This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at NBA in the Zone, developed and released by Konami.
The sim-arcade hybrid genre of basketball video games is one that I’ve really come to appreciate in recent years. I didn’t play many of them growing up, as I preferred NBA Live for its more realistic approach to the sim style, and NBA Jam for its definitive arcade experience. While I ultimately still prefer games that are firmly sim or arcade in their style of play, sim-arcade hybrid titles undoubtedly have their place. The best ones strike a fun balance between a realistic depiction of basketball, and exaggerating the action for looser, up-tempo gameplay that takes a few liberties with accuracy.
Because they occupy a middle ground between simulation and arcade games, there are a handful of games that could be considered sim-arcade hybrids. And 1 Streetball is definitely in the conversation, mixing 5-on-5 gameplay with some power-ups and slightly exaggerated dunks. NBA Live 2003’s wackier elements arguably make it a candidate, though it’s still mostly sim at its core. When I think of prime examples of sim-arcade hybrid games though, Konami’s hoops titles are what come to mind, and that includes NBA in the Zone. Let’s take a look back…way back…
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on the sim-arcade hybrid genre of basketball video games.
When it comes to 5-on-5 basketball video games, I’d consider myself a sim gamer. Going back to playing NBA Live in the 90s, it was my desire to see the series strive for more realism. When I finally warmed up to the NBA 2K series, I was delighted at the authenticity in the games. Sure, there were a few rude shocks as I realised that I perhaps wasn’t as sim as I thought, and had to adjust to play a more realistic style of virtual basketball, but I loved that that was necessary. There have been some great sim titles in every era that I’ve enjoyed immensely.
At the same time, I’m a fan of the arcade style, too. I grew up playing NBA Jam as well as NBA Live, and I’d alternate between the two, depending on what I was in the mood for. To that point, while I’d call myself a sim gamer, I’m an arcade gamer as well, with many fond memories of playing both types of hoops titles. However, there is a style of basketball video game that I’ve tended to overlook through the years: the sim-arcade hybrid. These games have combined elements of sim and arcade titles to create their own style of gameplay that definitely has its place in the genre. As I’ve expanded my collection, I’ve come to appreciate these sim-arcade hybrid games.
From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #490 of the NLSC Podcast!
As we await the first previews of NBA 2K24, a war of words has broken out between members of Sim Nation, comp players, and the cheesers. To that end, we discuss how toxic the discourse has become, and read out some of the community’s thoughts on the matter. As always, we catch up on what we’ve been playing this past week, from MyNBA in NBA 2K23 and MyGM in NBA 2K14, to Ultimate Team in NBA Live 18 and Fantasy Teams in NBA Live 10. We’ve also got some small updates on a couple of modding projects. Inspired by Julius Erving’s recent comments, we also share our thoughts on personal bias and agendas in Top 10 lists and other rankings, noting the similarities between discussions of NBA history and classic basketball video games.
Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:12:08 — 49.9MB)
To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!
From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #479 of the NLSC Podcast!
With some big stories and events in the NBA right now, our attention turns to real hoops this week! From the Denver Nuggets making their very first NBA Finals, to Carmelo Anthony announcing his retirement, to the latest sad and bitter tirade from Scottie Pippen, we’ve got some thoughts to share. Speaking of real basketball, we also join the community in talking about the pre-game rituals and inspirational material that gets us pumped up to play pick-up and league games. As for the virtual hardwood, we discuss a false narrative regarding the style of NBA Live and NBA 2K during the 2000s, and shout out some excellent content creators in the community. In this week’s mailbag, we’re taking a look back at the Overall Ratings of the top seven active players in ESPN NBA 2K5.
Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:06:18 — 45.9MB)
To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!
While there’s been plenty of discussion about sim and arcade basketball video games over the years, not enough attention has been given to the sim-arcade hybrid subgenre. I’ll actually be talking about it in a future Monday Tip-Off article, but in the meantime, why not check out one of those games in action? That game is the PC version of Slam ‘N Jam featuring Magic & Kareem.
Dee recently played a game of Slam ‘N Jam using Magic & Kareem’s All-Stars against Atlanta, and put together a highlight reel for our YouTube channel. As you can see, the game combines simulation elements as far as 5-on-5 play with NBA rules, but leans in an arcade direction with a fast pace and soaring dunks, without going full NBA Jam. It’s a very similar style to Konami’s games such as NBA Give ‘n’ Go, and as these highlights demonstrate, that approach to the virtual hardwood can be just as fun as games that are strictly sim or arcade. See for yourself!
I’ve previously profiled Slam ‘N Jam in a Wayback Wednesday retrospective, which you can check out here. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more gameplay highlights, as well as retrospectives, video essays, and other content, including the weekly Top 10 Plays curated by Dee, which has just entered it’s third year. As always, feel free to hit us up with any suggestions for games that you’d like to see us play!
This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, with a video retrospective.
