Ah, the nostalgia of classic basketball video games. But let’s be honest: some of them have been more than a little disappointing! From White Men Can’t Jump to NBA Live 14, there have been quite a few flops over the years.
In this article, we’ll be ranking the most disappointing NBA video games of all time: what went wrong with each one, which features didn’t hit the mark and why certain celeb endorsements failed. So come on in and buckle up—we’re about to dive into a wild ride of terrible basketball arcade action!
White Men Can’t Jump
It’s a video game that dropped three years after the classic movie of the same name. The game has zero to do with the movie’s storyline, and the issues don’t end there. The controls can be a bit sluggish, and the visuals weren’t anything to write home about, which probably contributed to the overall letdown of the game.
The tie-in wasn’t the greatest either, and this is probably why the game didn’t get the best reviews. White Men Can’t Jump failed to hit the mark because the game, visuals, and connection to the movie were all pretty weak.
NBA All-Star Challenge
NBA All Star Challenge was released in 1995 by Midway Games and it was a basketball video game that featured complete NBA rosters. It was meant to simulate the All-Star Weekend – a tournament featuring all of the NBA’s greatest players competing in various events. Players got to take part in events like the three-point shootout, the slam dunk contest, and even one-on-one games between Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson.
Unfortunately, the game was severely lacking in content, as it didn’t feature an actual All-Star game and was basically just a bunch of mini-games. This lack of content, coupled with the fact that the game was based on the arcade classic NBA Jam, left fans feeling let down.
NBA In The Zone ‘98
Konami had the honor of developing NBA In The Zone ’98, a basketball video game that was released in 1998. The game featured complete NBA rosters and all star weekend, so it was great for basketball fans. However, the game had a few drawbacks that kept it from truly competing with the other NBA titles out there. The visuals were blurry, the court was messed up, and it was hard to tell the far baseline apart.
Additionally, the offensive controls weren’t great, and the game didn’t have the same level of depth that other titles like NBA Jam had. As a result, Next Generation only gave NBA In The Zone ’98 one star out of five, making it one of the most disappointing NBA video games of all time.
NBA Live 14
NBA Live 14 is a basketball video game developed by EA Sports. It was released in 2013 and was intended to be the latest installment of the NBA Live series. Unfortunately, it was met with a less than favorable reception due to its sub-par graphics, lackluster presentation, and clunky gameplay. The game received negative reviews from both critics and users, with many noting the game’s lack of polish and dated feel. As such, NBA Live 14 is often cited as one of the worst basketball video games ever released.
The main issues with NBA Live 14 were its poor graphics, lack of features, and overall clunky gameplay. The visuals looked outdated and the animations were sluggish and unresponsive. The feature set was limited compared to other basketball video games and many of the game’s mechanics felt underdeveloped. Furthermore, the career mode wasn’t very engaging and the online multiplayer was plagued with lag and connection issues. All these factors combined to make NBA Live 14 a disappointing experience for many gamers.
Slam City With Scottie Pippen
It’s a digital video game with a seal of approval from Scottie Pippen himself. Slam City with Scottie Pippen was released in 1995 and it was a streetball game heavily inspired by NBA Jam and Midway’s NBA Jam.
The game was designed to be an arcade-style basketball game so the players were highly stylized, the camera angles were a bit wonky, and the sound effects were straight out of the 90s. The gameplay was pretty straightforward and could get repetitive; there was no real incentive to keep playing other than to try and beat your high score.
The quality of the acting was also pretty poor, with the voice actors doing their best to sound like the characters they were portraying. However, it was quite entertaining in a cheesy B-movie sort of way, and the game really capitalized on the streetball aesthetic.
While it was never as popular as NBA Jam or NBA Street, Slam City with Scottie Pippen still holds a special place in the hearts of basketball video game fans, especially those who grew up in the 90s.
Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball
It’s a pretty wild basketball video game for the SNES. Players are decked out in armor and mines are being thrown from the stands – it’s definitely not your average game of hoops! Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball was endorsed by Bill Laimbeer himself, the former NBA star known for his tough and physical style of play.
