NBA Jam is back. Available now for Nintendo Wii and soon for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the standout basketball game franchise is ready for a proper revitalization. As I wrote in a recent Retrospective, NBA Jam’s formula of fast-paced 2-on-2 is still addictive, and the simpler gameplay allows anyone to catch fire and dunk from the free-throw line.

What you may not realize, though, is this is a perfect time for a revitalization of the NBA Jam franchise. From both a gaming and a source material standpoint it’s a suitable time to bring back the franchise. This is a great time to bring back the boomshakalaka.

Kenny "The Jet" Smith (now a commentator for TNT's NBA coverage) Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley…legends who starred in the original NBA Jam

If you look back to the arcade original, it was at a time when the NBA was at a real high point — sure, Michael Jordan was never in the game, but big-name players like Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Dominique Wilkins, Karl Malone and John Stockton for the hateful Utah Jazz, Charles Barkley, Shawn Kemp and Portland Trail Blazers great Clyde Drexler all had a starring role. As part of a series on the legacy of former Houston great Olajuwon on pro basketball blog Free Darko, there was even an article discussing The Dream and his role in NBA Jam. Most every team in the NBA had the two recognizable stars needed to make an arcade basketball game, and there was still enough quality to not dilute it too much in NBA Jam: Tournament Edition when a third player was added to each roster.

The NBA is in another ascendant period right now, too, and has plenty of stars ready for the new-generation NBA Jam. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Steve Nash, and more are basketball superstars featuring in this NBA Jam remake. Compared with the star power in the NBA in the early part of the decade, the league is in a much stronger place right now — there was a real dearth of marketable, recognizable stars, and from a sports fan’s point of view, the brand of basketball on offer was also pretty dreadful. Hoop-heads may have known all about players ten years ago, but the league undoubtedly has a higher profile now — almost equal to the late 80s and early 90s, coincidentally the period featured in the first NBA Jam. NBA rules changes have allowed a new generation of stars to play a much more exciting brand of basketball, and that helps out a game like NBA Jam. Plus, as with the original NBA Jam, Portland has a really strong team — Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden should be formidable.

The new NBA Jam's throwback 2D gameplay and style wouldn't have been feasible a generation ago

Secondly, this is a great time to create a game in a more old-school, simple manner. Through the generations of PlayStation and N64 to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, there was an extreme focus on making games in 3D that took advantage of the newest technology and techniques. Everything needed to be cutting edge; as a result, many 2D games were thrown to the side.

However, with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 adding another channel to release games — online platforms — there has been a freedom and release from pressure to make games in just one way. Between re-makes and original titles, there have been a plethora of old-school 2D games made for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network — Castle Crashers, various Street Fighter remakes, Geometry Wars, Fat Princess, Braid, and Limbo all come to mind. Having these sorts of games available at a lower price point allows for greater creativity and freedom of design.

The throwback, 2D gameplay of Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network titles like Castle Crashers set the stage for an NBA Jam remake

The last NBA Jam title, released in 2003 for Xbox and PlayStation 2, featured many of the trappings of the series — arcadey gameplay, similar menus, generally similar over-the-top theme. However, because it needed to be a $50 retail offering, it’s more complicated — check out the control list during the loading screen of that video! That’s as complicated as EA’s last arcade basketball series, NBA Street, and almost as difficult as the simulation-style basketball games. That’s also the opposite of what makes the original, arcade NBA Jam a legend — simplicity. Three buttons, a couple of basic moves, and a license for big dunks….that’s the recipe for success with an NBA Jam title.

Yes, the Nintendo Wii version of the new NBA Jam is sold as a $60 retail copy, but the recent revitalization of 2D gaming provides the opportunity to venture back into the realm of simplicity. Selling a simple, fun game for $20 via Xbox Live or PSN brings lower expectations than a $60 game through retail, and the lower standards play into the hands of a game like NBA Jam — you want to pick it up and play with your friends, not pore into every detail. What would feel very shallow for $60 becomes a better value for the lower price.

