Customer Reviews

NBA Jam

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I grew up with this game when it was by Acclaim. Ahh the memories. I didn't think a new remake would do so well here in 2010, but man, was I wrong. This is the ultimate remake of any classic sports game I've ever played. It's got new rosters, new graphics, new music, and best of all, it's NBA Jam! Forget what you know about real basketball, this is arcade basketball at its finest. No fouls, no timeouts, just crazy 2 on 2 fun. What's so great about this game is the endless unlockables. You can unlock tons of classic players from the past like Shaq on the Magic, Rodman, McHale, Jordan, Worthy, heck, you can even play as Ex Presidents as Republics VS the Democrats. The game supports 4 Wii controllers with or without the Nunchuck or the Classic controller. Old school gamers like me might want to consider the classic controller, while the Wii controller works fine, I felt more in control with the classic controller. If you don't want to use the motion controls, you can put the wii remote on it's side and play with just the d pad and the two buttons. So there's lots of control options for you.

The graphics are very good. Players faces look like the actual guys, especially when you kick in the big head mode. There's a ton of modes to play. You can do the classic campaign or go into a Remix mode career that let's you play with power ups like power, quickness, speed, crazy crossovers and instant "fire". The computer sometimes seems to cheat to catch up when their down big, but that was in the old game, and it does always make for heated matchups. But the most fun you will have is playing with 3 other friends. 2 on 2 is the ultimate multiplayer experience. We played for 3 hours last night and didn't want to stop! With the huge amount of unlockables you can unlock, this game has a lot of replay value. Only it's lack of online play cuts it short from being nearly perfect. If you never played NBA Jam before, never fear, it's fun as long as you don't mind it's crazy dunks, and insane aspects. If you have played Jam before, this is the best Jam ever made and hopefully is only the beginning for the series on this gen of consoles. Boomshockalaka!

I'm a child of the 80s and I can vividly remember dropping countless quarters into the NBA Jam arcade. It was the fast-paced, ultra-fun, pick up and play aspects of NBA Jam that had us all hooked in the mid-90s. EA Sports did a beautiful job updating the game for the modern audience. The game feels, pretty much, untouched. Although there is a great deal of nostalgia in this and other remakes, I wonder how the current generation of gamers (who didn't have the absolute pleasure of playing NBA Jam in it's glory days) will react. In many ways, the game is not "modern". For Wii, there is no online integration (no problem to the old-schoolers as long as you have your buddies over). Also, there is no create-a-player, or Mi integration (which was surprising). These and other "modern expectations" for video games, specifically sports games, could detrimentally affect the way the "modern audience" accepts this game. However, to those who played NBA Jam in the glory days, this will feel very familiar...which is awesome.

Gameplay - 5/5
Graphics - 4.5/5 (but who cares)
Controls - 5/5
Fun Factor - 5/5
Overall Package - 4/5 (considering the lack of online options and Mii integration)

Closing Comments - For the gamer who wishes to relive the days of frantic arcade dunks and blocks ("He's on fire!!!"), I would highly recommend this masterpiece. For the gamer who has never played NBA Jam, I'd recommend renting before purchasing...just to be on the safe side.

ok, this game is amazing, NBA JAM is a classic, and they took the best parts of it and added more, the game is tons of fun, and although the game is extremely simple, with the new remix tour along with classic campaign the game is amazing. no, there isnt online play, which is a major blow, but the game is still tons of fun and thats what this review is about.

I played the original Jam back when I was in High School, and continued playing the game up through its change to NBA Hangtime on the Nintendo 64. I really enjoy the series.

Playing NBA Jam on the Wii has been a real treat, that reminded me immediately of why I've always liked this game so much. Jam on the Wii perfectly captures my memories of how great the game was (and that is hard to do, b/c going back and playing the original I've found it hasn't aged particularly well).

The gameplay is fast and furious and fun.

There are additional modes, and it is nice to be able to play them co-op, but the majority of my time here will be spent in the simple pick-up and play 4-player versus mode. This is one of the best same-room multiplayer games in existence. Always has been. While the Wii misses online, not playing with people in the same room ruins the fun anyway.

All that said, I'm somewhat on the fence about the motion controls. I recommend getting a Classic Controller for the game, though you might find you prefer the motion controls. Dunking by emphatically swinging the controller down is just FANTASTIC! Accidentally jumping and missing a block/rebound/shot b/c you moved your hand too much is frustrating, but it is also occasional and avoidable (and I love the feeling of draining a long-distance jumper by moving the remote).

Overall, I love the game. It's immediately become the favorite to play with friends at my place (and work!). If you enjoy the crazy excitement of the NBA, the funniest and most fun commentary ever found in a sports game, or just want to play the best basketball game ever made, you probably should check this game out. Personally, I highly recommend it ;).

