Boom-shaka-laka!, From Downtown!, SWISH! If you haven't already heard its that time again and as NBA Jam hits the market for Wii, the anticipation is building for what could be the release of the year when the game hits shelves for XBOX 360 and PS3 during the holiday season. With so much fan fair and with an incredibly strong following, the developers at EA Sports decided to kick things up a notch when it announced a slew of secret characters to be unlocked during game play just a few days ago. Returning yet again, having debuted in the original Sega Genesis version of the game back in 1993, the music industry has once again dipped its hands into the pile with the Beastie Boys headlining as the most noteworthy team to enter the 2010 title. The Beasties Boys, known for their unique and timeless hip hop style, will be featured alongside a handful of our nations finest politicians as well.
With the likes of President Obama, Joe Biden, Al Gore, Bill and Hillary Clinton on one side, with Republicans George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, John McCain and Dick Cheney taking the court on the other, expect this game to be used for more than deciding who's doing the dishes tonight. While I can honestly say I didn't see this one coming, I have to give credit where credit is due and EA Sports once again upped the ante with its array of outlandish unlockable content and featured game play. My only hope in terms of game play is that the music in the game would transcend well into the game itself. How nice would it be for you to unlock and Beastie Boys and play to the tune of Brass Monkey, while Mix Master Mike takes it to the hole on your boys from school, or catching fire while Mike D posts up in the corner ready to rain 3's on your way to another blowout victory against your 13 year old cousin (I'm not kidding, the kid can ball and I've been playing since '93...can't lose!)
One thing for sure is that this title will surely set the bar high in terms of content and its ability to sell. With commentators, players, fans and gamers having adopted the characteristic and often slapstick sayings from NBA Jam, its almost as if over night this game transcended the way in which we look and think about sports. While the image of Barak Obama doing three front flips, while on fire, and taking it to the rack against George Bush would be absolutely ridiculous, yet awesome at the same time, its the idea that a video game could have such an impact on multiple platforms and across industries that truly makes NBA Jam a one of a kind experience for those who play.
Creator Mark Turmell said in an interview that, "The thing about it is it hit mainstream. A billion dollars, one quarter at a time in 1993. It did 5 million copies on the Super Nintendo and the Genesis. It was pretty much on every platform in 1993 and 1994. It is a mainstream game and that is the exciting thing. It's not a sports game made for sports gamers, at its root its just a great video game." That in my eyes is the beauty of the game, its ability to transcend time. Almost 17 years later, NBA Jam still carries with it that mythical element that when you grab the sticks and its about to go down, its 2 on 2 full on basketball mixed with a splash of character and creative zeal. Regardless of what system you played or arcade you you spent hours at honing your skills, reality is that NBA Jam has withstood the test of time regardless of the industry because it afford us the ability to relive simpler times and truly experience gaming at its best.
But what about the players? What are we looking at in terms of character appearance, game play and authenticity? NBA Jam was a game that felt so raw and intense, regardless of the 2D graphics because you could identify with the players and for the first time you felt like you were controlling the team. NBA Jam allowed gamers, for the firs time, to identify with the teams that they liked and with a graphics that afford them to ability feel like they were playing as their favorite NBA stars. In this years title the developers held true to the franchise and decided to keep some of that old school flair. "We used the digitized faces as our inspiration for our art style," says the game's Creative Director Trey Smith. "That was a big thing for us: How do we, 17 years later, still capture that vibe that NBA Jam was. It was groundbreaking in so many different ways. It was first game where you're players weren't just a bunch of blobs on the screen. It was the first game to use digitized faces where you actually could recognize them."
From the looks of it EA hit the nail on the head with its rendition of the NBA Jam atmosphere. Players faces are actual photos that have been digitized for clarity, yet will remain 2D as a way to add a collective balance with the new 3D environment. The crowd will also boast a 2D appearance, but this combination of old world style with new age technology is sure have fans raving if they have not yet seen video of the next installment of NBA Jam. For me personally, I can honestly say that I will be a first day buyer. As someone who currently has an original SEGA Genesis at home with NBA Jam still in the game slot, I can tell you that I have been practicing and waiting patiently for the game to come out on XBOX 360 for months. Yet while I won't be able to hoop it up with Mugsy, Zo, and Grandmama, the Charlotte Hornet machine in the 1993 version, I am sure that Mike D, Barak and B Roy will do as I anticipate the release of NBA Jam later this holiday season and can't wait to here, "Obama... Jams It In!"
