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The
problems stated with
the rerelease and
remade version of
any kind of media
really, has more to
do with the consumer
and less to do with
the producer. The
consumer wants the
same magic that they
had with the
original version to
be recreated the way
they remember it,
but that’s can’t and
won’t ever happen.
There are too many
variables with
technology improving
and with the
consumer being in a
different place in
life.
NBA
Jam
is a game that most
people over the age
of 20 loved-
literally LOVED from
their youth. Even
people who weren’t
sports geeks loved
it because it was
just unabashed
arcade fun.
Recently, EA remade
NBA
Jam
with a lot of the
same elements but
they twisted in some
new ones as well.
While people out
there will say that
it’s not deep enough
or not worth being
non-downloadable
content- they have
to remember what
they probably paid
to play the game on
Super Nintendo or
Sega Genesis… and
then think about how
much they loved the
game.
The
concept for
NBA
Jam
is still the same as
it was 15 years ago-
fast and furious 2
player arcade
basketball action
with huge dunks and
three pointers that
set the net aflame
because… well “He’s
on Fire!” There’s no
fouls, you can’t go
out of bounds, you
can goal tend but it
can be beneficial,
and you can dunk
from just inside the
3 Point line. That’s
what
NBA
Jam
was all about and
it’s what the new
version of the game
is all about too.
Even though the
graphics are crisp
and everything looks
and sounds better in
2010- it still feels
like I’m playing in
1995 due to a
nostalgia factor and
there’s something to
be said for that.
There are a few
different tweaks
added to the game-
there’s remix mode
where you travel
around from city to
city taking on teams
with some really
cool boss battles.
Then there are modes
where you need to do
something like hit
shots from a
specific place on
the floor to score
or break the
backboard to win the
game. That and
classic mode and
some multi-player
modes (both online
and offline) are
about what this disc
has to offer. But
that’s all it really
needs to offer.
The
coolest thing from
when I was a kid
about
NBA
Jam
is it got me into
basketball and ready
to go and play. This
version of the game
did that for me in
2010 just like it
did in 1995. I think
games like this help
kids want to be fit
and active and get
out and play. That’s
what happened with a
few kids I know that
played this game-
they played it- then
the day after they
went out and played
in their drive way.
Sure they
half-pretended to
twirl in the air and
shoot a layup (and
they hopelessly
missed)- but the
point is they wanted
to go outside and
play.
NBA
Jam
was partly
responsible for
that… that’s why
it’s an excellent
Christmas gift this
year. They’ll have
fun playing it and
they’ll have fun not
playing it because
they played it… you
don’t get to say
that very often.
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