With the indefinite delay of EA Sports’ simulation basketball game, NBA Elite 11, the fate of NBA Jam on 360 and PS3 is unknown. The game has a listing on Xbox360achievements.org, so that means a version of Jam has gone through Microsoft’s certification process; the number of achievements and total points available line up with the digital download version that, presumably, was going to be the pack-in bonus with NBA Elite. Whether that version is released for sale on Xbox Live or PSN is unknown — I feel that is the simplest and best route to take with the game from a business strategy standpoint — but, regardless, I’m chomping at the bit for this game to come out.

It’s time for tip-off.

In case you’ve never been to Seattle before, consider this your primer.

In this week’s Backlog: Aaron laments his decidedly first-world problem of having too many games to play, Doug reminisces on the Dreamcast’s glory days, and Nick tries his hardest to remember everything he played at PAX last week.

Aaron:

Where DIY meets DOA

My situation — the one I described last week, where I was inundated with numerous games to play — remains unchanged. I’m in a holding position. Would someone relieve me of this burden and flag me in for a landing?

What I’m trying to say is I’m finally getting around to finishing the large number of titles I’ve purchased or borrowed over the past two weeks. I’d rather not discuss each of them in detail, but here are a few that have made a positive impression on me: Limbo and Dead Rising 2: Case Zero.

Nick’s review of Limbo says more about the overall package better than I’m able to here, but I’d like to say that I’ve never been so impressed by a debut title as I was with Limbo. Its comparisons to Braid are fair, in my opinion. The enjoyment of navigating a highly stylized world with little reason other than searching for someone special is as fulfilling now as it was two years ago. Yet Limbo is its own experience, and I think it surpasses Braid in its pacing, emotional impact and atmosphere.

Perhaps a bit less cerebral than Limbo in all but the most violent (and zombified) manner is Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, the experimental part DLC, part extended demo from Capcom. It’s a subject worth delving into in full, which is why you can check out my extended impressions of the content here. But, in brief, it is absolutely worth the 400 Microsoft Point price tag. If you like Dead Rising at all, don’t neglect Case Zero because the comment sections on blogs are so negative.

Doug:

Not to be confused with that other Japanese role-playing mainstay with four young heroes

In preparation for the Retrospective article on the Sega Dreamcast (which you can find here), I’ve been playing a couple of my old Dreamcast favorites. Soul Calibur definitely stands the test of time — the graphics may not be as earth-shattering as they were 11 years ago, but the fighting game balance is still amazing. I might be rusty, but the skills are still there.

What doesn’t hold up as well, though, is Sonic Adventure. While the levels featuring Sonic are still fast and fun, everything else is…ugh. The dialogue is cringe-worthy, I’m relying on memory to make sure I can get through the game because there is very little explanation about what to do next, and the controls are loose and slightly horrible. It’s amazing that camera control and tightness of 3D control has improved so markedly in 11 years’ time.

I have been playing modern games, though! Although how “modern” Dragon Quest IX actually is could be debated. I tried to tackle the first boss in the game and resoundingly failed, so my task for now is to start grinding levels. Time for that most Japanese of RPG traditions!

Nick:

Bright colors, trance-inducing music and some cerebrally satisfying gameplay make Shibuya feel right at home on an iPhone

There’s absolutely no way I could ever discuss all the games I played at PAX, and it’s unconscionable that anybody would want to read through an article as bloated as that. It would also be unfair to talk at length about all the games I wish I’d had a chance to sit down and play, like SpyParty and Monaco, but never got a chance to. So here’s a compromise: I’m just going to talk about a handful of games that I thought were especially noteworthy for one reason or another, and if anyone wants to hear my thoughts on anything in particular they can feel free to sound off in the comments section.

If there’s one game from PAX that’s always on my mind, it’s Shibuya, a musical puzzle game from Nevercenter made for iOS devices. Then again, that’s probably because it had the benefit of being available the same day I got to try it out at PAX, which meant I felt good about purchasing it on the spot. It’s a deceptively complex puzzle game with some great music, and at $1.99 I’d recommend it to just about anybody.

After an interminable two-hour wait next to the smelliest group of misogynists I’d ever had the misfortune of coming across, I finally got to spend a little time checking out Dragon Age 2‘s combat system. Dragon Age: Origins was probably my biggest surprise of last year, converting me from a traditional-RPG naysayer to a die-hard fanatic, sinking more than 100 hours into the game. In a surprising break from precedent, Dragon Age 2 is opting for a more hands-on combat system that resembles Dynasty Warriors as much as Mass Effect. Pausing to issue orders is still critical, but everything that happens in real time demands a bit more direct involvement from the player. Ten minutes was hardly enough time to judge the shift in combat design, but I’m inclined to root for the developer who’s willing to take risks with an already successful formula.