Got this game as a Christmas gift and it is certainly a lot of fun to play. It is the same over-the-top, crazy gameplay I remember from when I was younger. And from what I've seen, the game is fairly deep. My only gripe is i9n the controls. The motion controls work alright, but some moves require the pushing of multiple buttons when their are unused buttons on the wiimote available! This is even more agonizing with the classic controller, where you can shoot using no less than 3 buttons, and yet a "shove" takes a combo of two, again with other buttons going unused! Most annoying is that the screens recommend you hit "a" to advance and "b" to go back, and yet on the classic controller A is B and B is A! So whenever the screen says "Hit 'A' to advance", you actually need to hit B.

A couple points I want to hit about this game. For one it is ridiculously fun! I took NBA JAM to a party where everyone was dogging me because I brought my wii and 4 controllers. They called me lame and told me that only kids play games on Wii. After about 30 mins playing madden on playstation 3 the party quickly shifted to NBA JAM! I mean anybody (and I mean anybody) can pick this game up and play it. It was me and my 5 year old daughter playing against a teenager and adult and we still did a decent job. But it was just fun! Another point I have to make is...people please stop being so lazy! The motion controls has to be one of the best parts of the game. Flinging the wii remote down as you throw down a thunderous dunk just feels so gggggoooooooddddd! I was in a full sweat after playing this game. Awesomeness! And lastly...everyone is getting upset about no online this and no online that! I understand the times have changed but NBA JAM hasn't in that aspect! Stop being so scared of the world and come out of your little gamer basement and socialize. Thats what this game was ment to do was bring people together. I remember begging my parents to go over my friend's house to play his NBA JAM on his SNES. We would hit it up for about 2 hours and go outside and play some basketball. Yeah we've all gotten older but the fun is still there. Come out of your shells and play!

So I was a fan of the origional, and it does not disappoint. The game is great. To me the computer's defensive AI is a little too accurate, and you'll be a little frustrated at the higher levels of difficulty winning games, but at heart, this is a party game, not really a single player game. If it's the old classic style you like, run through the Remix modes to unlock all of the old school characters, enter the secret codes for the Democrats and Republicans. But it's not just in 4 player 2 on 2 hoops that this game finds it's fun. The new modes feel just as home as they would have 15 years ago on the arcade. 2V2 Remix gives the chance to grab powerups to take your team to new heights. Domination is a capture the flag type game which will require you to think strategically in order to win. 21 is just as the name states, 1V1V1V1 full on to 21. Finally Elimination is a timed event where the lowest score is eliminated.

All in all, this is a fantastic game. If you're just looking for a sitdown with some friends, some fun conversation, and silly gaming, this one is all for you.

This is a well done re-make that has a lot of true-to-the-original flare and a plethora of new features that allow for "deeper" game play. I've only played each of the new modes a few times with some of them very enjoyable, and some not only a bit harder to play (primarily because of the camera angle) but not immediately apparent what the rules are. The different awards that unlock the old-school players and other bonus features is a great plus! The main game is still where it is at - and that is certainly the same great over-the-top action as the original(s).

No tag mode, no online play, and being limited to using the same team throughout the Classic Campaign are some odd aspects that I consider negative. Overall, though, while it may not entirely live up to the over-the-top hype that it received in some places, it definitely exceeded my expectations and is a fun way to play a classic game with today's players on today's gaming console.

The more things change, the more they stay the same...and that isn't such a bad thing with NBA Jam on the Wii. The two-on-two arcade basketball formula remains unchanged, and the overall fun factor that was a series staple remains unchanged as well. Thankfully, the controls using the Wii-mote are responsive and tight and don't detract from the core experience of the gameplay, which was personally my biggest fear in anticipating this update on the classic arcade formula. The game looks good, and the announcer is comical without being too annoying, but that's not to say that NBA Jam isn't without its flaws. Just like the arcade original, it won't take too long to learn that the gameplay is relatively shallow. Not to mention that there are no online play modes offered, which is a massive disappointment in itself. Still though, NBA Jam is a very fun re-make of an arcade classic, and is more than worth your time and attention.

There have been too many wanna-be NBA Jam games, but there can be only one. This game stays true to the original, and does not disappoint. I could not wait for the online version to come for my 360, so I caved in and bought it. The best 50 dollars I have spent in a long time, and I never pay full price for games. NBA Jam is about having your friends around which made it the perfect match for the Wii. One thing that the other consoles do not have is the motion controls. I had my doubts if they could make it work, now I can't see any other way to play it but by using motion controls. So gather some friends and relive some old memories, and make new ones along the way.