skater6446's Full Review: NBA Showtime for PlayStation 1
Note:
Pie, pie, me oh my, I like pie, but definitely not as much as NBA ShowTime! By the way, this review is part of ss3goku's Pie W/O. The write-off is on any game that is better then pie. I hope that answers your questions on why I refer to pie so much.
Story:
NBA ShowTime is one of many titles in the epic style of NBA JAM. If you don't know what NBA Jam is, or never heard of it, you've been hiding in the caves with Osama Bin Laden for too long.
NBA ShowTime, molded to the exact formula of NBA Jam, is 2-on-2, no rules, basketball madness. NBA Jam was a toned down version of ShowTime, made back in the 80's on Sega Genesis. It was created with the same no rule, 2-on-2 mentality.
The only real con to NBA ShowTime is that, if your looking for a realistic NBA sim, you'll not be happy. The only real rules enforced in ShowTime is that, if you foul a play 3 times in a row he gets to shoot a free throw that's worth 2 points. No biggie!
Intro to Gameplay 9/10
The gameplay is sweeter then Apple Pie with Ice cream on top. Yeah it's that good. By the way, apple is the best pies in the world! Nothing tops it! Now on to the sweeter then apple pie gameplay...
For some reason, I really get into NBA ShowTime. I think it's because of the No Rules mentality. It's adds a certain street-style sense to the gameplay.
Dunks:
The dunks in ShowTime are just plain amazing. Has anyone heard of the Vince Carter dunk? The one where it's between the legs with a one handed slam at the end? Well it's all possible in ShowTime. There are 15+ dunks to try-out before the fun wears out.
There are 2 down sides to dunking. 1) The animation gets glitchy at the end, making the whole dunk look odd. It's a small price to pay for the high-flying maneuvers of every single dunk. 2) Dunks are uncontrollable. It's impossible to choose the exact dunk. The only way I know of, to make you dunk for 80% of the time is to hold turbo. Just a hint!
Single, Solitary Game Mode
NBA Jam's gameplay rubbed off on ShowTime, giving it a single mode to keep you busy. It's not like your unable to play a season, or the playoffs, but it's just in a different way.
When you click start game on the menu, it takes you to a screen to select 1,2,3, or 4 players. This makes the game pretty versatile, letting 4 friends play each other at the same time. The only way to play an actual season is to play 1 player, and beat every team in the whole NBA. It's not really a season, more of a tournament. ^_^
Create-a-Playa
One of my favorite features of ShowTime is create-a-player. You can customize so many additions to your player that it make's it so realistic. Your able to customize your face, nickname, stats, and more. You can even give your created player a special ability, to be able to pick which court you want to play on, when you play an opponent. You can even play on an asphalt court!
Graphics 7/10
The graphics aren't groundbreaking, but they also don't sink down to the quality of GTA. (The old one with overhead view) For being made about 2 years ago, I like the graphics. The graphics are substantial. They're definitely not ugly to look at.
Texture
The textures in ShowTime are fairly realistic. The textures degrade a bit when you're making a high-flying dunk. Besides that, everything in ShowTime looks semi-realistic.
Framerate
The framerate in ShowTime is also fair. It's great when your shooting and just dribbling down the court, but it lags and sticks slightly, as does the texture, when you fly for a dunk.
All of the graphics in NBA ShowTime are above average. They're definitely not ugly to look at. A fair 7/10.
Sound 9.5/10
The sound in ShowTime makes up for the graphics. I really like how there are so many sound effects in NBA ShowTime. When you push a player, or knock a play down, we'll reply with a sound of pain.
The intro music is also very catchy, and you don't get sick of it either. The clock also starts to tick down when it gets into the single digits. This is definitely a great feature to help you when there's 5 seconds left and your down by 2.
Controls
The learning curve of NBA ShowTime is less then 5-10 minutes. Once the first quarter is over, you'll have the hang of it. Once you know the controls, you'll learn to master them really fast. *Hint: Press Turbo + Steal (X) to push.
Offense
Movement: Left, Right, Down, and Up. (Very self-explanatory.)
Pass: X, or Circle
Shoot: Square, or Triangle
Turbo: R1, R2, L1, or L2
Defense:
Movement: Left, Right, Down, and Up. (Very self-explanatory.)
Steal: X, or Circle
Block: Square, or Triangle
Turbo: R1, R2, L1, or L2
As far as Pricing goes...
NBA ShowTime is a great buy. Since it's over a year old, the price has dropped to around $20. I got mine for a Christmas present, but I'm sure you could buy it anywhere that sells. I'd try Best Buy first. They have a good selection.
The Not-So-Bad Problems
Truthfully, I really haven't had that many problems with NBA ShowTime, but I thought I'd point out a few.
1) It's literally impossible to play defense against your opponents in ShowTime. It's worse then spoiled pie! You either need to push him when he's or block the ball while he's in the air. Which brings me to my next point
2) You can never block a shot. You have to time your jump perfectly to block any type of dunk or shot. Except it seems the computer can do it just fine Hmmm, that also brings me to my next point.
3) The final problem is that in all of Midway's games, the Artificial Intelligence of the computer is like a rubber band. You get ahead be 6, they will but up 3 ugly shots to tie it. They just bounce right back! It's always like that. Its sort of like rubber band pie, very bouncing. =)
The Overall Recommendation
Yes, you should buy NBA ShowTime. Overall, NBA ShowTime is better then any pie imaginable. Pecan, Apple, Cherry, Pizza, any pie that's make able, it's better then it! It's also a great sequel to the epic style of NBA Jam. The graphics are fair, the price is right, and the gameplay is sweeter then apple pie with ice cream on top! What else do you want!
I'd advise to by NBA 2002 if you're looking for a realistic type basketball sim.
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