I didn’t have a chance to try out the PlayStation Move controllers, but I did play with a couple of Kinect games: Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and Dance Central. Your Shape did a surprisingly accurate job in analyzing my height, body shape, and physical movements, even with a bustling crowd all around me. It stands to reason that it’ll be even more precise in someone’s living room than at an event like PAX, but what I saw was proof-of-concept for the Kinect hardware. With that said, Your Shape’s value is going to depend on the variety, consistency, and usefulness of its fitness activities, many of which remain to be seen. And as for Dance Central: It got me moving to Bell Biv Devoe’s “Poison,” and it told me exactly how I was butchering it. I walked away impressed.

And of course, I checked out the successor to the perennial favorite around the metaphorical Silicon Sasquatch offices: NBA Jam. I played a full game on both Xbox 360 and Wii and I walked away very satisfied with how painstakingly both the core Jam gameplay and sense of humor have been preserved. I’m concerned about the Wii controls, where both jump and shoot are mapped to the same up-down gesture, but maybe in a less frenzied environment it would have felt more intuitive. Fortunately, the traditional button-and-trigger controls of the Xbox 360 version were snappy and precise. Curiously, I couldn’t find NBA Elite on display anywhere, which is a little troubling; buying Elite is the only way Xbox 360 and PS3 owners are going to be able to get their hands on a copy of Jam.

Here at Silicon Sasquatch, we feel that old games deserve some love too. From time to time, we want to look back at games that have made a big impact — especially when a new version of an old favorite is scheduled to be released. It is in that context that we present to you another Retrospective article, this time on arcade and 16-bit classic NBA Jam.

It’s no secret that I am a sports guy. Many times, though, sports games are commodities: The franchises develop a lineage (à la Madden NFL) while the details on individual entries from each year are often forgotten.

NBA Jam is different. It may not be the first arcade sports game, or even the first arcade basketball game, but it was one of the first blockbuster arcade games, and it’s one that still resounds in the gaming community to this day. It’s also one of the few sports games that holds just as much nostalgia for nerds as it does for jocks. Most importantly, it’s still fun — and a new one is on the way.

Every grocery store and 7-11 worth its salt had one of these back in the day.

Developed by Midway, the original NBA Jam was a skunkworks project that eventually earned more than $1 billion in revenue in the arcades. Home ports for the Super NES and Genesis followed, as did sequels, spin-offs (like NBA Hangtime and NBA Showtime) and games inspired by the series (EA’s last-gen NBA Street titles, for one).

The version of NBA Jam on home consoles is what I’m most familiar with. My childhood best friends had copies of the Sega Genesis version of the game, and many an afternoon was whiled away throwing down dunks and trying to get on fire. The game’s simplified interpretation of NBA rules, pared-down 2 on 2 gameplay, and flashy emphasis on big slam dunks and close games were really attractive and addictive, even to elementary school kids.

Oh yes…there were definitely cheat codes.

One of the real highlights of that time was trying to find all the cheat codes and secret characters in the game. Remember, this was a time before the Internet — and video game magazines were not something your average 3rd or 4th grader read on a regular basis. Codes passed like rumors through the schoolyard, and it’s only now that I realize who that P-Funk guy was they put into the game. Of course, the tag team of Bill Clinton and Al Gore was also something special.

The amazing thing is that, even now, the game holds up. Fellow Sasquatch editor Nick and I have put some time into the NBA Jam cabinet at Ground Kontrol, and playing a full 4-player matchup is still great fun. It’s simple enough to learn and strategize that within one quarter of a game I was able to help Nick drop 3-pointers and dunk on fools. We’ve even discussed heading down there just for NBA Jam.

PIPPEN! Bulls and Blazers great Scottie Pippen was a god in NBA Jam.

That’s part of the reason why I’m so excited for EA Sports’ renewal of NBA Jam due out this fall: the gameplay still holds up. As much as I love the old sprites and using the classic lineups from 1993, I believe that an update featuring better graphics and today’s stars will help capture a younger generation. Regardless, the old version will live on in arcades and emulators, so if EA royally screws it up, we’ll always have Midway’s classic.

