NBA Jam (2003 video game)

NBA Jam is a 3-on-3 basketball video game published by Acclaim Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2003. It is part of the NBA Jam series. The game was announced on May 12, 2003. The play-by-play is voiced by Tim Kitzrow.[2] There was also originally to be a GameCube version of the game.[3]

NBA Jam
Developer(s)Acclaim Studios Austin
Publisher(s)Acclaim Entertainment
Producer(s)Brandon Fish
Designer(s)Vu Thai Dang
Programmer(s)John Yuill
Artist(s)Michael Taylor
Composer(s)Mike Tekulve
Nelson Everhart
SeriesNBA Jam
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release
  • NA: September 23, 2003[1]
  • EU: November 7, 2003
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The game is based on the 2003–04 NBA season and features some of the NBA's best players from that season. After a series of more simulation-oriented Jam games, NBA Jam features fast-paced gameplay more akin to the arcade originals, although in a departure from the series' usual 2-on-2 formula, the teams are made up of three players instead. The game also features various courts and special teams, including all-star teams composed of various NBA legends. It is the last NBA Jam released by Acclaim, as the company became defunct the following year.

NBA Jam would also be the last Jam game released until Electronic Arts revived the franchise with its 2010 NBA Jam game.

The game is dedicated to the programmer’s niece.

Technological Improvements

This NBA Jam in particular is the first game within the franchise to be released on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, with the previous version NBA Jam (2002) being on the GameBoy Advance. Technology is progressing fast and video games being a multi-billion dollar industry are no exception to the trend. Sports games in particular are extremely popular, with 68% of American teenagers agreeing. In the case of NBA Jam developers included 3-D animation, which is completely different from the previous version of the game.[4] On top of the actual advancements inside the game, the game's console has also drastically improved. The PS2 offers a faster CPU speed, higher resolution, and improved RAM compared to the GameBoy Advanced. The GameBoy Advance has a smaller size, allowing for gaming on the go.[5]

Music

The music in NBA Jam ranges from before 1970 to 2000. Including multiple artists such as Chuck Berry, King Floyd, and SubUrban. SubUrban makes the most appearances on the soundtrack with six songs. Followed up by F.O.S and Bootsy Collins with two songs each. Since the game was released in the early 2000's most of the songs are from that era but the variety included in the soundtrack helps accommodate a larger audience. The developers purposely included lots of rock and hip-hop into the soundtrack, in the '60s and 70s rock was widely listened to by the younger generation, and in the same respect the 90's introduced the boom of rap music.[6] With such a diverse soundtrack NBA Jam was set to appeal to the masses.

Reception

The game received "average" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[7][8]

References
  1. Cove, Glen (September 23, 2002). "NBA JAM 2002 For Game Boy Advance". Archived from the original on August 3, 2004.
  2. "ACCLAIM SPORTS BRINGS BACK RIM-ROCKING NBA ACTION WITH 'NBA JAM' FOR NEXT-GENERATION SYSTEMS". Acclaim Entertainment. Los Angeles, California. May 12, 2003. Archived from the original on April 4, 2004. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  3. IGN staff (May 15, 2003). "E3 2003: Gladiator, Jam GCN Canned". IGN. Ziff Davis.
  4. West, Darrell M. (2012). Digital schools : how technology can transform education. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8157-2245-8. OCLC 794671668.
  5. "Nintendo Game Boy vs Sony PlayStation 2: What is the difference?". VERSUS. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  6. Zillmann, Dolf (2008). Media entertainment : the psychology of its appeal. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. OCLC 918437086.
  7. "NBA Jam 2004 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  8. "NBA Jam for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  9. EGM staff (December 2003). "NBA Jam (PS2, Xbox)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 173. Ziff Davis. p. 191.
  10. Leeper, Justin (November 2003). "NBA Jam 2004 (PS2)". Game Informer. No. 127. GameStop. p. 149. Archived from the original on November 18, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  11. "NBA Jam 2004 (Xbox)". Game Informer. No. 127. GameStop. November 2003. p. 171.
  12. Dan Elektro (September 24, 2003). "NBA Jam". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  13. Navarro, Alex (September 26, 2003). "NBA Jam Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  14. Althof, Jeremy (October 11, 2003). "GameSpy: NBA Jam (PS2)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  15. Althof, Jeremy (October 11, 2003). "GameSpy: NBA Jam (Xbox)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 30, 2005. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  16. Robinson, Jon (October 2, 2003). "NBA Jam (PS2)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 8, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  17. Robinson, Jon (October 2, 2003). "NBA Jam (Xbox)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  18. Jihem (November 5, 2003). "Test: NBA Jam (PS2, Xbox)". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  19. "NBA Jam". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. No. 75. Ziff Davis. December 2003. p. 182.
  20. "NBA Jam". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. December 2003. p. 146.
  21. Marriott, Scott Alan (November 3, 2003). "'NBA Jam' (Xbox) Review". X-Play. TechTV. Archived from the original on November 25, 2003. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
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