NBA Jam 2004

After a four-year hiatus, NBA Jam returns to consoles with a shiny coat of paint and a new crop of qualified contenders gunning for the arcade basketball crown. While NBA Jam 2004's basic formula of simplistic gameplay and decidedly sensationalized stylistic sensibilities provides for an entertaining romp, it simply can't contend with the 400-pound gorilla that is Electronic Arts' NBA Street.

In terms of mechanics, the required degree of control simply isn't there. Special moves are not as varied as they should be, and the distinct lack of strategic depth becomes apparent when compared to that of other basketball games on the market, including those of the arcade variety. Everything feels reasonably polished and clean, but the lack of nuance becomes clear after only a few games. For what it's worth, Acclaim has included a decent variety of modes, including a Legends Tournament that begins in black and white and makes you earn the right to play in glorious technicolor as you work your way up to the present day.

2004 is a competent, generally well-made game. It doesn't do anything wrong, per se; rather, it simply doesn't do enough particularly right to justify its existence alongside comparable, more accomplished titles such as Street. The relatively simple addition of online play—something Street lacks due to EA's reluctance to support Xbox Live—would have given Jam relevance. Instead, Acclaim has decided to create a title that will soon fade into obscurity, if it hasn't already.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.