Without further ado, onto the Backlog…

Was I the only one whose parents used to grab them by the belt loop back in the day? That's a good way to control somebody. Nice to see Ubisoft (and ACII protagonist Ezio) taking note, too.

Aaron

After my glowing account of Ghostbusters: The Video Game in last week’s backlog, I quickly kicked Slimer and company to the curb after opening the neon green eco-case containing Assassin’s Creed II. For an entire week, Ubisoft’s much-improved sequel has remained in my Xbox 360′s disc drive, lodged in the retracting plastic mouth like a popcorn kernel. However, unlike an actual pesky and potentially gingiva-damaging kernel, Assassin’s Creed II is a-freakin’-mazing, and part of a balanced gaming diet.

This is the game that the first Assassin’s Creed wanted to be, and the team at Ubisoft Montreal worked hard to make it feel that way. They’ve made missions bigger, more fun and decimated any trace of the original’s tedium. Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the protagonist, is a realistic character with a distinct personality and unique motives; he’s a digitized Renaissance ladies’ man that I can’t help but find likable. The weapon selection is genius in its variety and detailed attack animations, and the less blatant aspects, like hiring mercenaries, prostitutes or thieves to distract a city’s hired goons who guard a precious stash of treasure chests, make a memorable impact. Assassin’s Creed II is a game with so many moments I won’t ever forget, and, perhaps unfortunate for other action adventure titles, I’ll be using those to judge future titles’ value. Oh, and I still haven’t finished the game as of this writing.

One complaint, though: Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machine segment. It was pretty lame. Of course that’s my opinion, but really: After all the hype the flying machine garnered back in the spring during the game’s slow unveiling, I was expecting more than an annoying checkpoint-to-checkpoint ordeal via multiple bonfires lit across Venice to help propel your glider back into the air as you float ever closer to your assassination target. The very brief mission played like it was designed by the mentally handicapped cousin of a designer from Pilotwings 64.

Favorite Italian phrase of the week: Requiescat in pace.

Bayonetta, caught in a rare moment of quiet solitude in one of the most crazy action games of the current console generation.

Nick

I’ve been a bit deprived of my regular gaming habits lately, but I have managed to sneak in a bit more time with Dragon Age: Origins and Bayonetta. I still haven’t finished either, but there’s little doubt in my mind that they represent the absolute best in their respective genres.

I’m also only about five songs away from having five-starred every song on expert in DJ Hero, which just goes to show how dangerously addicted I become when a great rhythm game comes along.

Finally, I caught up on some Rock Band songs, including the White Stripes and Paul McCartney packs. Harmonix has maintained a constant stream of great new songs over the last two-plus years. Now, if only Rock Band Network would hurry up and launch…

Holy sideways driving, Batman. 700-plus horsepower Audi Sport Quattros are not exactly easy to control, especially on Forza 3's narrow Amalfi Coast circuit.

Doug

I’m not going to lie: much like Nick, I’ve had very little time to game this week. Having something going every night for school this week has crushed my free time, but I’m really hoping to have some more time to myself next week.

However, I did spend some good time with one of the usual suspects, Forza Motorsport 3, including spending a couple hours on Tuesday night. Friend of the site Peter is far from a diehard racer, but he rented Forza 3 on something of a whim; first he calls to see if it’s something he’d like, then he caught me on Xbox Live and told me he’d just poured three hours into the game…and was loving the experience. We spent some time racing online against the computer for a while, discussing progression from sim-racing newbie to veteran, and Peter left convinced this was a great game. I’m just glad to help!

I’ve also been sneaking in games of the original NBA Jam in the mornings before leaving for class. Inspired by the recent confirmation of the series’ return, I’ve been revisiting the original (as well as the Tournament Edition follow-up that’s basically NBA Jam 1.5), and really trying to break apart what made the game fun. This might pop up later as the center of an editorial, but NBA Jam succeeds so well because it’s such a simple, focused experience — there’s no fat and no unneeded difficulty or complexity. As well, the controls and game engine both feel very taut; the game responds quickly to your inputs and you’re rarely caught fighting the game for control.

