NBA Showdown

It's the best yet in the long line of EA Sports b'ball titles. Besides a faster game engine and new player animations, the new hot streaks and on-the-fly offensive and defensive play-calling make this a must-buy for hoop fans.

The game's sensational play feature, update 12-men rosters and trade-player option make the game a must-buy for basketball fans. It slam-dunks the competition.

Det optimala basketspelet för sportintresserade. Över 300 spelare från den riktiga NBA-ligan.

Overall, NBA Showdown makes it to the Genesis playoffs. Although it doesn't have NBA Jam's FunFactor, it has better realism, which alone makes it worthy.

NBA Showdown has all the ingredients of a promising title, however, the action is very choppy, robbing this one of the fluidity and gameplay. Still, everybody's favorite team is here and sports fans will probably enjoy it.

Michael Jordan is nowhere to be found, and the black referee from the first three games has been replaced with a white one. The previous two EA basketball game were offensive-minded, but Showdown takes the opposite approach, tightening the defense to the extreme. Every game is a "block party" - any shot attempted with a man in your face will be rejected. The end result is less razzle-dazzle and more emphasis on strategy. Like past games, NBA Showdown is weak in terms of audio. Besides the bounce of the ball, the only sound you hear is "put it up!" as the clocks ticks down. All in all, NBA Showdown was a positive step for the series, but it wasn't quite up to snuff -- yet.

NBA Showdown is a step up from Bulls vs. Blazers (EA's previous basketball game), with smooth graphics and more realistic gameplay. Unfortunately, it still uses the same slow engine, which bogs down the action. With no turbo button, the pace is slow and deliberate with no possibility for fast breaks. There are less unstoppable dunks, and it's more difficult to penetrate on the dribble. On a positive note, the court looks terrific, and I love how the coaches pace back and forth in front of their benches on the sidelines. The crowd sounds are muffled, but occasionally a fan will yell like "put it up!". Showdown is interesting to look back on, but this basketball series has seen better days.