Wouldn't an all-new NBA Jam be a lovely thing? Let's briefly put aside the fact we had a perfectly serviceable revival as recently as 2010 and wallow instead in the warm nostalgia that fuels NBA Playgrounds, Saber Interactive's characterful spin on a much-loved 90s classic.
And what a gem it was. My memories of NBA Jam are entwined with recollections of life in the 90s - the local Quasar had a cabinet, and I'm fairly sure I'd waltz down there while wearing a Global Technicolour t-shirt, whistling the tune of Deeply Dippy on a Melody Pop - and for a short while I was beholden to Midway's rowdy take on basketball. As the sport was briefly taking hold in the UK, it was a small window into an exotic world presided over by absolute gods. Scottie Pippen! Patrick Ewing! Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon!
I've not really thought about basketball that much since, but I still think back to NBA Jam's brilliant distillation of it; of flaming hoops, shattered backboards and sneakers that burn bright red as they squeak across the court. In being faithful to all that NBA Playgrounds is a worthy cover version of the Midway original, though it is prone to a few too many fumbles of its own.
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