Because I need the rest, I’m going to spend the weekend stapled to the couch, so I may very well finally beat Batman: Arkham Asylum, and get to spend some time with other games.

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

With December and its myriad holidays out of the way, everybody’s got something to keep them busy. Doug’s back to work on his master’s program, Aaron has transformed into a job-applying machine, and I’ve thankfully found a job once again. Unfortunately, that means we all have a whole lot less time to be playing games, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to turn a blind eye to our sacred obligation to Silicon Sasquatch. Don’t worry! We’ve got a couple great articles that are almost ready for publication, and we’re anticipating a full run of content next week.

In the meantime, here’s what we’ve been keeping ourselves busy with.

Aaron wouldn't say 'I ain't afraid of no ghosts': he has much less bravado toward specters than you might think.

Aaron:

Now, the game I actually have something say about is Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Maybe it’s because I only paid a meager $12.99 at GameFly’s used game store (with free shipping), but I can’t help but like what I’ve seen. I’m perhaps halfway though the story now, and while the camera and controls are a bit rough around the edges, Ghostbusters is pure fun for fans of the movies. It’s by no means perfect, and that’s fine. The humor is there, the attention to detail in the firehouse headquarters is there, the proton packs are spot-on and the thrill of catching a ghost in a trap still makes me giggle just like my 6-year-old self used to with my toy Nerf proton pack and authentic jumpsuit. Ghostbusters is simple fun layered over a strong IP, and I truly hope Atari gives Terminal Reality another shot in future sequel. Maybe when the third movie finally (maybe) sees release next year, a tie-in game could coincide with the film’s debut.

In case you'd like some added context, here's what's happening. Man on the left: "Colonel! What have you been hiding from me!?" Man in giant robot: "Snaaaaaaaaaaake!"

Doug:

Much like Aaron, I’m just going to list out most of what I played over our holiday break because, being a degenerate graduate student, I had almost nothing productive to do between Thanksgiving and this week, when classes re-started up in earnest. Because that means a lot of time to play games, I’m just going to cut the fat and go list-happy.

I finished Brütal Legend (which seemed like it lost its storytelling steam a bit at the very end) and am close to finishing Batman: Arkham Asylum (trap-laden gargoyles are my kryptonite right now). I almost have what the gentlemen at Giant Bomb would term an “S-rank” (or 1000/1000 achievement score) on Forza Motorsport 3, which I also did a lot of online racing on during the break. I was definitely happy to hit Level 50 in that game and get the last gifted car.

The only game really worth the meagre Xbox Live sale over the holiday break was Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which was marked down to almost 60 percent off the regular list price and is worth every penny. Better than arcade-perfect, with every character unlocked from the start and online multiplayer capable? Yes, please. I also received a kind gift in the form of Shadow Complex, which scratches my Metroid-vania itch in so many ways. Definitely one of the best Xbox 360-only games of last year.

Lastly, my sports game fix has come in two forms — first, as part of multiple trips to downtown Portland old-school arcade Ground Kontrol, I’ve fulfilled my basketball jones by playing a bunch of NBA Jam. Nick and I (and friend of the site Andrew) went to GK on New Year’s Eve, and besides crushing the X-Men 6-player arcade game, the most fun had was running the two-man game with the Blazers on NBA Jam. The other sports game I picked up was, finally, Pro Evo Soccer 2010…which definitely lives up to the expectations I had for it based off my playtime with the demo. It may not be as pretty as FIFA 10, but it provides a much more challenging and fulfilling soccer experience. Crank the difficulty all the way up and enjoy smart AI in a sports game for once.

The story of a witch, her hair, and gratuitous almost-nudity. This is gonna be awkward.

Nick:

As a test to see who’s interested in the blog, I offered up a vote on our Facebook page to ask people which game they’d rather see me purchase and review first: Demon’s Souls or Bayonetta. Although there was support for both, Bayonetta got the nod and I picked up a copy last night. While I’ve only had time to play about ten minutes of the game, those ten minutes were extraordinarily promising. I just hope the game’s rampant, bizarre sexuality doesn’t weird out my friends and loved ones.

The majority of my free time has been spent on — yeah, you guessed it — Dragon Age: Origins. I keep thinking I’m getting close to the end, and then another 15-hour sequence of quests pops up. I’m absolutely enamored with the game, so I think I won’t have any complaints if it turns out the game just never ends.

