GENRE
	Sports
	DEVELOPER
	Acclaim Austin
	PUBLISHER
	Acclaim
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-4
	CONTROLLER PAK
	yes
	RUMBLE PAK
	yes
	RAM PAK
	no
	BUY NOW AT

Another year goes by and more hair grows on my back. Sigh. But the positive thing is that there's another installment of the NBA series from Acclaim. This year's version of NBA Jam 2000 takes a slightly Jeckyll and Hyde approach this year by featuring a sim and jam mode. When I first heard of this I thought about Lucas Arts' Shadows of the Empire and how it tried to do a little too much. Well, admittedly, this installment of the Jam Series would have been better served picking either arcade or sim rather than having both modes simultaneously.

In addition to the micro issues with Jam 2000's structure there is the macro concerns that really affect Jam's ability to compete. What I mean by that is that another year has passed and Jam's competition has gotten a whole lot better. Games like Live and especially the incredible Courtside series from Nintendo have perfected their sim modes to perfection. It's tough b-ball competition on the N64 and Jam has got 5 personal fouls with a quarter to go. Take a look below to find out more about Acclaim's latest basketball title.

visuals

I know this sounds bizarre but I have to say it. Nobody, and I do mean nobody has mastered packaging like Acclaim. The Jam 2000 box has 3d textures, smooth sticker-like images at the back of the box with gold framing. Remember when a gold cartridge was a big thing. Well Acclaim has recently released a black rage wars cart and now JAM 2000 is a red cart (get it? "he's on fire"). I think box art and packaging really is an art form in its attempt to grab your attention on a crowded store shelf. That's why I thought I'd tip my hat to Acclaim for the packaging of their games.

Okay, lets get to the actual game shall we. Aside from packaging, one thing that Acclaim has done with unrivaled workmanship is to create a stunning front end and menu system. Every menu, factoid and other goodies are all rendered in beautiful high-resolution with a superior navigational ease. The lightning bolts on the select screens did it for me! Great front end.

The gameplay graphics are represented in high resolution, which is what you'd expect from a company that has rebuilt its sports franchises on super beautiful graphics. Admittedly, the look of the sim mode is suspiciously similar to last year's sim mode. Having said that, there is a real slowdown in the framerate when there is some heavy action beneath the rim. When you compare this to the silky smooth Kobe 2, it just doesn't slam the dunk if you know what I mean. While detail is high in terms of some very nice replays and smooth moves on the court the level of visual detail that you'd find in a game like Live 2000 isn't here. For instance, in both Kobe2 and Live 2000 the players faces have been expertly mapped onto their video game counterparts. There are even facial expressions but Jam 2000 uses generic-type faces and limited player detail.

As for the Jam mode, you'll find a much quicker 2 on 2 experience with a dressed down appeal to the players. Remember how the programmers for NFL Blitz managed to make the game so quick by limiting the detail and polygons of the players? Same deal here. It works too, the game animates much smoother and the play is faster. Granted that there are only 4 players on the court instead of five.

audio

Kevin Harlan's still a piss to listen too. Although some of his lines are recycled (like a majority of the sim package) from last year, there's still some good commentary here. All of the squeaks, grunts and swishes are put together nicely in Jam 2000. There's even some in studio commentary by the recently redeemed Marv Albert. Not much else to say here so I'll complete this sentence with a period and let you continue onto the next section regarding the gameplay features of the game.

gameplay

Hey. Back already? Glad you made it through that last audio sentence. Alright. As mentioned 2.5 times in this review, the sim section of Jam 2000 is basically a roster update of last year's sim mode. While the control scheme has some semblance of depth it doesn't eclipse Kobe 2's wonderful control package. It seems that a little too much stuff is relegated to the C buttons.

It should be an unwritten law somewhere that the A (blue button) on the controller is for PASS and (green) is for shooting. Why? Because you pass more than you shoot in any sport so the A button is easier to access. Think about that mantra for a tidbit.

The action beneath the rim is really hindered by the less than All Star performance of the framerate when a crowd of round mounds of rebounds plunk their asses beneath the rim. Also, the accuracy of the play control via the analog stick is limited at best. Hey, the bottom line is this, if you played last year's sim game than you played this one and Acclaim needs to either dedicate next year's game to a true sim or competition for NBA Showtime. I can understand that a lot of money goes into developing a sports game engine and you can only recoup that money after a game or two, but refining it is a must in today's competitive sports market.

The Jam mode is the "additional" section of Jam 2000. Kind of like the one on one action that EA put into this year's live. The game play harks back to the origins of the Jam series with outrageous two on two action. Try as I might, I couldn't figure out how to get control of my second player. And I hated how the "AI" just kept driving my partner's sorry ass down the middle of the court. I saw a few picks being set during the Jam mode. In one word, NAH. Picks shouldn't be set in any Jam mode, it's all about monster action.

multiplayer

Aren't games always more fun with friends? Well that applies here. Especially for the Jam mode.

overall

I'm one of Acclaim's strongest supporters. When there were no games on the 64 these guys were busting ass to fill the library. When the popularity of the system dwindles I hope that Acclaim will remain equally committed to supporting the N64. As I said earlier, I can't blame Acclaim for wanting to maximize the resources that they invested in creating their Jam Basketball engine. I think that the series would be better served if they selected a philosophy for their Jam line and explored it fully. For those gamers out there that can't make up their mind as to whether they want a sim or arcade game, they might want to check out Jam 2000. My suggestion is to give all the B-Ball games a rent and make an educated choice. So far, Kobe 2 has got my vote.

6.9/10