Since I profiled the 2010 reboot in last week’s Wayback Wednesday, it only makes sense to cap off a month (and a bit) of 30th Anniversary celebrations with a look back at its sequel, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition! As I’ve said before, On Fire Edition has become my favourite NBA Jam game, and my pick for the best release in the series. That’s an opinion that I reiterate in the video, as I point out the enhancements to gameplay and modes that made the game so special. An NBA Jam: On Fire Edition retrospective has been long overdue, so let’s take a look back…way back…
I hope you enjoyed this retrospective, and all of the NBA Jam content in Wayback Wednesday over the past month! Even though we haven’t seen a new game since 2011, it remains an iconic series packed full of nostalgia, and the best releases are still fun to play today. Once again, I’ll plug our interview with Tim Kitzrow from 2019, and as always, encourage you to subscribe to the NLSC YouTube channel for more basketball gaming content.
This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the PS1 version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition.
Although it’s been surpassed by NBA Jam: On Fire Edition as both my personal favourite and my pick for the best game in the NBA Jam series, I still hold NBA Jam Tournament Edition in extremely high regard. It’s a title that I’ve covered several times here on the NLSC, from reflections while watching a game I’d recorded and an in-depth retrospective, to discussing weird ratings and an error that I somehow overlooked for more than twenty years. In short, NBA Jam TE is a release that I’ll eagerly revisit for both content creation purposes, and my own enjoyment.
As I’ve mentioned in previous features, I grew up playing the PC and Super Nintendo versions of NBA Jam Tournament Edition. Since I’ve been expanding my collection of basketball video games in recent years, I’ve sought out the PlayStation version of NBA Jam TE as well. It was the only version that I didn’t own for the platforms at my disposal, but late last year, I finally managed to snag a copy at a reasonable price. I noted that since I now had it as part of my collection, I’d be comparing NBA Jam Tournament Edition PS1 to the releases I grew up with, in a future Wayback Wednesday feature. The time has come, so let’s take a look back…way back…
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on why NBA Jam and NBA Street need to return.
2023 marks the anniversary of two iconic basketball games. NBA Jam set arcades on fire in 1993, meaning we’ve reached its 30th Anniversary. Meanwhile, though it was the second game in the series, NBA Street Vol. 2 is often considered to be the best release from EA Sports BIG, and it’s now turning twenty years old. For those of us who played those games as kids, teenagers, or even young adults, this might come as an overwhelming milestone; particularly NBA Jam hitting the big three-oh. Not to sound like the Grumpy Elder Millennial that I am, but man, time sure flies!
However, let’s put aside any existential crises that may come with the realisation that there are now adults who weren’t even alive when these classics came out. After all, anniversaries provide an opportunity to celebrate and fondly reminisce. The numbers that bring me down here aren’t how long ago the original NBA Jam and NBA Street Vol. 2 were released, but how long it’s been since either series has seen a brand new game. For NBA Jam, that was On Fire Edition back in 2011. Putting aside the Korean exclusive NBA Street Online, there hasn’t been a new Street release since 2007. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that a return for both series would be extremely welcome.
From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #456 of the NLSC Podcast!
A recent Tweet from a fellow “old head” perfectly summed up why it’s a ridiculous insult for anyone who’s been around the block and knows their stuff. It’s quite timely too, as this week we’re reflecting on what simulation basketball actually means in 2022. We discuss how changes in the real NBA have affected the virtual hardwood in terms of what gamers want and what they’re emulating, and compare it to our more traditional notion of sim hoops. Our deep dive encompasses everything from mindless playcalling to the selfishness and meta gaming that dominates the online scene. In this week’s mailbag, we’re quizzing the community on the top six current and classic players in NBA 2K17.
Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:02:46 — 43.5MB)
To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!
This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m revisiting NBA Live 2003 yet again, albeit with a slightly different perspective.
I’ve profiled NBA Live 2003 in a number of articles now. In addition to the in-depth retrospectives for the 20th and 25th anniversaries of the NBA Live series, I’ve also taken a look back at Freestyle Control. I’ve reminisced about the Courtside Comedy Cutscenes, a myth about the gameplay style settings, the soundtrack, and even my attempts to replicate a move seen in the game’s intro. In short, not only did I spend hours playing and modding NBA Live 2003 when it was new, but I’ve often gone back and revisited it years later. As such, this may seem like a well-trodden path.
However, I do believe that I have some new things to say after revisiting NBA Live 2003 more recently. We’ve also reached the game’s own 20th anniversary, and with my twenty year high school reunion right around the corner, it’s another game that I’ve been reflecting upon. This won’t be an in-depth review along the lines of my previous retrospectives, and I do still stand by observations I’ve made in the past. Nevertheless, even though I played it frequently upon release compared to games like NBA 2K14, NBA Live 06 for Xbox 360, and NBA Live 10, I appreciate NBA Live 2003 far more after revisiting it in 2022. Let’s take a look back…way back…
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on the eternal debate about the best basketball video game of all-time.
Our need to rank, rate, and put everything into historical perspective as it happens, is the bane of discourse these days. We see far too much of it in discussions about real basketball. Who is the greatest player of all-time? Everyone weighs in, with varying degrees of insight and intelligent argument. Aside from disrespecting eras either way, it means that we’re less inclined to live in the moment. Instead of enjoying a fantastic performance and marvelling at the feats we’ve witnessed, we’re trying to decide where everything ranks in NBA history.
