One-on-One

The Good
"One on One" was a seminal sports game, one no self-respecting owner of one of the early PCs would have ignored. Its large, detailed sprites representing the players were nothing short of revolutionary at the time, along with a variety of different shot types triggered by the distance and angle the player was to the basket. You must also keep an eye on the energy level of each player, in order not to overexert them and end up too exhausted to play effectively. The audio portion of the game was also a standout, from the various sound effects on court to the impressive theme song (sounded better on the SID chip on the 64 than the tinny PC speaker). The smashing of the backboard was another irresistable detail to the game. There were also quite a few different play options available to lend variety to the game.

The Bad
The AI was pretty simplistic, and even at Pro level it didn't take long to work out a pattern where you could consistently shut out the competition.

The Bottom Line
This is a classic piece of early computer gaming, just another EA product that raised the bar of quality about 20 meters.

The Good
This was a one on one Basketball game. 1 player vs 1 player, or 1 player vs computer. The players assume the character of Dr. J and/or Larry Bird. The movements were Incredibly LIFE-LIKE ! Just as NICE as the most digitized movements in modern games of today! For its time the graphics were stunning. Even nowadays the graphics would do a decent job of holding up, though nowhere near better than modern games' graphics. Hardcore arcade action, with some strategy (like faking out your opponent.) There is a very customizable options menu. Decide length of each game, each quarter, and much, much, more.

The game mechanics involved in dribbling, shooting, lining up shots, blocking, etc.. were well executed. Timing is everything. There are many moves. The game plays and feel as if you are actually on the court!

The Bad
During its time, there was NOTHING to dislike about this game. Right now the graphics are outdated. But the game play is still there. As good, and even better than the game play in 80% of all modern, current, sports games.

The Bottom Line
One of the best ever basketball sports games ever made. Possibly the best ever basketball game. (There is 1 other classic one I remember playing, but can't remember the name.). This game really shines when 1 player plays vs another player. 2 players can play endless hours vs each other. I still can't get over how realistic and life-like the movements are! Even up against todays current games!