Review: NBA Unrivaled (XBLA)
Reviews, Sports — By Jeffrey L. Wilson on December 1, 2009 at 12:00 am
Despite the unusually high amount of coverage that we gave to games that were either outright retro or strove to take on retro qualities this week, 2D-X is most assuredly not a retrogaming site. I prefer leaving the hyper-detailed historical accounts to those that have the knowledge and hours to pour into the topic.
I can, however, see why some would make that assumption. The crew loves 2D games, not just for the sprite work, but for the accessibility. I reckon it would be simpler for gamers of any level to jump into a rousing session of New Super Mario Bros. Wii than to learn the movement and shooting mechanics of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The industry’s transition to 3D play enabled developers to create titles with deeper levels of control complexity, which has, unintentionally, ruined the lighthearted, fun experience of entire genres. Sports games, I’m looking in your general direction.
Deep controls that enable sports gamers to perform every dunk, juke, leap, and punch as the professionals do are perfect for the diehard. A schmoe like me that loves the game, but not the barrier that separates me from a fun experience, prefers the old school approach. Over the top plays. Bright, colorful graphics. Pick-up-and-play controls. These are what made legendary titles like Baseball Stars (NES), Baseball Stars 2 (Neo Geo), and Tecmo Super Bowl true classics.
Tecmo looks to bring some of that magic back with the A.C.R.O.N.Y.M.-developed NBA Unrivaled. This hoops title draws elements from Tecmo’s 8- and 16-bit Super NBA series, but combines it with a slick modern aesthetic. The result is a game that’s a bit schizophrenic, but one that should find success with its intended audience.
If you’re hoping for a straight out, over-the-top hoops experience a la NBA Jam, you’ll be disappointed. NBA Unrivaled falls into the pseudo-sim category as is it features all NBA teams and player, the swapping of fatigued players (you can turn fatigue off), and the ability to call offensive and defensive plays on the fly with the D-pad. In fact, when you first jump into the NBA Unrivaled, the only aspect of the game that screams arcade hoops are the streaking ball FX when you shot a jumper, and Tecmo’s excellent cutscenes that accompany vital play moments (such as tip offs, and half-court shots) and add a dose of drama to the festivities.
A little diligence and patience, however, pays off bigtime. Pressing the Turbo button (right trigger) gives you player a boost, with the trade off of a higher rate of fatigue. The benefit of it is the ability to drive the lane with supreme authority. Speedsters like David West may cut to the rip with a quick reverse lay up, while dunk demons like Amare Stoudemire can lay down hard ones from the three-point arc (accompanied by eye-catching special effects to let your opponent know that, yes, he’s been served).
Pictured: Getting served.
But its the Momentum system that gives NBA Unrivaled its heart. Scoring, stealing, and blocking fills the meter bit by bit until the team enters Momentum Mania, which juices the team with super-abilities (the opposing team’s own scoring, blocking, and stealing build momentum in their favor instead and saps your own). While in this zone, the arena is flooded with brighter lights, trippy music plays in the background, and every dunk is paired with a dramatic cutscene and sparkle effects. Depending on the team and your style of play, Momentum Mania be may an occurrence that’s achieved several times per game, or one that’s rarely witnessed.
A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. utilized a stylized angled appearance for all of the character models that give the players, ref, and cheerleaders a cool angled, dynamic look that conveys motion. Some reviewers have complained that the look can make it difficult to identify individual players; I’d say that the largest visual detriment is that the ballers will sometimes bunch up into groups, which not only looks confusing, but limits your passing as no one cuts.
Audio consists of a generic hip hop-like drum track that’s more non-offensive than outright bland. Sound effects — ranging from the ref’s calls to the hardwood sounds – - get the job done.
Whether or not Tecmo and A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. managed to successfully craft a fun hoops game depends on your perspective. If you’re a NBA 2K or NBA Live devotee, this is not the game for you. If you’re a fan of Arch Rivals or NBA Jam, this also is not the game for you. Instead, NBA Unrivaled falls somewhere between arcade and sim, which makes it a very good successor to Tecmo Super NBA, and a worthy (if not a bit pricey, at 1200 MSP) purchase for fans of that series. Definitely play it with a friend (either online or offline) as playing the computer is a lackluster experience.
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