If there was one game outside of Mortal Kombat that dominated the Sega Genesis era in my house, it was NBA Jam. The half court massive dunks, the announcer calling out “He’s on Fire!” or “Boom-shaka-laka!”, and the fast paced play made it a sure winner. Gamers have been calling for a remake of the game for years, and with Midway going under, EA picked up the franchise and is taking it to the hole. Right now, it’s only announced for Wii (although the ESRB has rated the game for Xbox 360 and PS3). We got a chance to play at E3 this year and Justin and I had to be pried away from the controllers.

Being on the Wii, NBA Jam isn’t the most graphically intense game you’ve seen lately, but it feels right at home with character and arena  stylings similar to the original. The original announcer makes a return as well, cementing the fact that your nostalgia meter will be pinging off the charts. We played a full game of the Lakers vs. the Celtics (it was during the NBA Finals and that’s what we picked, even though every team was available in the demo). This is pre-”The Decision”, so the super team in Miami wasn’t yet available. The game controlled well on the Wii, with motion controls being utilized for shooting and dunking (pull the Wii Remote back to start your shot or jump for a dunk, press forward to shoot or slam it home). Other controls on the Wii Remote and Nunchuk were fairly standard. Thankfully, the motion controls didn’t feel overdone and shoe-horned in, like many other games on the platform.

NBA Jam felt just like NBA Jam should — fast paced, fluid basketball gameplay. With your typical NBA Jam modes present and with no online play on the Wii, I have to wonder how many people will have that nostalgia flutter away after a few games on the court. Many of us grew up where friends got together to play games on the couch, but we’ve turned into an age of online play where everyone sits in their own living room and talks trash through a headset. I know personally, now that myself and friends gotten married, have full time jobs, and some have kids, that it’s tough to get people together to play in the same room. With the chance of this coming to the Xbox 360 and PS3 almost a certainty, there’s a strong possibility I’ll wait it out just for the online play.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to NBA Jam, there’s plenty to like here. Hopefully the game sells well enough that the series will live on instead of coming back for a one hit wonder. It’s the perfect basketball game for a large portion of the gaming world.