NBA Jam T.E.

Review

by Jonathan Sutyak

NBA Jam T.E. is not all that different from previous versions but it is still a fun game. The usual unrealistic play is here with ability to do unbelievable dunks and push players to the floor.

Controls are not perfect which hurts the game just a bit. Having to do button taps and holds seems like a waste when there are so many free buttons. Each button should have had its own function rather than having to tap or hold the same button to get a different result. Another problem is the unaccurate player movements. You will probably find yourself pushing your teammate when you are attacking the other team. even with these problems the game is still enjoyable because of the fast paced action.

Plenty of power-ups give any team a chance to make a huge comeback no matter what the defecit is. This makes every game more fun because your lead is never enough. NBA Jam T.E. is a difficult game to dominate your friends at. Even beginners have an outside chance of beating a veteran player.

Graphically the game looks very similar to arcade versions of NBA Jam. Backgrounds look really good but the players are not drawn too well. Players bodies are all similar but their heads are not. Some player's facial skin does not match the skin color below their neck. It is as if two bodies were created and each players head was stuck on one of the two. At halftime and after a game you are treated to a couple of seconds of full motion video. The video is very clear but does not add anything to the game.

All of the sounds will be familiar to players who have played other games in the series. From the announcer who has all of his usual catch phrases to the rim-rocking jams.

Basically this is the same game as NBA Jam. The tournament option is really just a gimmick to get players to buy every version. All the tournament signifies is that all power-ups will be turned off and computer assistance will be on. Since all of those options can be individually set anyway, the tournament option really does not seem necessary. Also, NBA Jam is fun because of the power-ups so it is doubtful anyone would really want to turn them off.

When playing with friends the fun factor is doubled. NBA Jam T.E. is good enough that it can keep you glued to your television screen for a couple of hours at a time.