NBA Jam may simply be the best sports video game ever released. Who remembers those iconic words “He’s on fire” when your player made 3 shots in row and the ball then turned into flames and made it virtually impossible for you to miss from anywhere on the court? The catch phrases, cartoonish characters, and the outlandish dunks are what made the game so great. Not to mention the hilarious guests and secret players that you were able to unlock and use such as President Clinton.
EA Sports has announced that they’re bringing back NBA Jam for the Nintendo Wii. EA produced a similar classic in its ‘NBA Streets’ series and there’s much speculation that the new ‘NBA Jam’ will buy into the company’s EA Trax system. This means you’ll get a unique hip-hop soundtrack along with the game’s outsized style.
“Four-player action is set to return big-time as sources claim that EA has not only hired [game creator Mark] Turmell to work on upcoming sports games, he’s already been brought to EA’s Vancouver studio to help consult on the new ‘Jam,” wrote ESPN‘s Jon Robinson. “Sources also claim that Turmell isn’t the only old-school Jam vet being brought back to the mix, which makes me wonder if EA will also hire the voice of the original game, Tim Kitzrow, to once again unleash phrases like “Boomshackalacka!” and “He’s on Fire!””
Upon its original release, ‘NBA Jam’ shattered all sorts of arcade records and maintained its wild popularity throughout the course of multiple updates and new versions. With the addition of the Wii’s physical gaming style and some bumping rap jams, this new version is already poised to be a classic.
