"Midway knows no limitations."

The Jaguar only has one basketball game going for it and that is the ageless game of NBA Jam. Though I’ve played this game on several different formats, there is hardly a switch between the way that it looks and plays on any of the systems. With several high scoring dunks and a ton of different teams that you can choose from, what is the point of having this game? Simply to have it in your collection would be the first answer and then to simply be able to play a basketball game on a system that has a limit of sports games available for it.

The Game Play

Back and forth along the court to score points or attempt to stop your opponents from scoring too much. With each successful shot that you make, you will eventually be turned to On Fire status, when this happens, you can make shots from just about anywhere within the half court mark, and you'll be dishing out the points. The introduction of the Turbo button in this game gives the gamer the ability to move faster and to make the slam-dunks. What the down side is to all of this, is that the computer can either be easy, or stomp you into next week with little more than a thought!

The turn off is that it doesn't matter if you're winning or losing, the game takes forever to complete and make it to the championships! Some of the more groundbreaking areas are with the actual game play. You score points not only for three points and jump shots but also for some physics breaking slam-dunks that can either start at the free throw or the three-point line. With several different slam ducks to accomplish, you'll spend more time talking trash to your friends when you jam a tripe flip slam duck in their face!

Some of the better aspects of the game are that you can perform super slam-dunks that don’t really effect your score, but are a small addition to what you get to do in the game. There is nothing here that is too advanced other than you have to use the jump and shoot button at the right time to collect the super dunk. Small things like this are what make the game play fun, but don’t really effect how you do through the actual games.

You have three buttons to press during the game, one is the turbo button, another is the jump/shoot button and the other is a pass button. Some of the learning that you may do in NBA Jam TE is just trying to get the slams to come off, and those are down through a combination press of shoot and turbo as well as a joystick movement! The problems that you may have with the stiff interface really don’t come into effect here because as long as you have an open line and an open shot at the basket, you’ll do well to take it and run before the computer catches you. Simple control like this beats out other basketball games simply because anyone can learn how to play and learn how to play within a short amount of time.

The Visuals

The visuals are smooth as silk, although you can't tell what your players look like. Just take comfort in the fact that you get to see their picture when you select them, and the fact that the slams look awesome enough dismiss the fact that you can't tell if that is really Pippen dunking or just some computer controlled crony! The different effects that you find in the game are also enough to make you step back and blink. But this is simply an upgrade from the original game, so don’t be on the lookout for anything too exceptional with new dunks or otherwise.

The Audio

I said this before and I’ll say it again simply because it needs to be said; if I ever have to hear Dick Vitales voice again, I'll kill someone! There is no game music to speak of, and all you here, is the consistently annoying voice of that man calling out that you {or your opponent} is on fire or that another nail in the coffin has been laid down for your victory or theirs. The sound effects are pretty much limited to squeaking of shoes on the basketball court and the sound of the ball going through the hoop with no more than a swishing sound. This is sad considering that it was released at home after the arcade version was out for a while, so some music and some other sound effects like the crowd cheering would have been nice!

The Verdict

NBA Jam TE is a game that you have to play if you’re a Jam fan. If you’re the casual gamer, you might find the improved visuals to be something worth taking notice of, but if you’ve played through the original game, the game play and control as well as the audio is all the same as it was before. The fact that the game cost so damn much money to play is what might be the biggest turn off, but if you don’t mind the cash and you like the game of basketball in the fantasy sense of huge dunks, then this title for the Jaguar is well worth your time and money!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/30/02, Updated 09/30/02