NBA In The Zone 98
Reviewed by Ben Neilsen
Ok, here's the deal. I like video games -- a lot. But liking them is about
as far as I go. I couldn't tell you what kind of pixel rating one game has
versus another, or anything technical like that. But I can tell you what
15+ years of avid game fascination has taught me. If I could sum it up
in a sentence or two, it would go something like this: "Both gameplay
and graphics are required for a good game. If you must skimp on one,
make it the latter." In the case of NBA In The Zone 98, Konami (pardon
the pun) dropped the ball, in a big way, by simply ignoring both.
Graphics 2 out of 10
I've played both instalments of this game on the Playstation, and even
though there were few if any apparent improvements in part II, they
both made Konami's effort look rough and awkward at best. It almost
seems like in an effort to move from the old (Virtua Fighter) type 3d,
towards what I consider the pinnacle of 3d graphics (Tekken 3), they
suddenly got really tired, and decided to stop somewhere in between.
Unfortunately, the in between spot is a muddled, blurry compromise.
The court and the fans look bleak and dull, and the jams (the highlight
of PS's versions) look pretty weak. This is the area in which I felt most
betrayed. It's like Konami has something against whoever made the first
two versions (EA Sports), and made this game just to defile what I
thought was a decent name in basketball games.
Music and Sound 4 out of 10
Insipid and uninspired. The commentary is pathetic. Practically the
only thing the commentator says is the name of the player with the
ball and the team who has possession. Take a lesson from Madden 98.
Game Challenge 4 out of 10
The only thing I can say for this version is that it is a bit more
challenging than previous versions. Because of the slowness of players
reactions, and the difficulty with player changes, it's almost impossible
to get a steal or a block against the computer. And I was playing on the
easiest level. Unfortunately, if you have a quick play, he'll be able to get
to the hole almost every time. And then, invariably, Konami insists on
insulting our intelligence by having people like John Stockton pull off
a between the legs windmill jam while David Robinson stands idly by.
Game Play-Fun 1 out of 10
It's a little more fun playing with other humans, mostly because that
way you're both subject to the same absurdities as one is when playing
against the computer. But either way, the lack of redeeming qualities
in both the gameplay and especially graphics category make it not a lot
of fun to play.
Frustration
I could go on for hours. But I won't. Suffice it to say steals and blocks
are virtually impossible to get the slowness of the player shift makes
rebound dunks an oddity alley oops and the mechanism for getting them
are slow and cumbersome, and last but not least, guys fall on the ground
no matter how lightly they are touched, and I never once saw an offensive
foul called. It's true they aren't called all that often in the real game,
but if you're going to have guys flopping around at the drop of a hat, you
need to at least introduce the possibility of a charge.
Replayability 3 out of 10
Assuming all that I've said to this point is true, would you play this
thing again and again?
Game Value 1 out of 10
The first time I played this game, I thought I had found the next
Double Dribble. Remember that old game made, ironically, by the same
company who's trying to peddle this lemon. In the Zone II was too
similar to the first to get really excited about, but if you hadn't bought
the first one, the second one was still well worth the money. This
game isn't worth the sweat on my dog's butt.
Overall 2 out of 10
This game stinks. It is an offense to basketball fans, to the great (but
woefully unmet potential of the N64), and to what was in the process of
becoming a respectable name in basketball games.