Frustrating, like the actual Supreme Court.
Sega Genesis
Released in 1992 by Sega
Grade: F
I like this game more than I should. It’s trash.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the second of four Sega-produced basketball games on Genesis. The others are Pat Riley Basketball, NBA Action ’94, and NBA Action ’95: Starring David Robinson.
Gripes
The gameplay can seem fun at times, but it’s riddled with problems. Players move without any basketball-like flow, stopping on a dime constantly and never moving faster or slower.
The pass and shot commands are slightly unresponsive, and passes never seem to go to the guy you wanted to pass to. It’s funny. NBA Live games on Genesis use a similar isometric viewpoint, which seems to help alleviate this common passing issue, yet this game gets it all wrong.
Speaking of which, the isometric viewpoint is actually effective, BUT the camera cuts as the ball crosses halfcourt, which is annoying as hell. (In other words, the basket is always on the top-left or top-right of the screen). The game even gives you an option for the camera cut to be a fade, but either way, it’s disorienting. A constant annoyance.
The graphics and sound have a real early 90’s vibe to them, which doesn’t do much for you if you don’t have some serious early 90’s nostalgia. The court is dark and the tunes are synth’d up funk. There are only FOUR teams in this game, wearing simple red, purple, green, or yellow jerseys. When you put Detroit (red) and Chicago (purple) on the same court, it’s a disgusting mess.
You want more gripes? Oh, fouls seem pretty random, and on-the-floor fouls result in two free throws. Oh, and the free throw system is awful. You can play 5-on-5 or 3-on-3, which hardly makes a difference. Even on 3-on-3, you’ll still pass to the wrong guy constantly, which is inexcusable. There’s too long of a delay after made baskets before you can pass the ball in. There aren’t any set plays. You get the idea.
Published September 30, 2017
Updated September 28, 2022