5 reasons why the new NBA Jam will win you over again

Boomshakalaka! It’s the word that transports you instantly back to 1993, when NBA Jam was introduced as the very first arcade game officially licensed by the NBA. Developed by Midway, NBA Jam generated $1 billion in quarters that year. The console game did equally well, totalling over 5 million units sold on both console and PC worldwide in 1994 and 1995. For its time, NBA Jam was the most lucrative, quarter-devouring machine ever seen. Many of us spent dollars upon dollars just to finish whole games; didn’t you?

So why is the game coming back only now?

Several weeks ago, I had the chance to play the Wii title for myself at a private EA Sports event to find out the answer concerning one of my favorite games of all time. Not only is the best two-on-two basketball game on the planet back, but current day technology such as stable online multiplayer setups, four controller configs, and motion control make it even better. Thankfully, the experience remains faithful to the original and still raises the bar even further. More than a decade later, here’s why I think the new NBA Jam will win over fans of the series again.

Fresh New Look Can Be Outright Hilarious

This revamped version of NBA Jam will have player bodies rendered in 3D, while heads/faces will be rendered in 2D. As some of you might know, these 2D images are hilarious because they’re based on high-res photos of the actual NBA players. They’re not animated, but facial expressions can vary from “extremely careful” to “jungle man angry.”

Some of the game’s dunk confrontations are equally hilarious. Imagine a squeamish and undersized Derek Fisher trying to block a monster dunk from an open-mouthed Vince Carter.  There’s various faces for certain actions such as getting the ball stolen, and there are also multiple dunk expressions per character. The results can easily be compared to the facial expressions within popular eCard site JibJab.

Although NBA Jam’s arena environments are eerily similar besides team logos and colors being different, I also noticed several small touches that would put a smile on any NBA fan’s face. Team mascots are implemented well for every match, but it’s the crowd that usually spurs the level of excitement. Fan cameras will flash during spectacular plays and the arena’s Jumbotron also provides a nice view too.

It’s one thing to be satisfied when the home crowd is constantly cheering on a comeback for their team, but it’s even more special when details such as “We Believe” signs can also be seen in the crowd. For those of you who don’t already know, I consider myself the biggest Golden State Warriors fan on the planet. It’s nice to see that EA has something in this game for gamers and true sports fans alike.

Truly Accessible Controls

NBA Jam’s control scheme will be familiar for fans of the original, but newcomers will also have numerous options for controlling the game’s wildly addictive gameplay.  The game can be played with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk (motion controls), but it can also be controlled by holding the Wii remote sideways.

Although I was only able to play the game using the motion control scheme, the responsiveness is clearly there. You pull the Wii remote to jump and then flick forward to release the ball for a shot. Defensive blocks work the same way, but flicking the controller forward at the right time will improve your chances of coming down with the ball as well.

It seemed that high block ratings for a specific player not only helps them swat the ball, but make them jump higher as well. Despite all of this, using small players like Steve Nash to block a shot would be a challenge, but even despite low block ratings for his character in the game, there was always a chance to block shots with the right timing. And successful results are very satisfying because of the level of interactivity.

Other motion controls such as quick controller swipes, are also used for executing an evasive crossover dribble on offense, a steal attempt on defense (and the signature shove while turbo is being pressed). As expected, passing the ball was as simple as pressing the A button.

The installment’s creative director Trey Smith assured me that “even more control options for each control scheme would be possible.” For this game, it doesn’t really matter . Finishing monster dunks with the Wii remote was ultra satisfying, especially since successful dunks were also dependant on your follow-through when flicking the remote forward.

For gamers that’d rather minimize their hand movements, NBA Jam will also make use of the Wii’s Classic Controller, which mimics the original SNES gamepad. This option’s a no-brainer and we’re glad that EA decided to make the obvious a reality.

Stays Faithful To The Original

The familiar two-on-two formula is back. Three consecutively made shots will trigger fire, backboards still shatter after awhile, player shoes and basketballs still flash and there’s more cheats than referee Tim Donaghy can handle. Of course, the later additions to the franchise are also in there, and mostly likely switchable, like blue team fire which is famously triggered with consecutive double-dunks or alley-oops.

