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NBA in the Zone 99 (PSX) ReviewRelease Date: March 1999 Background Info
Presentation/Graphics : 85
The motion-capture is excellent and the animations are superb, creating the impression of a real
contest; however, sometimes during key moments players are left standing around, to the point
that they resemble lifeless spectators. When in motion, however, the players are well-done, from
calling plays to setting up shots and battling for position under the hoop, along with the
occasional behind-the-back pass.
The crowd and the benches are animated (although they seem to move in the same rhythm
regardless of the situation); the rendering of the courts is solid; the shifting camera angles during
foul shots offers good portrayals of arena lighting (although the arena layout is generic). Players
control the position of the camera, the angle to the court, zoom and replay options (although all
too often some of the auto-replays are too close to the action).
Presentation/Audio : 74
Less commendable is how Konami chose to handle the matter of a public address announcer and
the play-by-play/color team up in the booth. Although the addition of an announcing team may
enrich one's enjoyment of a game, it can have its problems, especially if the announcing team can't
keep up with the action or if it becomes too predictable or repetitive. This past year some game
designers have also taken a step back from some rather complete renderings of the public address
system, an unfortunate sign. ITZ99 can't decide what to do, and so it offers a restrained PA voice
who also feels compelled to blurt out a few words to celebrate a particularly exciting play or to
tell the user what just happened--"he got him on the arm," and so on. This has been the case in
this series previous incarnations, too. I find the result somewhat annoying; there are other ways
to punctuate certain plays (as in a fan, player or coach saying something) without going to a
TV/radio team.
Interface/Options : 77
There are extensive in-game options. Although ITZ 99 offers preset simulation and arcade
modes, many players will look to customize these settings. You can determine the frequency of
replays, audio and video options (including a rather flexible camera), information displays
(formation and score; on/off), and toggle fatigue, "auto steal avoidance," auto player change, foul
settings, 3, 5, 10, and 24-second violations, back court violations and out of bounds. Additional
game options determine difficulty (five levels), quarter length, number of fouls to foul out, team
fouls, and stamina; toggle options exist for player lock, injuries, and home court advantage. You
may even choose what color ball to use! The manual fails to explain several other options: there's
an option called "shoot" that's adjustable, but what it means (accuracy? frequency?) is left to the
imagination; in exhibition mode, one may adjust a bar next to a team's logo, but exactly what this
does is nowhere to be found.
ITZ 99 is analog-controller compatible, and those players so inclined may use the dual shock
vibration controller. Players may also configure their controllers as desired. There is icon passing
(here called "Pin Point Passing") as well as the more traditional directional passing. Shoulder
buttons access offensive and defensive formations; pressing various combinations of buttons will
allow players to attempt an alley-oop pass, fake shots, dunk off a rebound, double clutch, square
up for the 3-pointer, call for screens, cover the ballhandler, take a charge, and drive toward the
basket.
Users may trade or create players; the latter employs a rather detailed menu to construct a player's
appearance (down to eyes and nose options as well as sweat bands, knee pads, and high or low
sock). In creating a player, one must allocate a fixed number of points, resulting in players with
strengths and weaknesses (and allowing me to give the Knicks the outside shooting presence that
they so sorely need; now if I can only repair Patrick Ewing's Achilles' tendon...). While the
rosters are updated for the beginning of the '98-'99 season, somehow "Roster Guard" has yet to
leave the Bulls for the golf course. Users may also alter the All-Star lineups or add players.
The game is deep in stats, but they are poorly organized (and there are no leader menus during the
playoffs that I could find). It's also a bit difficult to uncover individual player ratings. Finally, I
failed to discover a memory card manager utility; there's a little guesswork involved in saving and
loading. Konami may want to think a bit about both the on-screen options and the omission of
certain information from the manual.
Gameplay : 77
However, even the half court game suffers from some problems. Post play consists of pushing for
position, nothing more. Sometimes, when a player's route to the basket is blocked, instead of
colliding, he'll reel back, off balance for several seconds (and then may try again). The alley-oops
are uneven and a bit risky. And squaring up for a three pointer can become pretty funny; although
it is time-consuming, in many cases the defender just watches or makes a half-hearted stab for the
ball.
Critical to the performance of the CPU-controlled opponent AI is the level of difficulty chosen by
the player. At the easier levels the CPU team will pull up on fast breaks, pass up open shots under
the basket, and be vulnerable to pick and roll and pick and drive plays. It will also milk the clock,
not a wise idea when one needs points. However, it will rarely foul, especially if you prefer a
perimeter game. In contrast, at the more difficult levels the CPU team can shoot with deadly
accuracy and turn all sorts of plays, even in heavy traffic. Neither level is really basketball. Nor is
an interesting consequence of the animation in which players lean against each other to fight for
position. At times the animation is activated far outside the paint, and you discover that the
reason you're a man short is because he's rubbing shoulders with his counterpart off screen. A
skilled player can use the animation to trap opponents in the paint, causing 3-second violations.
One also has reason to question some of the computer's coaching and gameplay decisions in
close contests (again, depending on AI). Once, as the Knicks, I went up by two with eight
seconds to play in a situation where I might have been better advised to work the clock down a
bit more. The computer team in-bounded the ball and did not even attempt to get off a shot.
Now, if I can only get the computer to coach the Indiana Pacers...poor Reggie Miller. :)
The coaching options are disappointing, especially on defense. On both ends of the floor the user
has a choice of sets (and on offense players run generalized plays off these sets). On defense, the
sets are defined in terms of when you pick up the ball handler (full court, 3/4 court, trap, half
court). Unmentioned in the manual are a number of options available in the in-game menus under
strategy, including match-ups, how closely each defender should guard his counterpart, and
overall team emphasis (fast breaks, defense, crash the boards, etc.). The impact of these choices
was not always evident in gameplay, although stressing fast breaks opens up the floor a little. On
the other hand, I liked the option to draw the user-controlled player to the opposition's ball
handler simply by hitting triangle, and option which facilitates double teams and recovering on
coverage. Finally, Konami's always had a problem setting up substitutions; in many cases a player
will have to expend a time out.
In light of all the above, one might get the impression that the game is not worth playing. That's
not true. With the right combination of options and difficulty levels, one can structure an
enjoyable arcade game with sim glosses, complete with dunks, blocks, and long jumpers from
three-point land. But don't mistake some of the realistic aspects of the game for a solid
simulation; real b-ball devotees may find the uneven mix unsatisfying...
Difficulty : 80
Overall : 78
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