Review by: J.M. Vargas

"HOW COME KONAMI HASN'T SLAPPED THESE GUYS WITH A LAWSUIT?"

The very best basketball game 3DO ever saw became a sluggish and mediocre entry into the crowded field of 32-bit contenders. Crystal Dynamics ported the original Opera code virtually unchanged to Saturn, and the resulting experience won't satisfy hardcore NBA aficionados: the players are fictional and don't spot any player or league license, the sprite-based graphics won't please the jaded eye of the casual gamer spoiled by the likes of "NBA Action" (Saturn) or "NBA Shootout" (PSX), and the one-player mode can be frustrating due to the cheap AI that'll clean your clock at the last minute (like all versions of "NBA Jam").

Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll experience a fun and fast two-player mode that rivals the best of the best in the all-important fun factor. For the $15 a copy of "Slam & Jam 96" would cost you, you could do considerably worst ("Criticom", anyone?). The flaws in the game prevent it from playing in the majors, but very much like a major league sports farm system, there are some positives that don't render the game useless and/or worthless.

GRAPHICS / VISUALS: B-

The most visually-interactive crowd ever seen in a videogame can be found here, because the game's single camera angle (behind-the-court overhead view, similar to the game this title strives to emulate, Konami's "Run & Gun") frees the programmers to concentrate on the crowd animation, which is quite fluid considering they're sprites (complete with eye-catching busty female fans if you, ahem, catch my "Marv Albert" drift). An odd positive, but the one "Slam & Jam 96" easily owns considering that, to date, there are still very few stands in sports games that get more than the token "audio interactive crowd" treatment while giving us a mesh of colored pixels ("World Series 98" anyone?).

The animation of the players is fluid and seamless, as well as the panning and scrolling of the game's camera (the 3DO version would slow down when a dunk took place, or a bunch of players would fight for the ball under a basket). The game runs at a solid 20-25 frames-per-second, and the player sprites (although not based on real NBA players) show enough individual characteristics to be easily recognized by their looks alone. Ditto for the basketball court, which emulates the color palette of the arenas where the teams play. The Boston court looks like the real deal with it's green lines and bright-brown wooden floor, and New York City's ugly choice of blue and flesh tones emulate Madison Square Garden nicely (the stadium architecture itself, though, remains the same at all times).

The highlight of the game: dunking three in a row with the same player (or getting lucky and hitting one sweet basket at the right place and time) will break the backboard and shower the court with glass, as the player taunts the other team. Other games may have smoother-looking or more over-the-top dunks, but none let you feel the power of THE DUNK like "Slam & Jam 96".

MUSIC / SOUND EFFECTS: B-

The squeak of sneakers sliding all over the floor, the hilarious (but repeated too often!) one-liners spooled by former CNN Sports anchor Earl Van Wright, and the crowds shouting their enthusiasm for every basket made in the court (even those points scored against the home team, what's up with that?) come through crystal-clear and loud. The sound effects seem to have been sampled at a slightly higher sample rate than the 3DO original (the crowd no longer goes suddenly quiet after a basket, only to jump into a roar already in progress...whoopee!), but they could have used the Saturn's under-utilized sound chips to crank more stuff: louder buzzards, organ music to pump up the crowds (and players!), more one-liners by Mr. Wright, etc.

There's music only during the menu screens that appear before the game and during intermissions, and it's your typical rap wanna-be rhythm heard on all basketball games currently in the market. Nothing new came from the 3Do code for this Saturn rookie.

GAMEPLAY / FUN FACTOR: A-

I don't like basketball games, I rarely watch a b-ball game on TV (but I'll confess that Rebeca Lobo is a babe!), and I don't care about statistics; I'm the casual gamer capable of enjoying a fine game like Virgin's "NHL PowerPlay" without feeling the loss of statistical tracking. "Slam & Jam 96" is the only b-ball videogame I've ever felt even remotely compelled to play frequently, thanks to its addictive two-player mode. My trash-talking, NBA-loving, N.Y.Knicks die-hard gaming partner (for the sake of the innocent, we'll protect his name and call him...ehh... Rich!) and me can consume hours, and trash-talk like liquored-up Kennedys, when this game is spinning on Saturn. The 3DO version kept us and some friends entertained during college, and this version (essentially the same game) doesn't show signs of slowing its grip anytime soon (although "Death Tank!" and "Mario Kart 64" are doing their darnest to make us ignore this Crystal Dynamics creation).

Kareem Abdul Jabaar and Erving "Magic" Johnson, retired NBA superstars which are to the 1980's Lakers what lousy clothing and bad hairdos were to TV shows in the 1970's, have endorsed the PSX and Saturn versions of this game with their likeness. Since "Slam & Jam 96" features a franchise mode that allows a player to go through an entire season using the same character, you can relieve the stress and glory of using Magic's hook and Kareem's dribble to make your team a playoff contender.

There are all kinds of options in "Slam & Jam 96" to make it of your liking: borders on or off, referees strict or blind, music and announcer on or off ("YYEEESS!"), etc. You can play Exhibition, Playoff, Season, etc. Since all the players are fictional creations, though, there is little incentive to engage in the arduous task of conducting a team of unknowns through a fantasy-league. Since the game does include the real attributes and statistics (the game's stat tracking is pretty good for a generic b-ball game) of the 94-95 NBA season (by selecting the team to the right of your REAL choice, you'll be playing with characters that mimmick the performance of the NBA's finest...can you findthe Way? The "Way of the Warrior?"), you can speculate and test your knowledge of the NBA by the statistics alone. This small gameplay-enhancing trick (one of many) boosts "Slam & Jam" from other mediocre b-ball dreck like "NBA Jam Extreme" or "Hangtime".

OVERALL: B+

Rent it for a weekend or buy it cheap if you can ignore those 3DO sprites and look at the depth behind the lackluster pixels. Saturn owners can't boast as many basketball games as the PSX, but at least they're getting a steady trickle of softs in the next few months ("NBA Action '97", and the badly tarnished EA franchise of "NBA Live 98"). Since I'm not into the NBA, my copy of "Slam & Jam 96" will do for now and if you share my lack of enthusiasm for the game but like to have fun with the sport in your living room, this might be your ticket. Besides, the only other half-way decent Sega b-ball title, "NBA Action", has two huge negatives against it: Grey Matter Entertainment developed it ("Dark Falcon" says: beware!), and Marv Albert does the play-by-play (J.M.Vargas says: "Bite me...if you can get anywhere near me!"). The 3DO legacy of great gameplay lays in bargain bins across the world; Saturn bargain hunters have been warned.