One of the most enjoyable games I had on my SNES (Super Nintendo if you’re wondering) was NBA Jam. Its biggest draw card was that it wasn’t a basketball simulator and didn’t pretend to be. Back in the 90’s, the limits of the technology (namely graphics and AI) meant that sports simulators were quite rudimentary and the gulf between the consumer console and the arcade games I lusted after was huge.
Rather than focus on (a 90’s version of) realism, developer Midway instead went for caricature and hyper-exaggeration. Jam was an irresistible mix of two-on-two b-ball action, a satisfying emphasis on slam-dunks and game play that was streamlined by the absence of fouls—street rules!
It still has it
NBA Jam has just been launched on iOS for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Thankfully, all of the character of the original has been retained. The commentator’s colourful delivery returns with new voice samples, but it’s his signature “boomshakala” and “he’s on fire” that bring back the nostalgia of setting the ring on fire with an over-the-top windmill dunk.
Newness
The oversized heads of players are rendered better than ever thanks to Jam’s native support for the iPhone 4’s Retina display—it really is gorgeous and one of the biggest surprises in the game. In-app purchases are also a new feature of the iOS game. Rather than unlock features of the game using good, old-fashioned hard work, players can opt to purchase upgrades such as basketball legends, hidden players, and combo cheats. If it sounds like cheating to you—you’re right and I’m all over it!
Da bomb
Perhaps the biggest omission here is that Jam doesn’t feature multiplayer. No doubt EA (who seem to have acquired the rights to the game from Midway) just haven’t managed to iron out the kinks yet and that feature will be available in a future release/update of the game (though at AUD$6, you’d hope it was an update). In spite of that, Jam is every bit as enjoyable as the original game. EA have had shown restraint by not introducing too many new features, features which actually enhance the original formula. Despite having no multiplayer, it's well worth the higher price. NBA Jam iOS is out now in the App Store—and is one iOS game I highly recommend.