NBA Jam Revisited

I recently had the pleasure to play the NBA Jam on Sega Genesis and then play NBA Jam on Nintendo Wii. After putting about two hours into the original and then several play sessions into the new one, I can't help but be pleased with both. The original will always stay in my heart as one of the great competitive multiplayer games of past generations. Few moments rival dunking in you friends face, setting the net on fire. Well, few other than sinking that fade away three while they try to block with no avail since, well, you're on fire . . .

EA Sports has once again given me these simple pleasures along with a slew of new pleasures. Between the slightly tweaked gameplay, the classic look and feel of NBA Jam, and the new multiplayer suite, I'm enjoying NBA Jam on Wii far more than I should.

I'll go ahead and get this out of the way, but it is dated gameplay, cheap AI and repetitive mechanics. That doesn't stop me from enjoying it for 30-45 minutes at a time, especially with three friends next to me.

That said, give NBA Jam on any of the three consoles a try. It doesn't thrill in a Mass Effect, GTA, or even a FIFA 11 way, but it is a nice trip back to a simpler time. We love our simulations, but sometimes it is good to know that I can shove my opponent to the floor, take the ball and reduce the basket to smoke and ash.

I guess the question is if you should dust off your older system to play NBA Jam or actually drop the cash on the new one. I would argue that the new modes(particularly the free for all modes) add a whole new level to NBA Jam's multiplayer suite. Now, not only can you team up 2v2 with your friends, you can take them all on in games like 21(with put backs to reduce your opponent's score) or Domination.(make shots from places on the floor to "win" them for a time and gain points for having spots on the floor "won")

Remix Tour and Remix 2v2 Jam - These are less than impressive. I had much more fun just playing the normal Jam Season and normal 2v2. The inclusion of super powered bosses and power ups don't add much in the way of pure gameplay, they feel more gimmicky.

Another worth addition to NBA Jam is the spin move and crossover. These two additions, along with the standard steal, shove, and throwing elbows open up strategy a bit. Sometimes I don't want to pick up my dribble by throwing elbows, but it was my only option for getting a pesky defensive player off my back. Now, if they are coming in for a steal, a cross over will make them stumble(or fall depending on their stats). Then if they prefer the more aggressive shove, I have the option to spin off it and end up wide open for a drive or shot. My only complaint is that on the lower difficulties, the crossover and spin move are a bit too effective. They essentially make your teammate a flashy accessory for if you want some alley oops to mix it up. As you ramp up the difficulty, however, the moves balance out and make excellent additions to the core experience.

The best thing that NBA Jam has going for it is that it feels like the original experience without getting too tired. Multiplayer is a rush with enough variety to reach out players of different skill levels. If you have a lot of people over and want to have another multiplayer option without split screen, this is a great addition. If you just want the nostalgia, rent it and play through the single player modes.

Project Cafe and what that means

A quick look over the interwebs indicates that Nintendo has made some grievous errors in code naming their new system "Project Cafe" and most are skeptical(at best) of a controller with a screen. While none of us has any business questioning the most consistent company in gaming(25 years of competitive/dominate contributions to the world of video games, really? who has that kind of track record?), I'm going to put in my two cents. . .

Cafes have become a social gathering location as of 15 years ago. Nintendo has always been the beacon of social gaming. The only current system to support more than 4 controller inputs is the Wii and they've always encouraged people playing games together.(Pokemon, Super Smash Bros., New Super Mario Bros.) Nintendo pushing their social gaming/perpetual gaming/meta gaming agenda is no surprise. They tried with Pokemon to make individuals rely on each other to complete games. They tried to introduce Wii Remotes as vehicles for gamer profiles.(but never had the connection that Xbox Live and PSN had) They've supported multiple titles(Legend of Zelda: 4 Swords Adventure, Mario Tennis) that fostered a connection between portables and consoles. They pioneered "Street Pass" for the DS and 3DS, which creates a passive social interaction between portable gamers. All this to say that Nintendo is no stranger to social gaming on the spectrum of both portables and consoles. Is it too crazy to say that "Cafe" may just be an allusion to Nintendo's precedent of supporting social gaming?

As for the touch screen controller, I'm all in. The idea of playing a game on my console, then taking a portion of it with me to, say, build up a specific member of my party in an RPG or draw up plays in any sports game sounds pretty awesome. While I've never played a Facebook game, this is a kind of social, perpetual gaming I can get behind. I'd get credit and points and experience at home and on the go. I don't have enough down time away from my house to invest in a portable, but if it all funneled into the same save data, into the same game, into the same character: I'm in.

Price will always be and issue. I found myself quite surprised at Nintendo's willingness to put the 3DS at the $250.00 price point when that's where the Wii weighed in 5 years ago. I understand it; the 3DS is no joke. There is a lot of tech in that little box and I'm sure Nintendo is taking a bit of a hit on each one sold. But with the handheld precedent set at $250, where is this "Hardcore-centric" powerhouse with 1/2 of an HD-DS for a controller going to put us? We saw what happened to Sony with the $600.00 price tag, let us hope that Nintendo doesn't overcompensate.

This is all speculation . . .

. . . but I'm still excited