Wayback Wednesday: The History of Jumpshots in Video Games

[Andrew]

Wayback Wednesday

Wayback Wednesday is a weekly feature that comes out - as the name would imply - every Wednesday. It's your midweek blast from the past, inckuding features and retrospectives on old basketball video games, old NLSC feature articles and editorials published as-is with added commentary, and other flashback content. This is a central discussion thread for the feature, in which I invite you to post any feedback along with your responses to each column's topic. A link to the latest article can always be found here in the first post, along with a link to the complete archive.

• Complete Archive

Latest Feature

April 17th, 2019: The History of Jumpshots in Video Games

Jumpshots are a basic staple of basketball, and one of the most common ways of scoring; especially in the modern era. With that in mind, it's strange that they used to be one of the weaker aspects of the mechanics in basketball video games. In the early days of basketball gaming, jumpshots were nowhere near as reliable as they should have been. I even remember a strategy guide for NBA Live 96 basically advising against taking jumpshots and in particular long two-pointers, citing that they had all of the difficulty and risk of three-pointers, without the added reward of an extra point.

Thinking back on it now, that advice actually predicted the rise of analytics, as well as disdain for shooting from midrange. Of course, while opting for shots right at the rim or from beyond the arc and eschewing the midrange is all about efficiency in the modern NBA, in old school basketball video games, it was about effectiveness. Until the mechanics were properly developed, taking a jumpshot - even a wide open ten footer along the baseline - was unrealistically risky on the virtual hardwood. You can call this piece The History of Jumpshots in Video Games (Or, Why Shot Meters Are Important). Let's take a look back...way back...

[Andrew]

November 11th, 2015: Wade One of NBA Live’s Most Successful Cover Players

This week, we’re tipping off the new Wayback Wednesday feature with an article from ten seasons ago, when Dwyane Wade was a rising star on the way to his first NBA championship. Wade’s heroics in the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals had punched the Miami Heat’s ticket to their first NBA Finals appearance, and in doing so, he became the third player to reach the championship round the same year as gracing the main cover of NBA Live. Before the Finals tipped off, I wrote an article noting the distinction, and wondering whether he would indeed become the first main NBA Live cover player to win a title in the same year.

Let’s take a look back…way back…

[Andrew]

November 18th, 2015: NBA Jam Tournament Edition PC Retrospective

In this week’s Wayback Wednesday, I’m taking a look back at the PC version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition, with some unscripted commentary on a game I played a few years ago. Building on the success of the original game, NBA Jam Tournament Edition – often called NBA Jam TE for short – brought updated rosters and a few new features to the table, all in all proving to be a worthy follow-up to an all-time classic. As I’ve been sitting on this footage for a while and I’ve wanted to do more video content here at the NLSC, it seemed like a good way of providing a retrospective of one of my all-time favourite basketball video games. I hope you enjoy it!

With that said, let’s take a look back…way back…

phpBB [video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgCP5oblHOk

[deihatein]

I already said my thoughts about the video. Looking forward for more content like this!

[Andrew]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[[Q]]

I actually owned this game on PC as well as SNES. I liked that the PC version had better graphics, and updated rosters & logos (but unfortunately no jersey colors)

[Andrew]

I still remember the "Dunk from anywhere" code for SNES: Left, Right, A, B, B, A. It's a different code for the PC version, which I finally discovered when my family got the Internet back in 1997.

[[Q]]

That was the best cheat code. Dunking from 7 point hotspots from the backcourt

It sucked that there wasn't enough time to put more than one or two codes in

[Andrew]

Yeah, you had to be quick. I also remember that among my friends, there was a code of honour when it came to the cheat codes. We decided we could use them, but if one of us messed up and had no cheats activated while the other one did, we'd start again so we could at least fight fire with fire.

[[Q]]

Oh man, cheat codes... those were pre-internet when you'd have to find them in "cheat code magazines" on newsstands or in cheat code books at the local library

[Andrew]

Exactly. That's why I didn't find the code for the PC version until years later. The SNES one didn't work, no matter how many times I tried it, just in case.

[Andrew]

November 25th, 2015: The NBA Live Domain

For those who are unaware, I didn’t found the NLSC – then the NBA Live Series Center – way back in 1996. That was the work of Tim, Lutz, and Brien, and it was their efforts that inspired me to create my own NBA Live website: the NBA Live Domain, or NLD for short. Yes, I was definitely inspired by the NLSC in a lot of ways.

There were a lot more NBA Live fan sites back in the day, especially as everyone tended to host their own patches. Generally speaking, you don’t see a lot of sites like that anymore. We’re obviously still around…now covering NBA 2K and basketball games in general as well as NBA Live…and you’ve also got Operation Sports, with their excellent coverage of the entire genre of sports games. Beyond that, most sports gamers seem to provide content through YouTube and other social media platforms.

