After playing a few Basketball games on the N64, I don’t think that the proper rules of basketball translate very well to a video game. It’s focuses on blocking with any attempt to get the ball off an opponent counting as a foul. The standard mode of NBA Jam is not much fun.

Luckily, NBA Jam has a second mode (called Jam) that allows for a more arcade-like experience and the ability to tackle.

This mode is a lot more enjoyable, although not without major flaws. You can keep doing the same tactics again and again to score hoops, and the game seems to be aware this and comes up with its own solution to balance this: CPU players will score almost every time they try to score, while players you control will miss. A lot. Even if they’re on their own right next to the hoop.

NBA Jam is a competent sports game, with a couple of extra minigames also thrown in, but it doesn’t reach the level of NBA Courtside.

Fine

And then there’s the Jam mode, which has made the basketball videogame what it is today. Acclaim’s version isn’t as ‘crazee’ as others, but there’s still infinitely more fun to be had here than in ‘Simulation’ mode, or in NBA Hangtime.

Mark Green, N64 Magazine #24. Review Score: 83%

Remake or remaster?

There are better sports games to focus on.

Official Ways to get the game

There is no official way to get NBA Jam 99