TV Sports: Basketball

Traurig aber wahr: Wirklich gute Sportspiele sind am Amiga bis heute immer noch die berühmte Ausnahme von der Regel. Aber wenn sich Cinemaware an das Thema wagt, ist der Erfolg fast schon vorprogrammiert!

Basketball is big – almost as big as Oliver North – in the land of apple pie. Many reserved Britons fail to see the attraction of a dozen men, each in excess of six foot in height, bouncing balls through nets and squeaking their Adidas trainers, but that is their loss. The rules are quite simple. Five players, no physical contact, no holding the ball for more than three seconds and all on a court no bigger than a hundred feet long.

From humble beginnings basketball has developed into a modern sport with highly paid professionals playing in America's NBA Championship. Cinemaware, however, have their own league: the CWBA, with 28 teams (any of which can be human or computer controlled) competing in four divisions. Teams may be edited to change players' abilities and names.

This game might not be the most accurate simulation of a basketball match - it's sure fun though. You can also play this with a friend. Overall one of the alltime greatest sports games

Fast ein Jahr nach der gelungenen Amiga-Version hat Cinemaware endlich die PC-Umsetzung seiner Basketball-Simulation fertiggestellt. Bei edler Aufmachung bestreitet Euer Team eine lange US-Profisaison, die Euch taktisches Geschick und flotte Kombinationen abverlangt.

Ein Jahr ist es her, seit das kalifornische Softwarehaus Cinemaware die Sportspielwelt auf den Kopf stellte. Mit "TV Sports Football" präsentierten die Macher so erfolgreicher Spiele wie "It came from the Desert" und "Defender of the Crown" eine spannende Simulation des amerikanischen Nationalsports. Das Einmalige an dem Programm waren die grafisch erstklassige Aufmachung im Stil einer Fernseh-Übertragung sowie die umfangreichen Statistiken, in denen Sport-Fans wühlen können. Das TV Sports-Konzept wurde jetzt ein wenig aufgeschüttelt und zusammen mit einer anderen Sportart serviert - fertig ist "TV Sports Basketball".

Well, it's not bad, but it's not good either. The play control is bearable, but the perspective changes are confusing and annoying. The music and sound effects are cheesy and could use improving. The 5 player mode is it's best option, and really the only way to have fun here.

The dividing line between accurate simulation and playable arcade game is often considered a narrow one. Unfortunately, Cinemaware's latest offering falls on the wrong side of the line. TV Sports: Basketball is packed with information to make it one of the most stunningly accurate sports simulations ever, but the actual game sections are severely lacking in gameplay. Stopping the opposite players form storming past your team and scoring every time is virtually impossible - a task which isn't helped by the unruly and badly-implemented control system. It's hard to believe that the team who brought us the superbly-presented and wonderfully-playable TV Sports Football can have come up with a product that is likely to put people off the game of basketball for life.

The foul shooting is deplorable, with an arrow that continues to move long after you've hit the button! Jump shots travel at unnatural trajectories, and once they make contact with the rim, they inexplicably blast off into the stratosphere! When bringing the ball across mid-court, the game switches to a side view, and all you can do is call a play as players drag their slow asses to the other end. TV Sports Basketball lacks an NBA license, which is evident by the team names, which include the Ninjas, Shadows, Snipers, Zombies, and get this - the Wizards (now that's just silly)! You can manipulate your roster, but when you're dealing with fictional players, why bother? Last but not least, the game periodically displays a blonde cheerleader who doesn't look quite right. Good Lord - she's sporting a package!! Sadly, penis-packing cheerleaders are the most entertaining aspect of the entire game.