Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside

"Good game for anyone's N64 collection"

Introduction
Kobe Bryant in NBA courtside is a basketball sim for the N64 developed by Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo. I was a bit skeptical before my purchase of this game because many Nintendo sports games were more about fun and less about realism. But after buying this game I think it's safe to say this is one of the best basketball games out there for the N64. In this day and age, the rosters may seem outdated, but who would pass up a chance to play as some of the stars of the 90's? You can play as all your favorite stars of the past like Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, and Karl Malone. If you haven't guessed it from the title already, the young Kobe Bryant is on the cover of the game.

Graphics: 7/10

For a game released early in the N64's life, the graphics are well detailed. The players' faces barely resemble their real life counterparts but in the time of the game's release, they were considered decent. The arms of the players are a bit blocky but these small drawbacks are not very apparent while you are running on a fast break. The NBA team jerseys look the same as they do in real life, but the logos are quite blurred. Luckily enough the name and number of a player are clear and readable. The menus have big, readable text and I personally thought the shading on the 3D team logos in each corner while selecting teams was impressive. You can see the reflections of the lights on the court and the game has a very smooth framerate.

Sound: 6/10

While navigating through the main menu as well as other menus of this game, there is only one song playing in the background. The song itself is nothing highly orchestrated or deep, but it is a catchy, funky tune that makes you want to play basketball. Unfortunately, there is no in-game commentary but the announcer does say the name of the player who scored, as well as the player who made the assist. The name of the player is said with more flair when the home team scores. The crowds make the same noise the entire game yet you do hear a random person jeering when you miss a shot. What they actually say is too muffled to hear. Players grunt when defending, shoes squeak on the hardwood and the net makes a swish when you score the ball.

Controls: 10/10

The controls on this game are so simple that most gamers can pick up a controller and learn all of the basic moves within minutes. Just like most games you press B to shoot, A to pass and the down C button to change players. Some buttons have their purpose changed when playing defense.

Gameplay: 9/10

Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside has three gameplay modes: Preseason, which is pretty much a basic exhibition game versus the COM, Season mode, which allows you to pick a team and play an 82, 56, 28, or 13-14 game season. The final gameplay mode is Playoffs. You can seed your own teams or use the playoff seedings of the NBA 96-97 season. The playoff mode allows you to play all the way through to the NBA finals and pick the length of your series. You can view statistics saved on your Controller Pak about your regular season such as the leading scorers and leading rebounders. The game also has Rumble Pak compatibility. There is an option that allows you to create your own player, adjust his height, weight, name, jersey number, and sign him to a team.

The gameplay physics are decent, so shooting isn't always a piece of cake, passing requires an open teammate and the AI plays very good defense. A small complaint about the gameplay is that AI defenders are like brick walls, whenever you hit them, your player will stop dribbling, which is a bit unrealistic, but you can post up against a defender and throw alley-oops.

Conclusion

Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside is a great basketball game for anyone new to basketball games or a veteran of many different basketball videogames. It is a great game to add to your existing N64 collection and plays very well for an N64 game. Almost everything you need in a basketball game can be found in this game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/08/08

Game Release: Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside (US, 04/01/98)