"Supersized ambition packed into a super-fun game."

Jammit provides players with one of the most fast-paced games of street basketball they’re ever likely to find in a video game. This 1994 Sega Genesis release from Virgin did something that some modern-day street basketball games haven’t done: accurately recreate the look and feel of a game of street b-ball. The gameplay in Jammit is hard-nosed b-ball, you’re not going to find much in the way of fancy dunks or flashy outfits. What you will find is a fun game of b-ball played on gritty courts that add to the realistic atmosphere of the game.

A typical game of Jammit is, on the surface, the same as any other street ball game. You’ve got your basic things like shooting, blocking, and shoving. Aside from that, you have character-specific moves that really add some spice to the gameplay, and some personality to the characters. Beyond the gameplay mechanics in the game, you’ve got a wide variety of modes at your disposal. However, unlike many other games (let alone other street ball games), you’ve got to earn cash in each and every mode you play in to even advance to the next mode of play.

You’re given $300 to start things out in a first-to-21 shootout, and depending on how well you do, you can either play it safe after this game, or you might have to put your last $100 on the line. If you lose all your money, that’s it, you’re toast. You’ve got eight rounds of b-ball to play through, and eight separate modes to play it in. Each mode has it’s own unique quirks that make it quite interesting. However, some of them might take some time to get used to. During these times, you’ll probably rely on the password feature to save your hide, but don’t worry, once you get the hang of it, you’re set.

Now you’re probably wondering just what kind of modes you can play through in Jammit. After all, I’ve spent a couple of paragraphs harping on about them, so there has to be some rational explanation for all the build-up. Well, thankfully, there is. Jammit’s game modes go from the simple first-to-21 session at the onset of the game, and progress into some surprisingly complex modes. For example, you’ll find yourself doing battle in a first-to-10 situation in which the only way to score points is to land a shot from an X that will change position throughout the match. Now this might seem like a simple task, after all, how many places can an X possibly move?

Well, to my amazement when I first played this mode, it can go to a lot of places on the court in a surprisingly short amount of time. This added difficulty is really more of a blessing than anything else since it forces you to up your game on the fly. You’ll have to think on your feet at all times, and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment after winning. This will be a recurring emotion for you in this game, since each progressive play mode gets more and more difficult. One of the hardest modes is an off-shoot of this one, you’ll have to meet a certain shot amount, just like before, only now, you can only score points from shots that are, at a bare minimum, halfway across the court. Thankfully, the fantastic controls make all of the diverse play modes a blast. The controls are about as responsive as one could expect, and never hinder your enjoyment.

This innovative, and most importantly, fun, gameplay is complimented well by the fantastic graphics that adorn the game. Everything in the game has some level of detail to it, from the clothing of the players, to the chain-link fence that surrounds a court. The graphics on the players themselves are some of the strongest I’ve seen for a basketball game, even to this day. One of the best examples of the strong player graphics lies in the close-up camera angle that is used for dunks and other shots made close to the basket. This angle is done using the in-game graphics, and despite this, there isn’t a lick of pixelation on the characters.

The sound in the game helps bring out some of the atmosphere in the game. Throughout each and every game you play, you’ll hear some trash-talking from your character and from your opponent. This trash-talk really helps to add a level of authenticity to the game, as the things you hear in the game sound just like things you’d expect to hear during any street ball game. Also, to my amazement, the Genesis sound limitations don’t really hinder the sound quality too much. With the exception of Roxy (the female character) sounding like a man during some of her trash-talking, it’s pretty good stuff.

All in all, Jammit provides one of the most fun games of street basketball you’re ever likely to find. While modern-day street ball games like NBA Street add some glitz and glam to the proceedings, Jammit doesn’t need it. The game is strong enough to be fun without relying on gimmicks to make the game enjoyable. Jammit has all the tools to be a great game, even today. I could see this game doing well as a GBA re-release, with some updated graphics and cleaned up sound, it could definitely be a hit again. Speaking of playing Jammit on the small screen, this is one game that translates pretty well to the Nomad. The fast-moving X sections tend to cause some problems due to the screen blurring, but everything else is fine.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/19/03, Updated 03/19/03