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2022-08-26
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4KB
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143 lines
en the two
formats.
If you have an IBM and a
Commodore you need BIG BLUE READER.
It's the only program that does what
it does.
-------------------------------------
JORDAN VS BIRD - ONE ON ONE
reviewed by Fender Tucker
As I'm writing this, the NCAA
playoffs are going on and I will have
to resist the urge to compare college
and NBA play. I was the logical
person here at LOADSTAR to review
this program since I am the only
sports fan, but then again I'm the
lousiest joysticker.
JORDAN VS BIRD is the latest
basketball simulation from Electronic
Arts. Their previous program was
BIRD VS DR. J, but Julius Erving
retired and now Michael Jordan is the
slam dunk king.
The program opens up with a nice
title screen and great music, then
goes to an options screen. Nothing
flashy here but I think the options
screen is one of the best features.
It must have been tempting to divide
up all of the options available to
the user into logical screens but EA
wisely kept everything together so
that a user can see exactly what he's
choosing before going to the game
play.
Since the game is 100% joystick-
oriented the option screen uses the
joystick too. This makes sense. I
was a little confused at first
because upon boot-up Joystick #1 is
the operative one.
There are actually three games in
one in JORDAN VS BIRD -- one on one
(for two players or one against the
computer), a slam dunk contest and a
three-point contest. The one on one
game is the most interesting since it
really shows off the excellent sprite
movement algorithms the program uses.
Here are some of the options
available for the one on one game.
Four levels of difficulty.
Four quarter lengths (timewise)
Fouls (yes or no)
Winners/losers out
Clear the ball (yes or no)
Statistics (yes or no)
Shot clock (yes or no)
The Slam Dunk contest (which, in
my opinion, is one of the stupidest
inventions of the 20th century, along
with synchronized swimming and
aerobics) gives you a choice of ten
dunks, all of which score two points,
the same score awarded to any other
shot within 23 feet of the basket.
The fact that a slam dunk can excite a
crowd says more about the gullibility
of crowds than about the expertise of
basketball players.
The Three-Point contest is mainly
an exercise in timing. If you can get
the rhythm down, you can get a high
score.
I didn't really enjoy either of
the two contests but the fact that
they follow the format of the real
contests held at the NBA All-Star
Game is a plus for the program.
The designers obviously spent a
lot of time adding things for the
players to do with their sprite guys
on the screen. The sprites can
shuffle/run, turnaround, fake a jump
shot, do a jab step in either
direction, finger roll, rebound,
steal and block a shot. The fact that
all of these maneuvers are selected
by a subtle movement of a joystick or
a firebutton is miraculous and worthy
of commendation, but it's also very
frustrating.
I'd like to have a button that
makes my guy shoot, no matter what
else is going on. I imagine that
good joystickers, once over the
learning hump, will like having all
of the moves controlled by a single
stick and button, but I didn't. I've
never found a joystick yet that I can
confidently push in a diagonal
direction and have it register
correctly every time. In this game
the joystick movement is very
critical.
All in all, Electronic Arts
deserves a pat on the back for
simulating one on one basketball so
well.
The Slam Dunk and Three Point
contests are superfluous, but are
nice diversions. The main thrust is
the one on one game between two
players or one against the computer
and it is very good.
JORDAN VS BIRD, which sells for
$20 to $30, is a worthwhile purchase
for anyone who likes basketball and
joysticking. It won't take the place
of a Celtics-Lakers game on TV but I
doubt if those guys will be playing
each other again this year...unless
Larry comes back with a vengeance.
**** End of Text ****