The game offers a full-contact, futuristic b-ball game seen from an overhead view that’s totally different from regular basketball. You can’t play as Bill Laimbeer himself, but this game still has the potential to be a total blast! With the added elements of armor and mines, Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball is sure to provide hours of enjoyment for sports game fans.
Rap Jam Volume 1
It’s a b-ball game that lets you hoop it up as your favorite rap stars, and it’s a game that certainly didn’t live up to the hype. The graphics were kind of meh and the lighting was pretty bad, and the gameplay was just as lackluster. The characters were pretty much all the same, so it was tough to tell ’em apart, and that didn’t help the overall experience.
It seemed like the developers prioritized celebrity endorsements over solid gameplay back in the 90s, so they put more emphasis on that than on making sure the gameplay was top-notch. Rap Jam Volume 1 was a disappointment for sure, but it was a fun one.
Shaq-Fu
Shaq. Fu is a classic 2D fighting game released in 1994 for the Sega Genesis and Super NES. It follows Shaquille O’Neal as he saves a kid named Nezu from the wicked mummy Sett Ra in a place called the Second World.
Unfortunately, Shaq-Fu didn’t get the best reviews when it was first released due to its clunky controls, weak story, and boring gameplay. This led to a website being created to make sure every copy of the game was destroyed, making it one of the worst video games ever made.
Despite all of this, it has since become a cult classic among gamers and is a popular topic for debate and analysis in the gaming world.
Barkley Shut Up And Jam
It’s a basketball video game, plain and simple. Barkley Shut Up and Jam was released in 1994 and was the last basketball game from Acclaim Entertainment. It was a mix of slam dunks and 3-pointers, and the focus was on flashy dunks rather than strategy. Despite its flashy visuals, the game had some major drawbacks: poor value, unresponsive controls, and a defense that was basically unbeatable.
When it comes to gameplay, Barkley Shut Up and Jam is pretty much just a bunch of dunking contests with not much strategy involved. You can perform various moves, including a variety of dunks, alley-oops, and passes. Unfortunately, the unresponsive controls and lack of strategic depth make it almost impossible to play a solid defense.
When compared to other b-ball games like NBA Jam and NBA Action ’95 ‘Starting David Robinson, Barkley Shut Up and Jam, there were some major drawbacks. It’s a fun game for a few rounds, but its lack of depth and playability make it one of the most disappointing basketball games ever.
Summary
As we have seen in this list, no basketball video game has been able to hold its own in history. From the ambitious but ultimately disappointing NBA Elite 11 to the cult classic Shaq-Fu, the games featured here have failed to please fans due to their technical and gameplay issues.
The editing process for many of these titles has often led to an unwelcome rushed result with poor quality overall rather than an exciting release that would highlight the stars and legacy of basketball in the gaming industry.
Pat Riley Basketball and White Men Can’t Jump are some other examples that failed to make a lasting impression, while NBA All-Star Challenge showed promise with its All-Star Weekend simulation, but was plagued by its similarities to NBA Jam.
Even more recent releases such as NBA Live 14, Michael Jordan Chaos In The Windy City, or Barkley Shut Up And Jam could not save them from the bad reviews most of them have gotten for years, as it is evident that basketball games still have a long way to go before becoming worthy of praise.
All things considered, though there have been modern attempts to level up basketball video games with intuitive physics, original content and inventive modes, many of these games remain largely relegated to the history books—but definitely not forgotten.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many NBA 2K games are there?
The popular NBA 2K series, developed and published by Visual Concepts and 2K Sports respectively, began back in 1999 with the game “NBA 2K” on the Dreamcast and currently consists of twenty-four main installments and several spinoff titles across eighteen different platforms.
These games have become a staple of the sports gaming genre, with the series being praised for its realistic graphics, deep game modes, and engaging gameplay. The series has also been credited with helping to popularize the NBA and basketball gaming in general.
