NBA Jam: Tournament Edition
Reviewed by David Ruocco
The hippest basketball game just got hipper. NBA Jam Tournament Edition does
the unthinkable and improves on an already near-faultless game.
For the uninitiated, NBA Jam is fast-paced, two-on-two basketball featuring
mind boggling slam dunks. Players leap high above the ring, somersault, spin and
twirl pulling off some of the most amazing dunks you will ever see.
The key is using your turbo power to make your players leap higher, run faster,
push harder and pass faster.
This new edition features more of everything. There are awesome new jams including
"monster jams", more gameplay options, improved graphics and more speech.
There are now 122 NBA Superstars representing the 27 teams, which means you
can make substitutions after each quarter. In most games, substitutions are
necessary because players now become injured according to how many hits
they have taken.
Players are now rated on eight attributes, including speed, power, dunks, blocking,
passing and stealing.
Other new features include the ability to play the same team, a practice mode and
a tournament mode. This edition also features 38 secret characters to discover.
New novelty additions include hot spots and power-up icons, which make
multi-player games extremely fun. Hot spots are special zones where you can
shoot for extra points, while power-ups can temporarily increase a players
abilities. I love the bomb which flattens all the players on the court.
Court graphics have been slightly improved, and there is much more speech. The
announcer now says "Welcome to NBA Jam", introduces the teams and declares
the winner. New in-game commentary includes "monster jam", "hello", "count-it"
and "razzle dazzle".
Another great new feature is the battery backup which saves your statistics without
the need to enter passwords.
NBA Jam is fabulous fun and the ultimate party game. You can have up to four players
using an adaptor - highly recommended as a way to win friends and influence people.
If you haven't got a copy of NBA Jam yet, this new tournament edition is a
must-buy. It's a winner.