Games News and Reviews | High Def Digest
Film & TV All News Blu-Ray Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders 4K Ultra HD Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders Gear Reviews News Home Theater 101 Best Gear Film & TV
Games :
Ranking:
Release Date: October 4th, 2011 Movie Release Year: 2011

NBA Jam: On Fire

Overview -

“NBA Jam: On Fire Edition” arrives on the heels of the surprise hit that spawned from EA’s failed “NBA Elite 11.” Initially intended as a DLC bonus to purchasers of that game, the new “NBA Jam” showed up as a Wii game before emerging on the other two big consoles. About a year later, a much more polished, value packed edition arrives as a downloadable only title, at a fraction of the price of last year’s release. Whether you’re new to the series or someone who invested many hours into its original heyday in the mid-90s, this new incarnation of the game is worth your time and money.

OVERALL:
Rating Breakdown
VIDEO
AUDIO
Tech Specs & Release Details
Video Resolution/Codec:
720p
Audio Formats:
Dolby Digital 5.1
Release Date:
October 4th, 2011

Video Review

Ranking:

“NBA Jam: On Fire” doesn’t set out to compete with the big boys like “NBA 2K12.” It’s an Arcade title at its core and to be perfectly honest, the graphics are more than adequate. What is greatly appreciated and noticed first and foremost, is how smoothly everything comes together. The animations are fluid and varied. Even when the screen gets busy, there’s no tearing or drops in the frame rate. On that front, a player should never find him or herself cursing the game itself for “causing” a missed shot or botched play. It’s reliable to the core.

From a pure design point, the game does feel like a very fancy version of the “NBA Jam” of the 90s. Characters could be animated a little more than they actually are and the player models fall more on the line of realism than cartoon. That said, a few matches in and one notices that there’s not much to the backgrounds and when you take a close look, they’re decidedly bland. Taken in small spurts, most of these issues aren’t as apparent, but should a player find themselves sitting down for an extended session, “NBA Jam: On Fire” reveals itself to be an affair that as good deal to grow.

Audio Review

Ranking:

Shockingly, the commentary driven nature of the game doesn’t grow tiresome. The announcers don’t dominate the basic sound design, but keeping with the feel of the series, never fail to produce a smile or even a chuckle at times. The commentary is filled with the classic riffs from decades past as well as some new additions that any internet meme connoisseur will recognize.

The game’s soundtrack, made up of thumping hip-hop/electronic beats keeps the time spent in the menus lively. Like the commentary, they don’t easily become repetitive and there’s a good level of variety to their basic elemental designs. To be fair, a lot of the game’s sounds go unnoticed in the heat of a game, save for the announcers. “NBA Jam: On Fire” bring anything revolutionary to the sound front, but what it does, it does well. The audio is well balanced and succeeds in bringing as many little elements of a basketball game to a quick arcade based game.

“NBA Jam: On Fire” is a great modern spin on a series that still holds up through years of time and nostalgia. With a modern roster to choose from as well as a nearly perfect vault of legends and novelty players, even the casual basketball fan will find something to love. The game is easy to pick up, plays quickly, and in casual company is a ton of fun. The game does have room for improvement with online play hampered by poor matchmaking abilities and overuse of the shove feature (and legend players) often ending in a sour time. "NBA Jam: On Fire" earns a solid recommendation for anyone with a passing interest in basketball.