NES

Jordan vs. Bird: One-on-One

In what represents perhaps the greatest meeting of black and white since Aerosmith and Run DMC recorded "Walk This Way," Jordan vs Bird offers the chance to play as one of the two 80's basketball heroes in a handful of b-ball related challenges. The highlight is, of course, a one-on-one match between the two. In reality, I would expect 80s Jordan to smite 80s Bird, but as far as the game is concerned, the two are on roughly equal footing. Some additional modes round the game out, and end up offering a surprisingly enjoyable game, for a short period of time.

If you're a big Jordan or Bird fan this game will probably be pretty fun. If not you may want to try one of the other basketball games.

While there is no traditional basketball court play, you can play One on One or Slam Dunk, or shoot a little Three Point from a five location semi-circle around the basket. Or simply practice in the Warm Up modes. Take on a fellow "court magician" or play against the computer at different difficulty levels. A stats board keeps track of performance factors.

In other versions of the game, jumping under the hoop increased your chances of pulling down a rebound, but in this game the ball bounces so far off the rim that you're better off waiting on the outside. The penalty calling is a joke, with blocking calls that seem to be at random. How can you be called for a traveling violation while still in the air? And how could you be called for a charge while running away from your opponent? Last but not least, each period immediately ends when the clock expires - regardless of whether a shot is in the air. Can you imagine shooting the game-winning shot at the buzzer and never getting a chance to see it go in? That's the kind of basketball experience you'll get with Jordan Vs. Bird One on One.