*For a complete look at NBA Jam, check out the release trailer online by simply clicking on the title of this article
Boom-shaka-laka!, From Downtown!, SWISH! If you haven't already heard its that time again and as NBA Jam hits the market for Wii, the anticipation is building for what could be the release of the year when the game hits shelves for XBOX 360 and PS3 during the holiday season. With so much fan fair and with an incredibly strong following, the developers at EA Sports decided to kick things up a notch when it announced a slew of secret characters to be unlocked during game play just a few days ago. Returning yet again, having debuted in the original Sega Genesis version of the game back in 1993, the music industry has once again dipped its hands into the pile with the Beastie Boys headlining as the most noteworthy team to enter the 2010 title. The Beasties Boys, known for their unique and timeless hip hop style, will be featured alongside a handful of our nations finest politicians as well.
With the likes of President Obama, Joe Biden, Al Gore, Bill and Hillary Clinton on one side, with Republicans George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, John McCain and Dick Cheney taking the court on the other, expect this game to be used for more than deciding who's doing the dishes tonight. While I can honestly say I didn't see this one coming, I have to give credit where credit is due and EA Sports once again upped the ante with its array of outlandish unlockable content and featured game play. My only hope in terms of game play is that the music in the game would transcend well into the game itself. How nice would it be for you to unlock and Beastie Boys and play to the tune of Brass Monkey, while Mix Master Mike takes it to the hole on your boys from school, or catching fire while Mike D posts up in the corner ready to rain 3's on your way to another blowout victory against your 13 year old cousin (I'm not kidding, the kid can ball and I've been playing since '93...can't lose!)
One thing for sure is that this title will surely set the bar high in terms of content and its ability to sell. With commentators, players, fans and gamers having adopted the characteristic and often slapstick sayings from NBA Jam, its almost as if over night this game transcended the way in which we look and think about sports. While the image of Barak Obama doing three front flips, while on fire, and taking it to the rack against George Bush would be absolutely ridiculous, yet awesome at the same time, its the idea that a video game could have such an impact on multiple platforms and across industries that truly makes NBA Jam a one of a kind experience for those who play.
Creator Mark Turmell said in an interview that, "The thing about it is it hit mainstream. A billion dollars, one quarter at a time in 1993. It did 5 million copies on the Super Nintendo and the Genesis. It was pretty much on every platform in 1993 and 1994. It is a mainstream game and that is the exciting thing. It's not a sports game made for sports gamers, at its root its just a great video game." That in my eyes is the beauty of the game, its ability to transcend time. Almost 17 years later, NBA Jam still carries with it that mythical element that when you grab the sticks and its about to go down, its 2 on 2 full on basketball mixed with a splash of character and creative zeal. Regardless of what system you played or arcade you you spent hours at honing your skills, reality is that NBA Jam has withstood the test of time regardless of the industry because it afford us the ability to relive simpler times and truly experience gaming at its best.
But what about the players? What are we looking at in terms of character appearance, game play and authenticity? NBA Jam was a game that felt so raw and intense, regardless of the 2D graphics because you could identify with the players and for the first time you felt like you were controlling the team. NBA Jam allowed gamers, for the firs time, to identify with the teams that they liked and with a graphics that afford them to ability feel like they were playing as their favorite NBA stars. In this years title the developers held true to the franchise and decided to keep some of that old school flair. "We used the digitized faces as our inspiration for our art style," says the game's Creative Director Trey Smith. "That was a big thing for us: How do we, 17 years later, still capture that vibe that NBA Jam was. It was groundbreaking in so many different ways. It was first game where you're players weren't just a bunch of blobs on the screen. It was the first game to use digitized faces where you actually could recognize them."
From the looks of it EA hit the nail on the head with its rendition of the NBA Jam atmosphere. Players faces are actual photos that have been digitized for clarity, yet will remain 2D as a way to add a collective balance with the new 3D environment. The crowd will also boast a 2D appearance, but this combination of old world style with new age technology is sure have fans raving if they have not yet seen video of the next installment of NBA Jam. For me personally, I can honestly say that I will be a first day buyer. As someone who currently has an original SEGA Genesis at home with NBA Jam still in the game slot, I can tell you that I have been practicing and waiting patiently for the game to come out on XBOX 360 for months. Yet while I won't be able to hoop it up with Mugsy, Zo, and Grandmama, the Charlotte Hornet machine in the 1993 version, I am sure that Mike D, Barak and B Roy will do as I anticipate the release of NBA Jam later this holiday season and can't wait to here, "Obama... Jams It In!"
*For a complete look at NBA Jam, check out the release trailer online by simply clicking on the title of this article
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