So, with this being Wayback Wednesday, and given our ongoing celebrations of the 20th Anniversary of NBA Live, I thought I’d offer up some reflections on my old site. Let’s take a look back…way back…

[Andrew]

December 2nd, 2015: Microsoft Complete NBA Basketball Retrospective

It seems that the retrospective of NBA Jam Tournament Edition PC that I posted a couple of weeks ago was well received, and I certainly had fun producing it. As such, I’ll be creating some more video retrospectives of older basketball video games, and featuring them in future editions of Wayback Wednesday. I’ve got a bunch of games in mind, some of which you may remember and some you may not, which I’m looking forward to dusting off and discussing in detail.

However, for this week’s Wayback Wednesday, I’m looking back at an old release with a written retrospective, rather than a video feature. That’s because the title I’m discussing today doesn’t actually have any gameplay to show, so it doesn’t exactly lend itself well to a video retrospective. That release is Microsoft Complete NBA Basketball.

It’s not the type of title that we’d normally cover in detail here at the NLSC, but for me, is does have some nostalgic value. Hopefully, you’ll find it to be an interesting change of pace. With that said, let’s take a look back…way back…

[Andrew]

December 9th, 2015: NBA All-Star Challenge Video Retrospective (Super NES)

If you enjoyed my look back at NBA Jam Tournament Edition on PC, good news! I’ve got another video retrospective for you this week. This time, I’m taking a look at NBA All-Star Challenge, developed by Beam Software and published by LJN back in 1992 for the Super Nintendo. It’s a game that I picked up for a few bucks when searching for old NBA games on eBay; it piqued my interest as it’s a game I never played in the 90s, so I wanted to check it out. Since playing it, I’ve mentioned it a couple of times in the Friday Five and on the NLSC Podcast, as I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to discuss it in more detail.

Is NBA All-Star Challenge an all-time classic? Well…not exactly. Nevertheless, it is an interesting game to look back on. With that said, let’s take a look back…way back…

phpBB [video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9BOQ_VxZA

[[Q]]

Man, this was the 3rd SNES game I got and I agree it was underwhelming vs the 5 on 5 games, but it did offer a bit of variety if you got tired of playing one mode. LOL at those dunking attempts, which I fond only seem to work going straight from the short corner or from the top of the key for the reverse jam which was a nice touch (this was back when reverse dunks were considered cutting edge).

[Andrew]

Yeah, I found that with some angles, it just wasn't worth trying. I couldn't help doing it though, to show how awkward it was.

[Andrew]

December 16th, 2015: Less than Thunderstruck

I had intended to post another video retrospective for this week’s Wayback Wednesday, as I’m really enjoying making them. However, I’d like to spend a little more time with it, as I’ve wanted to talk about this particular game in more detail for some time now, and I want my video content to continually improve. As such, I’m now looking to release the video next week; in the meantime, I’ll repeat my hint from last week’s Podcast, and say that it’s a game that has three different titles. Happy guessing!

So, for this week, I’m taking a look back at an old article that I posted back in 2008. The article – “Less than Thunderstruck” – is an opinion piece that I wrote a week after the Seattle Supersonics formally became the Oklahoma City Thunder, and unveiled their new logo. Following the article, which I’m presenting as-is, I’ll provide some commentary as we look back on that topic, all these years later.

Let’s take a look back…way back…

[Andrew]

December 23rd, 2015: World League Basketball Video Retrospective

As promised, I have a new video retrospective for this week’s Wayback Wednesday! Today, I’m taking a look back at an old favourite of mine that I’ve wanted to talk about in more detail for some time now. It’s a basketball game for the Super Nintendo called World League Basketball…well, the game that I own is called World League Basketball, anyway. Depending on where you lived when this game was released in 1992, you might have known it as NCAA Basketball, or perhaps Super Dunk Shot.

It’s a game that was, in some ways, ahead of its time, and it’s definitely worth reminiscing about. With that said, let’s take a look back…way back…

phpBB [video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wWTNnw1IM8

[Pdub]

Excellent video! I loved NCAA basketball back in the day. I don't remember it looking so pixelated, though, probably because I was playing on the SNES. I actually had no idea that it was released with 3 different names.

[Andrew]

Thanks Pat! I'm pleased with how it turned out, feel I'm getting the hang of a few things.

I was actually the same, from the PAL perspective. I had no idea there were three different versions until years later, and always assumed that they'd only made a fictional global basketball league game, rather than it being a workaround for not being able to sell NCAA games internationally.

