(CNN Philippines) — When I was growing up, I spent a lot of hours in front of the TV playing NBA Jam with friends.
For those of you unfamiliar with NBA Jam, it’s a 2-on-2 basketball video game licensed by the National Basketball Association (NBA) back in the 90s which is famous for its exaggerated nature of play where the players jump unrealistically high and make unthinkable dunks.
It was first released as an arcade game, but my playmates and I got acquainted with it using the SNES, or the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
NBA Jam was a classic and had a pinch of awesomeness that is tough to replicate. That’s why when I heard about PBA Slam, I was curious.
PBA Slam is also a 2-on-2 basketball game, but made for mobile platforms, that features teams and players of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The app, which was developed by Ranida Games and launched in April at the PBA’s 40th anniversary celebration, is free and runs on either Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.
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The game obviously draws inspiration from NBA Jam so don’t be surprised if you see your favorite PBA players — even Manny Pacquiao — throw down crazy dunks by defying the laws of physics. And there are no fouls, free throws, or violations as well.
It’s easy to follow — you pick your team, the players you want to use and the team you want to play against. There are a few settings one can configure before playing, though. There’s the usual sound settings, the difficulty level (rookie ,veteran, legend) and how long you want each quarter to last (2-5 minutes).
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to play the game. There are only four controls — a direction button on the left and three buttons on the right (shoot, crossover, pass).
The app has fluid gameplay, impressive visuals, and quirky in-game commentary. Overall, it’s fun and addicting.
As of posting time, the PBA Slam only has a ‘Single Game’ mode. But according to Walter Manalo, Ranida Games Managing Partner and Head of Business Development, the campaign mode feature and the addition of regular and Asian imports will be released on both iOS and Android platforms hopefully by early June.
The ‘Campaign Mode’ allows gamers to play all three PBA conferences for a crack at winning a Grand Slam. Once that feature is up and running, Manalo says that’s the time they’ll start developing the multiplayer aspect of the app.
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PBA Slam has already achieved a certain likeness from its fans but the app still has a lot of room to become more enjoyable.
Wouldn’t it be insane to see PBA legends in the mix, like Robert Jaworski, Vergel Meneses, and Noli Locsin, and players of the Alaska and San Miguel Beer teams that won Grand Slams back in the day?
In the meantime, we’ll have to make do with the Jayson Castros and James Yaps.
