PlanetDreamcast | Games | Reviews | NBA Showtime

NBA Showtime It's s-s-s-s-s-showtime! - Review By Fragmaster When NFL Blitz originally came out a couple years ago, it was often described as the football version of the then insanely popular NBA Jam. And that summed up NFL Blitz pretty nicely since the same team (for the most part) developed both games and that was their original intention. Now that the NBA Jam franchise has been largely forgotten, those who don't remember the game will describe NBA Showtime as NFL Blitz for basketball. See what I'm getting at here? NBA Showtime is an updated version of NBA Jam. Not that that's a bad thing� The Good You might as well call NBA Showtime "NBA Jam 2000," 'cause that's what it essentially is. The gameplay is almost exactly like NBA Jam's, which means all the big insane dunks and unrealistic physics are here. But unlike Blitz, there are actually a couple of rules. Goaltending is in effect and the occasional bone-rattling charge may result in a free throw. Hit three shots in a row and you'll catch fire, making you a force to be reckoned with until the other team puts out the flames. While on fire, you have a better chance of making any shot, but your fire can be chanced once the opposing team makes a basket or after you make five consecutive scores. Some fans may miss the inclusion of powerups, but their absence makes the game a bit more balanced. The AI hasn't changed much since Jam, it still cheats, but that makes it challenging. And just like the arcade game, there are lots of codes to use and secret characters to unlock. The graphics aren't as nice looking as NBA 2K's, but they're still pretty good. All the included players are instantly recognizable. Like Jam, only a select few representives from each team are in the game, for a grand total of around 130. The graphics aren't as good as NBA 2K's, but they're still pretty darn nifty. And as you can see, the NBC license is put to good use. The controls are great and easy to pick up. Left trigger or X is turbo, A is shoot on offense or block\rebound on defense, and B is pass on offense or steal on defense. With these basic controls you can pull off charges, spin moves, alley oop, double dunk, head fake, block shots, and clear out. Like Blitz, this is the type of game you can hand to a friend who's never played the game before and still have a competitive game (unless you mercilessly floor him every time he gets the ball, you big bully). Create a player mode isn't particularly useful and you can't really customize the look of your player or mess around with their abilities very much (although you can make your player stronger with the additional attribute points you'll earn after every three games you win), but you can play as a mascot, horse, or a cheerleader. The sound and music are OK. You'll recognize the play-by-play guy from NFL Blitz, so if you're sick of him you'll probably want to turn him off. The interface is just like Blitz's, meaning it's competent. The Bad Nice dunk Kobe, but why is your arm going through the hoop? Like Blitz, some people may not like the gameplay. If you're looking for realism, grab NBA 2K instead because NBA Showtime throws most of the realism out the window. That's not to say that the lack of realism is a bad thing, but it could potentially be a big turnoff to those people who don't think swatting rebounds around in the air like volleyballs is fun. There are a few problems with Showtime's gameplay, the first being that it's not very innovative. I mean, NBA Jam was released seven years ago. It can also be hard to control players off the screen, making defending a challenge until you get the hang of judging where your off-screen player is. Also, you encounter the occasional weird glitch that'll make you scratch your head, and the play by play is even worse than Blitz's. That's just a nitpick though, since you can shut it off anyway and it doesn't effect gameplay. And like Blitz, there's not really much depth to be had. Showtime is a lot more fun if you've got real people to play against. The graphics have some clipping problems (in replays you can occasionally see guys jump right through the hoop), and the animation isn't the best. Other minor problems include the inability to choose what team the computer plays as in a single player game, and the fact you can't change the camera angle. The Final Word If you like NBA Jam or like NFL Blitz and enjoy basketball, get NBA Showtime. If you've got friends to play against, you definitely want this in your collection. NBA Showtime isn't for everyone, but those of you that enjoy Midway's style of sports games won't be disappointed. Developer: Midway Publisher: Midway Genre: Sports Highs: Great gameplay and control, good graphics, great party game, and it's Jam! Lows: Gameplay may seem old to some, not much depth, minor quirks. Other: 1-4 players, VMU Compatible Final Score: (out of a possible 10) Visit this Game's Dreamcast Database Entry Previous Reviews Comments on this review? Mail Feedback.