NBA Jam (2010)

This Jam rebirth looks, sounds, and plays much like the original arcade game of a decade ago. Is this good or bad? Well, a little of both. Jam vets are sure to enjoy the goofy player models bursting into flames, the crazy announcer spouting absurdities like "Boom-shaka-laka," the multipoint hot spots, and the gravity-defying slam dunks and alley-oops. Not even the bump up to 3-on-3 court action can disrupt Jam's simple-to-control, yet wildly over-the-top gameplay. Amazingly, though, 10 years removed from its debut, and the series still suffers from the same problems. Most notably, stronger teams (especially the Legend squads) steal victory with ridiculous CPU catch-up antics rather than superior play. Any lead quickly disappears once the onslaught of cheap knockdowns, shot blocks, and steals begins. And don't bother trying to lower the difficulty--no such setting exists. With rebounding and grabbing loose balls also a hassle, I'm taking my skills and headin' to the street--EA's NBA Street; that is.

The NBA Jam series has suffered from a serious identity crisis over the years, but it's good to see Acclaim bringing the gameplay back to its arcade-style roots. But while this latest version succeeds in providing a polished, fast-paced, fun game of over-the-top 3-on-3 hoops, it doesn't really offer anything we haven't seen before. If you've played past Jam games (or NBA Showtime, its spiritual successor), you've basically played this, which makes it tough to recommend--especially among stiff b-ball competition.

The recipe for NBA Jam is still a good one--as shown by EA's excellent NBA Street--but somehow Acclaim's latest entry into the arcade basketball series just falls flat. Single-player games are more frustrating than fun to play: The jam meter works well as an incentive to pull off flashier moves, but hot spots are mostly a cheap reward for overzealous computer opponents that can charge the meter in ridiculously fast fashion. As such, multiplayer action fares a little better, but it's not enough to make the game worthwhile.