No? Hm. Well, here, check out Stephen Colbert’s exclusive preview of Microsoft’s Project Natal:

They always look.

Nick:

The stars have aligned. Not only will this year mark the release of games by Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman — three veterans of the Golden Age of Adventure Gaming — but it will herald the resurrection of Monkey Island, the game that brought the art of insult swordfighting to the masses.

In celebration of the upcoming remake of The Secret of Monkey Island and Telltale’s first season of Tales of Monkey Island, I dove back into my collection of LucasArts adventure games. First up: The Curse of Monkey Island on Mega-Monkey mode, to truly test my puzzle-solving prowess (and alliterative aspirations, apparently.)  Once I’ve killed Dread Pirate LeChuck again…again, I’m planning on paying a few of my favorites a visit: Full Throttle, Day of the Tentacle and The Dig, most likely. And to cap it all off? I’ll be returning to the colorful streets of El Marrow in Grim Fandango. (Fact: Grim Fandango is the best game ever made. Honest! Look it up somewhere.)

And lest I forget the current generation of gaming, I oughta mention I’ve been plugging away at InFamous (50% completion rate and still excellent) and Red Faction: Guerrilla. Talk about an underdog of a game; Guerrilla’s only been out for a couple weeks and its price has already been slashed from $60 to $40.

Lemme give you some advice: No matter what opinion you may have of Saints Row or the older Red Faction games, toss it right out the window. Red Faction is relentlessly satisfying both online and off. Don’t be shocked if it ends up at the top of my list for Best Games of 2009.

Still the best at what he does.

Aaron:

Purchasing the Xbox 360 version of XMOWUE (that’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine: Uncaged Edition — which makes for an awful acronym) for $37 dollars at Target was the best gaming decision I’ve made this week. I’ve patiently waited for a sale on the game since its release, and I’m glad I finally got a chance to scoop it up.

The game is absolutely ridiculous, disgustingly gory and extremely family friendly (not really). Now I’ve never really read any of Wolverine’s comic series — give me Batman or Spider-Man anyday — but I can tell Raven Software lovingly nailed the feel of being Wolverine. It’s brutal, but also beautiful in a demented sort of way.

I’ll also admit within this allotted virtual space that I’ve become addicted to The Sims 3.

The last time I played any Sims title was way back in 2002 when the first game’s vacation expansion came out. After that I quietly put away the voyeuristic notion of controlling virtual people in favor of more conventional gaming experiences. Plus, I was annoyed with the hundreds of expansion packs EA and Maxis kept releasing (honestly that’s written with just a tinge of hyperbole). Even so I’m back for the third game, and it’s as crack-like as I remember. I have to stop sometime soon though, otherwise it’ll become my new World of Warcraft.

Which, by the way, keeps telling me to play it. I need help.

With Bill Clinton and the Fresh Prince in the rosters, NBA Jam really is the quintessential '90s sports game.

Doug:

Still working on games like Fallout 3, FIFA 09, and others, but have brought out some oldies this week as well as taking in some brand-spanking-new demos.

Kicking it old school: Been taking in some SNES games thanks to the power of emulation, specifically NBA Jam: Tournament Edition and International Superstar Soccer, the precursor to the Pro Evo Soccer series we know now. Gotta love some 16-bit goodness every now and then, but I’m still kind of tweaked that I can’t get the cheat codes for NBA Jam to work. Ah well.

Two big sports game demos dropped this week, though: NCAA Football 10 and The Bigs 2. I put damn near 120 hours in to NCAA 09, and am still kind of looking forward to 10, but man…I was not very impressed with the demo upon playing it for the first time. In fact, you could say I’m kind of down on the game. It just didn’t feel right — I had wanted the game to feel different, to make some improvements, but it still feels odd now that they’re here.

The other demo was The Bigs 2, 2k Sports’ take on arcade baseball. I only ever played the demo of the first one, but it was well liked by a lot of people, including 1up.com’s Sports Anomaly podcast. Well, the demo is incredibly good — fairly easy to pick up, a ton of fun to play, great mechanics, and it doesn’t feel unfair like a lot of arcade sports games can. I would definitely love to get my hands on the full game when it comes out soon.