’s hit the court and get things started.

Developer:EA Canada
Publisher:Electronic Arts
Genre:Sports
Platform(s):Wii
If you like: Arcade style sports games, fast paced action, hilarious commentary, tons of unlockables, dunking a basketball from over 30 feet in the air(it may be more than that, i’m not really sure).

First of all, anyone who tries to take this game seriously should put down the controller and stop playing right now. Why does something like sports always have to be so serious and competitive all of the time? Just calm down, relax, and enjoy all of the ridiculousness that Jam has to offer. One of the best things about this title is that having a good time with friends, and having a sense of humor are more important than anything else.

Without a solid foundation to work with though, this idea can wear itself out pretty quickly. Luckily, that is not the case here. Using motion controls actually works quite well for the most part, most actions only require one up and down movement of the Wii remote, while others are just simple button presses. A smooth frame rate helps keep the on court action exciting. The graphical design is nothing too special, but the players do have some funny looking expressions on their faces when a shot is blocked, or when they are pushed to the ground, about to make a dunk, etc. Having only a couple of different music tracks to listen to is disappointing, but the sarcastic commentary that Tim Kitzrow brings to the table more than makes up for this little inconvenience.



So what are these new modes, and are they just fun little distractions, or something worth more than one look? For the most part, each one adds a unique stipulation or rule to change things up, which in my opinion, adds a whole new level of fun across the board. Elimination has you playing round by round until only one person is left, Domination involves controlling certain areas of the court to earn points, 21 is self explanatory, Remix uses powerups, and Smash is like a tug of war to see who can destroy the opposing teams backboard first. All of these are great when you got a group of friends to play with, but going solo ends up being more frustrating than fun most of the time.

Aside from this, those looking to go the solo route may want to check out the Classic Campaign and Remix Tour modes. Think of them as season and franchise options that just about ever other sports game has. Each one is fun for a little while, but the feeling of repetitiveness will start to sink in after the first hour or so. The only real reason to stick it out with either is to unlock some secrets that are more cosmetic and cute than they are helpful.

The original NBA Jam delivered enough extra goodies to keep people coming back for more, and this version is no different. There are a number of different achievements to earn, obscure characters to unlock, enhancements to change the overall appearance of the players, and so on. My only gripe here is the lack of any online support, versus mode or otherwise. Almost every other EA Sports game on the Wii(in recent memory) has a well implemented online community, so why not try to have the same success here?



NBA Jam does enough to keep fans of the original entertained, and is fun regardless of a few minor issues here and there with its overall depth. A definite buy for those who are looking for a more lighthearted game of basketball. (B)

 - Matt H.