With that being said, comparisons are inevitable, and a talking point. So it goes with basketball video games as well. There have been many of them over the years, and some are parts of long-running series with annual instalments. Given that technology has unquestionably improved during that span, in theory the newer games should be superior to earlier titles. In practice, technological improvements haven’t always resulted in better games. There are parallels to real basketball that we could make here, but let’s keep it to the virtual hardwood today. To that point though, how do we settle the best basketball video game debate? Or indeed, can we single out a title?
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on people who dismiss the importance of realistically depicting basketball in an NBA game.
A few years back, I wrote an article questioning whether basketball gamers were still simheads. It’s one of those topics that I always want to approach carefully, so as not to fall victim to the same gatekeeping nonsense that I despise. While some games are for the “strictly hardcore” crowd, most genres should be welcoming to everyone. That doesn’t mean they can’t have a learning curve and competitive play, but they should be accessible to newcomers, and fun for all. Furthermore, it’s vital that a game like NBA 2K is able to cater to different tastes, within reason.
However, we’ve reached the stage where prominent voices in the community – and their fanbases – are actively pushing back on the realistic depiction of basketball in an NBA game. As someone who has been playing hoops games for decades and seen the rise of NBA 2K and the fall of NBA Live owing to their respective abilities to deliver sim titles that are both fun and realistic, it’s dismaying to see some truly terrible takes receive the amount of support that they do. The notion that an NBA sim game doesn’t need to strive for any sort of realism or basketball strategy is absurd. It speaks to the downside of NBA 2K’s broadening popularity, and catering to a wider audience.
This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at being On Fire in the NBA Jam series, and analysing why it’s such a great video game powerup.
“He’s On Fire!” The iconic call from the legendary Tim Kitzrow echoes in the minds of all basketball gamers who’ve played NBA Jam. In fact, thanks to the game having such an impact on basketball and pop culture, people who have never played a single NBA Jam title are undoubtedly still aware of it! Being On Fire in an NBA Jam game is to arcade basketball gaming what Mario’s super mushrooms are to platformers. It’s not just a core aspect of the series’ identity, but something that its imitators have tried to replicate and put their own spin on, to varying degrees of success.
I’ve discussed the NBA Jam series several times in Wayback Wednesday features. This includes retrospectives of the original game, Tournament Edition (twice, in fact), and the overlooked 2003 release from Acclaim. I’ve investigated its unusual ratings, and reflected on other notable facts about various games in the NBA Jam lineage. However, apart from obligatory mentions when covering gameplay mechanics in my retrospectives, I’ve yet to dedicate an entire feature to being On Fire in NBA Jam. If I can talk about Kevin Edwards having the wrong portrait, I should definitely cover the game’s iconic powerup in-depth! To that end, let’s take a look back…way back…
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with a look at the habit that most basketball gamers struggle to break.
By now, many of the basic concepts and mechanics in basketball video games are well-established. That familiarity allows experienced virtual hardwood gamers to get acclimated with new titles swiftly, and in turn, enjoy them sooner. To that point, when there are major changes to an aspect of the core mechanics, it’s far more likely that the initial impressions will be negative, or at least mixed. Sometimes this is because the changes that have been implemented failed to improve upon the previous concepts. Other times, it reveals our inflexibility regarding certain habits.
There’s one habit in particular that I believe most of us have trouble breaking. It’s not entirely our fault, of course. Basketball video games encourage us to make habitual use of this mechanic. It represents a core aspect of playing the sport, and allows us to perform advanced moves. We’ve always had to be careful about how we use it, as its short-term benefits are balanced by finite availability and long-term drawbacks. As sim games in particular have become even more realistic and sophisticated, overuse of this mechanic has been exposed as a bad habit. I am of course referring to sprinting – or turbo, as it’s also been called – and our tendency to constantly move at top speed.
We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with my thoughts on sim basketball games adopting fantasy concepts.
The concept of “sim” in basketball and sports gaming raises many questions. Just how much realism should a game strive for? For that matter, what is “sim”? Obviously it implies realism, but just how closely should it resemble reality? Does it mean accurate down to the last detail, or can it take some liberties for the sake of accessibility and enjoyment? It’s a balancing act that sim games have been attempting for decades now. From a gamer’s perspective, we can sometimes tailor the experience through the use of gameplay sliders, but they aren’t available in all modes.
Of course, when it comes to fantasy concepts in sim games, the issue goes beyond the action between the lines. Franchise modes are based on real aspects of the NBA, but they invite us to create our own reality with fictional results and player movement. When we place ourselves into the games to play out a career and participate in the connected online modes, it’s indulging a fantasy. Realism also goes out the window with the card collecting modes, where we can assemble fantasy lineups with players from different decades. Even the All-Time and All-Decade teams count as fantasy concepts in sim games! The question is: can we, or indeed should we, draw a line?
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