NBA Jam: On Fire Edition

NBA Jam: On Fire Edition

On Fire Edition seems like the perfect way to bring Jam to the new generation of consoles.  Nothing against the disk re-boot before this release; but considering the style of game, it’s the perfect downloadable/arcade experience.  The same rules apply in this iteration that has in previous: all teams are represented by a handful of the best stars from each to which the player chooses two to throw down with.  Jam Now is the exhibition selection that is perfect for a few quick “pick up and play” games.  This is a great way to experiment with different teams and see which guys suit your style the best.  Half court defense predicated on blocks or half court traps that live and die on the steal?  Careful dribbling to produce a mixed bag of shot selections or “up-and-down” full court sprints for quick “slam-a-jammas?”  Even though the game is very arcade, OFE makes it seem like you have some control over the tempo of the match based on how you play, which is indicative of more “simulation” bball games.  Props to EA for striking the chord in a nice middle ground.

After you settle on a few teams/players and how you want to dominate the league, Road Trip and Online Arena await your arrival.  Going online produces the same kind of experience you would have moshing with and against your buds on the couch.  We’ve all played countless sessions of classic Jam, co-op or versus style.  So imagine that with all the “updates” in OFE while playing over the Playstation Network.  One thing that is cool is easily playing two-on-two without the need of AI.  Outside of the rich kid on the block that had a PS One multitap back in the day, this might be the first time you get to experience an all “flesh and blood” affair, which will create a blood pumping fury of exhilaration, frustration, and even laughter.  And it’s also nice to be able to blame your “stupid friend” instead of the “stupid computer” for moments of poor play.  Of course, OFE also features full local multiplayer support if face-to-face is more your vibe.

A really cool “vs. AI” experience is what makes this version such a value for the price of the full game.  Road Trip breaks down the 30 teams into six distinct “regions” with five teams a piece.  Beating each team three times in a particular region completes that area.  So to be the big enchilada, you’ll need 90 W’s, collectively.  This seems kind of daunting and repetitive for the “campaign” mode in an arcade basketballer (if memory serves, City Circuit in the original NBA Street wasn’t quite that lengthy).  But a few things makes it really fun to trudge through.  The default quarter length is two minutes, which allows you to munch through each game pretty quickly.  But instead of the horrible “accelerated clock” feature in Madden, the shorter time works okay.  This gives sufficient time to allow the match up to fully develop; it feels like you’ve played a “normal” game while still moving through the proceedings much faster (the default Jam Now length is three minutes).

Another useful tool is the three game series (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) against a particular team feature different variants.  Every Bronze level game is 2v2 straight up, but the other ones will have a variety of modifiers like dunks being worth three points instead of two.  This is yet another way to keep your conquest as un-repetitive as an arcade sports title can be.  The last “good point” is the way the Regions were broken down.  It may have just been a product of real geography and not careful planning, but the five packs of teams are distributed beautifully.  Each one has a clear cut king, definite cellar dweller, and all other rungs in between.  This allows you to use different teams in different spots and pick your own path of progression.  Solid play in Road Trip gets your rank up quickly and rewards you with Jam Credits, which can be spent in the Store on things like items for your profile and classic players from each franchise’s lore.

Of course none of this amounts to a hill of beans without good gameplay, and OFE features a pretty tight core.  Fast and furious has been the name of the Jam game since it’s start, and this one does nothing to change the expected status quo.  Going from one end of the court to the next takes mere seconds, and launching from the free throw line to stuff a few windmills will become routine.  The nice offensive tools are mashed up with unexpectedly clean defensive mechanics.  Don’t get me wrong, OFE definitely features a “punches in bunches” mentality when it comes to points.  But executing blocks and steals comes surprisingly natural for a pinball-machine scoreboard style sports game.  And getting good at one or both of the aforementioned is crucial to success, because even if you’re playing against an AI team, they will NOT miss open shots.  Speaking of AI, I’m impressed (overall) with the engine here.  The ability of the opponents has always been solid in the Jam franchise, but your com padre couldn’t measure up.  This is probably because, as much as it would love to (a la Sky Net), the computer can’t accurately predict your thoughts.  So, OFE simply goes with “basketball sense.”  If you play in the paint, it’ll be around the perimeter.  Defending up top?  It’s got the paint for you!  You are also given the option of being able to control both players by “shifting” back and forth.  But for me, the game played so much cleaner in the classic “locked” style.  And with a solid teammate, it’s not a bad option.

Having said all of this, I am a bit critical on a few points.  Even though the AI’s awareness of court position is strong, it has a hard time sticking with sensible match ups.  For example:  the OKC team of Durant and Westbrook is scary good.  Quickness, explosiveness, and defensive prowess are hallmarks of this pair and can make a lot of games almost too easy.  But in this small team, Durant is definitely the bigger of the two.  So when playing a team like Kobe/Pau, I (as Durantula) should ALWAYS have Gasol.  But in the moments when Pau receives the inbound from Bryant, Russell wants to engage him.  So I’m left with a choice: A). take Kobe and let Pau yam on my point guard under the basket or B). drift over to take my usual man, but initiate an awkward moment of an ill-advised double team to leave Mamba all by his lonesome to go all “SHOWTIME!”  Either way, it results in two points for them, and this happens just enough for it to be a nagging issue.  Another kind of odd thing that is different from the old games is the lack of a viable “Injury” statistic.  In the classic titles, you really had to either watch the way you play with your starting two to make them last the entire game or pick a team with a deep bench.  It was a cool way to add a little bit of strategy in an otherwise ridiculously simple experience.  OFE puts little to no emphasis on this awareness (in fact, you are given the option to make a lineup change at halftime only, not after each quarter), and it just makes it seem like something is missing.

The presentation of this game is what makes it so damn fun to play.  A small court and crowd forces all of the focus on the four playing participants.  The character models are just awesome in an unconventional way.  Although they look pretty good in comparison to other sports games, they are designed with unorthodox as the desired effect.  If anyone saw the NBA commercials last year that had the really big heads on the bodies of normal sized players (enjoy here if not) then you have a pretty good sense of what these guys look like.  It fits perfect within the universe of Jam.  The overall visual package is really flashy, colorful, and vibrant and sets the tone for comically fun playing time.  And the sound is pretty good in it’s own right, but the audio award goes to the announcer Tim Kitzrow.  I’m not sure who this guy is, but everything he touches turns to side splitting gold (the best were the “Tim and Jim” moments in Slugfest when the game was loading).  And he is on full, hysterical display in every game you’ll play of On Fire.