I’ve noted before that I’m a big fan of random old basketball games, and this does a great job of being both random and old.
…its sequel, which is this week’s game, is a Genesis exclusive. Both games are in the over-the-top, 2-on-2 streetball, NBA Jam-style sort of business, though Barkley’s games don’t have an NBA license. It’s just Barkley and a bunch of…interesting characters to choose from.
Curiously, Shut Up and Jam 2 doesn’t include Charles Barkley as one of the playable characters, which is a pretty big bummer. He’s still in the game, sort of, as the voice who angrily yells at you every time something bad happens. That’s probably one of my favorite things about the game, as Chuck is a great, great person to have do this sort of thing. It fits the game’s style really well.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game struggles in a lot of other respects. In particular, the overall act of playing basketball – shooting, passing, moving, defending, and so forth – all feels really sloppy. The defense in particular felt especially frustrating – you can attempt to block a shot or steal the ball, but it seems the more effective way to stop the opponent is to happen to be standing in the ball’s path as it’s passed or the like.
Rebounding tends to work about the same way. The game’s movement makes getting into position for any of this a pain in the butt as well – nothing really gels the way it should. It’s all functional, I suppose, but when there’s no clear rhyme or reason to the mechanics, it can be a frustrating game to play. The AI is also a bit of a mess, as sometimes they’ll leave a player almost impossibly open for a dunk, either to your advantage or otherwise.
The best way to sum this game up succinctly is to note that it tries very hard to be like NBA Jam, but generally comes up short in nearly every way. The graphics and animations are solid, and the commentary is fun, but everything else feels a bit half-assed, leading to an experience that’s unique, but ultimately a bit disappointing – in that sense, it’s a bit like Charles Barkley’s career.
If you’re like me and like weird old basketball games, this series is one you should definitely check out, albeit with fairly low expectations. Maybe try it with a friend, so at least you aren’t along in your frustration. There’s also the notable (and very well done) fan-made follow-up Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden, which turns the whole thing into an RPG. Yes, really.
Next week’s game is a 16-bit platformer based on a 1994 film. So that’ll be good, right? RIGHT?! Ugh. See you then.