PixlBit

Growing up, basketball was easily my favorite sport. I played it recreationally with friends, in a league, and on my school's team. Hell, I loved the sport so much I even obsessively played Basketball video games. Of course, being that I couldn't really dunk the ball or do anything particularly flashy, I found myself enjoying NBA Jam far more than any other title available at the time. Crazy dunks and fast-paced gameplay defined the series.

Since those days, my obsession with the sport has died down a bit as has my interest in the genre of games. Regardless, there is always a place in my heart for arcade basketball games. When the code for NBA Unrivaled hit my inbox late last week, I have to admit that I was excited to play the game. It seemed to feature everything that made NBA Jam a hit, including the NBA license. However, after just a few short quarters I realized that this was not a glorious return to my childhood and the simple arcade gameplay of the classics.

NBA Unrivaled's biggest issue are the jerky animations, which seemingly have no interpolation whatsoever. While this wouldn't be a problem if movement still felt smooth and seamless, the uninterpolated animation carries through into control as well. Obviously, basketball is a game of finesse; a point that NBA Unrivaled completely misses.

The game seems to only allow players to move in eight directions. This is made worse by the fact that movement is mapped to the control stick. It's extremely awkward having a smooth motion with the control stick be reduced to one of eight directions. In addition, when players change direction, the on-screen character seems to stop dead before moving in the new direction. In this day and age it's embarassing to see such oversight. 3D animation is not a new concept, but it seems completely lost on A.C.R.O.N.Y.M., the developers of the title.

Players will quickly notice even after they get over the poor controls that the game is not very fun. In a number of online matches, I noticed that all players will ever do is dunk the ball - a maneuver which can be executed shortly after players are ahead of the three-point line. It's a guaranteed two-points, unlike general shots, which only seem to randomly go in. Additionally, stealing the ball is very easily done; I had instances where I would steal the ball from my opponent, have them steal it back, with me to only steal it back once again shortly after.

Of course, NBA Unrivaled has all of the characteristics to make it a success. 5 vs. 5 arcade-style games, a turbo meter and Momentum Mania (the equivalent of going on fire in NBA Jam), multiple modes, both online and offline, as well as a Challenge Mode. Though all of this exists, it's squandered thanks to the choppy gameplay.

Unfortunately there's not much else to say about the game. Even with all of its trimmings, the game is broken at its core. The poor control and stiff animation ruins any potential fun the game could offer. Even the most hardcore of basketball fans should avoid this title.