[Andrew]

December 30th, 2015: LeBron James in NBA Live 2004

Today, LeBron James turns 31. I don't feel comfortable calling him one of the league's elder statesmen just yet, mostly because I'm only a couple of months older than the King, and I'd like to avoid any "elder" labels for as long as I can. Nevertheless, at this point LeBron James is well-established as one of the league's marquee players, biggest attractions, and all-time greats. He's been one of the top players in basketball - and a candidate for being the top player in basketball - for over a decade now.

At times, it feels like the last decade or so has flown by very quickly. All of a sudden, here we are watching an NBA where LeBron James is in his thirteenth season. Like the great players that came before him, he's become an institution. As such, if you're a younger fan, it might be difficult to imagine him as an up-and-coming rising star, The Next Big Thing. Of course, when LeBron made his NBA (and NBA video game) debut back in the 2004 season, he was exactly that. With it being Wayback Wednesday, and also his birthday, I wanted to take a look back at early virtual LeBron, specifically his presence in NBA Live 2004.

Let’s take a look back…way back…

[Andrew]

January 6th, 2015: Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball Video Retrospective

It’s time for another video retrospective, and this week, I’m taking a look back at a game that I’m not particularly fond of. In fact, it would easily make my shortlist of the worst basketball video games ever made, quite probably coming in at number one. That game is Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball, a futuristic arcade hoops game starring the former Bad Boy Piston as the commissioner of a league in the year 2030, in which he’s fired the referees and thrown out almost all of the rules.

An unusual and potentially entertaining concept, it didn’t exactly pan out, perhaps explaining why there aren’t any other basketball video games starring Bill Laimbeer. With that said, let’s take a look back…way back…

phpBB [video]

https://youtu.be/EpvlcTtDbOE

[Andrew]

January 13th, 2015: Replay Professional Basketball

While there have been a few basketball management/text sim games released over the years, they’ve never matched the popularity of the prominent gameplay-based titles, such as NBA Live, NBA 2K, and NBA Jam. A few of them are still around, including some that are free to play online, but they don’t command nearly as much attention as the games that actually feature on-court action. It’s only natural: most people want a fully interactive experience, with franchise and career modes, and online head-to-head play against their fellow basketball gamers.

And yet, there’s a contingent of basketball enthusiasts who would be content to sit back and watch a virtual representation of the sport, adopting more of a coaching or management role. As such, the prospect of an NBA licensed management sim is brought up every once in a while. I’ve never had much interest in that subgenre myself, as I’d prefer to be in control of the action, but I’ve dabbled with a sim game before. That game was 1991’s Replay Professional Basketball, created for DOS by Thomas R. Mink, and it’s the subject of this week’s Wayback Wednesday!

Let’s take a look back…way back…

[Andrew]

January 20th, 2015: Old School Basketball Video Game Music

Sometimes, I’m surprised at the outrage over the soundtracks in basketball video games. Sure, not everyone has the same taste in music, but suggestions that a soundtrack completely ruins the game feel like an exaggeration. After all, if the gameplay and game modes are more than satisfactory, isn’t that what should matter the most? You might as well suggest that the colouring and details on the main menu spoil the game…and yes, we’ve done that too.

The more I think about it though, the more I realise that the music in basketball video games is significant in its own way. An appealing soundtrack clearly resonates with basketball gamers, and that’s evident by how much it’s tied into our nostalgia for older titles. Whether you’re firing up an old game to play it again, or you’re looking up old video game music on YouTube, as soon as you hear those opening bars, you’re taken back to a time when you loved that game, and played it for hours on end.

We all have our own favourites, both in terms of soundtracks and the games they’re attached to, so for this week’s Wayback Wednesday, I wanted to talk about some old school basketball game music that always make me feel nostalgic. So let’s take a look back…way back…

[Andrew]

January 27th, 2015: Ramblings of a Disappointed Bulls Fan

I'm still working on some new videos for Wayback Wednesday and our other featured content, so this week I'm digging into the archives to look back at another old article. This is a lengthy piece I wrote about the Chicago Bulls in the wake of Ben Gordon's departure in the offseason of 2009, something that I certainly wasn't thrilled about at the time. A fair bit has changed since then, so I thought it'd be interesting to post it again, and provide some follow-up opinions and commentary.

As usual, I'm presenting the article more or less as it was originally published. That means if I come across any grammatical or punctuation errors, I'm curbing any urges to edit them, and running with the piece as-is; the only changes I've made are the addition of some images to break up the text, and a correction of a misspelling of LaMarcus Aldridge's name. My apologies if it's a bit of a difficult read, but as always, it'll hopefully highlight my improvement as a writer.

With that said, let's take a look back...way back...