NBA Jam 2002

"NBA Jam 2002 Needs To Be Improved"

OPENING STATEMENT

When I first bought NBA Jam 2002, I expected it to be a good game. I knew that earlier games in the NBA Jam series were good, giving me the reason to think that. However, when I first started playing, I was disappointed. I realized that buying NBA Jam 2002 was a big mistake, a mistake that cost me 40 dollars.

GRAPHICS: 4

The graphics only stand out in the menus. They look very well designed, and just before a game starts, when the game tells you which teams are playing, the pictures of the player look very good.

But video games aren't all about menus, are they? If you're playing a game, then the graphics get much worse. The crowds are like those white, red, green and blue textures that Acclaim always has. The players don't look very good at all, either. The courts are okay, but not good enough.

Also, when you take a shot, it is very hard to see if you made the shot or not. The net doesn't move at all, so the only thing that will tell you that you hit a shot is the crowd cheering. That's it.

Acclaim could have made some major changes with the graphics in NBA Jam 2002. They aren't very good.

SOUND: 7

The sound in NBA Jam 2002 is okay in the menus, but when you get into the games, they sound horrible. All you hear is shoes that squeak, the crowd cheering, the ball bouncing, and the announcer. However, don't get me wrong, all the sound effects sound just like they do in the NBA. Except for the announcer.

Whoo boy, that announcer. He's always repeating the same phrases again and again. He'll make you want to turn the sound off and keep it off. He's always saying, ''nicely received'' or, ''shoot it, man!'', and other phrases from a small selection. I think he has only about 10 - 15 things to say.

Acclaim doesn't need to improve in this section as much as the graphics, but it still needs to be better.

GAMEPLAY: 2

This is where the game really gets bad. The gameplay is not good at all. When the game begins, you'll notice how easy it is to drive around your opponents' defense and score. They can do the same to you. There aren't very many jump shots, and stealing the ball from your opponent is too easy. Also, fouling is literally unnoticed by the referee.

Sometimes, the game seems to move in frames. I've also noticed that are a lot of dunks, and if you get swarmed by the defensemen, you either have to shoot or pass, because you'll be surrounded.

The good things about the gameplay, however, is the rosters and the modes. The rosters are up to date, and all players are actually in the NBA. And even though most of the modes aren't very good, at least there's a lot of them to play.

NBA Jam 2002 could improve the most in this area, if only Acclaim put the time and effort into it.

CONTROLS: 9.5

This is one of the best parts about NBA Jam 2002. The controls. The controls are very easy to remember, and you never have to press multiple buttons to do something. However, there aren't any special moves you can do (like putting the ball through the legs, or passing the ball behind the back), so the rating drops a bit.

SAVING AND LOADING: 9

The saving times in NBA Jam 2002 are not bad at all, and the loading times aren't that long either.

REPLAY VALUE: 4

Yes, there may be a lot of modes, but some of them are not good at all. And when you play a game, it also gets boring, as you always know what's going to happen.

OVERALL: 4

Overall NBA Jam 2002 wasn't that great of an experience for me. The graphics weren't that good, nor was the sound, and the gameplay wasn't good at all. Wait until the next basketball game comes out for the Game Boy Advance, and then we'll see if it's any better.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/02, Updated 08/28/02