The modified, classic NBA Jam rules in the game are still in effect. The standard 24-second shotclock is still there to prevent hogging the rim, goaltending is still in effect, and backcourt and out of bounds violations are never called.

Of course, the name of the game is NBA Jam, so all of the arcade favorite dunks like the 360 statue of liberty and somersault slam still make an appearance. Smith assured me that signature dunks from some of the best NBA players will also be in there. If Dwight Howard’s Superman dunk is in there, that would be amazing.

NBA Jam includes the classic campaign mode that requires you to play against all 29 other NBA teams in successive order. Although the familiar mode will turn a smile for gamers hoping that the classic, winning formula hasn’t changed, it’s the new Remix Tour that provides a breath of fresh hangtime air.

With the new Remix Tour, the game also gets a major makeover with more razzle dazzle. The new mode will include numerous power-ups littered throughout the court for offensive and defensive advantages. According to Smith, “this would be the Dynasty mode if Nintendo were to design it.”

Boss Battles and Secret Unlockables

The newly announced Remix Tour in NBA Jam will make the action even more exciting with dynamic camera angles that are toggled just before spectacular plays and final moments of a game. However, I’m excited most for the game’s boss battles.

In between some of your matches, players will encounter grudge matches with NBA legends such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It’ll provide the nice change of pace compared to regular NBA Jam matches. Better yet, big head mode and other familiar goodies will be back.

I can’t wait for the possibility to ridicule Charles Barkley, big head mode or not (which is included in the game). But with Barkley, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell. His head’s that big.

Creative director Smith also mentioned that the game will include a unique achievements mode that will be the basis for unlocking some of the cooler stuff in the game.

Mark Turmell, the series creator and original designer, is also involved with the project to ensure that the new game stays faithful to the original, but also leaps new boundaries. He didn’t just join EA Tiburon a few months back for nothing. He’s been hard at work helping to make sure the newest edition of NBA Jam retains that classic familiar feel, but also pushing the envelope with new material to ensure that the game still stands out from other NBA games.

A Sports Roster Like No Other

Each team will have three players, all of which were voted upon on the official NBA Jam website. However, there’s no other sports game that’s sure to include everything from legendary players to playable team mascots to pop culture celebrities and social figures. If Bill Clinton was included in the original version (political figures are a series tradition), then surely the real basketball skills of President Obama would be in it too, right?

EA has yet to reveal what kind of characters could be included in the final version, but I wouldn’t rule out the likes of musical superstars like Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga or heck… even Tiger Woods “delivering a facial”… or “jamming it in”… sorry I love those classic NBA Jam announcer quotes.

There’s still no word if a Create-A-Player mode will be included, but EA’s Photo Game Face technology would surely make a gamer’s own face possible for in-game characters, especially considering their usual solid online UI for their past Wii sports titles.

Although EA hasn’t announced if online multiplayer will be implemented, Smith assured that it definitely wasn’t out of the question. Considering that every other Wii sports title includes it (besides EA Sports Active), adding it for a game like this would be obvious.

NBA Jam doesn’t have a release date yet, but the hype and anticipation by hardcore fans is obviously increasing. While the Wii isn’t known for sports simulation titles in its library, the fast and frantic co-op multiplayer fun of NBA Jam should relive some of the classic fun that we’ve been missing for over a decade.

If you’d like to join in our slammajamma discussion on NBA Jam, head over to the Official NBA Jam thread in the forums. In the meantime, check out the official trailer for the game below to continue to whet that appetite. Whoomp, there it is!

Bonus Fun Fact: Because of their omission from the original arcade game, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton and (yes) Michael Jordan had special versions of NBA Jam made just for them. Shaq also took the arcade cabinet with him for his team (Orlando Magic at the time) to take on roadtrips and plane trips. Even baseball superstar Ken Griffey Jr. got his own special version.

Written by: Ray Almeda