0
Revision 2.0
APRIL 26, 1994
This FAQ is available at ftp.netcom.com in /pub/vi/vidgames/
CONTENTS:
ACKNOWLEGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
WHAT'S NEW IN TOURNAMENT EDITION?
IF YOU BEAT ALL 27 TEAMS?
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TIDBITS
SPECIAL CHARACTERS
POWERUPS
RUMOR MILL
STAT SHEETS(Not included in text edition)
STRAGEGY GUIDE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Compiled and Edited by:
Thomas S. Kunka (tskunka@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu)
"Who thanks everybody on the Internet for supplying the info for
me to compile, and has no association with Midway or the NBA."
With Special Thanks To:
Jerry Cattell (jcattell@umiami.ir.miami.edu) (Characters)
Carl Chavez (foregone@u.washington.edu) (1.0 stats & more)
Jeh C. (rspain@mac.cc.macalstr.edu) (3.0 Stats)
Fast Eddie For helping with the extended NBA
JAM FAQ's for all versions.
Randolph S. Vance &
William G. Henderson For working on the original FAQ.
Great Job!
Andy Eddie For a great FTP site to store our FAQ's
This FAQ and others are available at ftp.netcom.com in /pub/vi/vidgames/
Everyone with their name in the game! Hope to join you someday! :-)
Bally/Midway For creating the game.
Carl Johnson My doubles partner
(The one I give many great assists to and cover for on D)
Mike Kokal & Players at 'Just Games' in Downer's Grove IL
Brian Smolik Pretty decent compitition ;-)
Steve Christofferson
Dan Etter
Sammy Saltzman
Lewis Tu
Eric Ching
INTRODUCTION
This FAQ assumes that you have played the original NBA JAM and are fairly
knowledgeable of the numerous Special Characters and Powerups. If you are
not well versed in these areas, please read the other NBA JAM FAQ that
covers both arcade versions as well as the home entertainment systems.
This FAQ only covers the Tournament Edition (TE) and contains information
that is confirmed and a section dedicated to speculation and theory.
The information within has been gathered from other FAQ's and reliable
sources. If information is proved to be incorrect, please INFORM me
(no flames are necessary) Any mistakes are unintentional...I will repost
promptly with corrections as necessary. This edition primarily focuses
on the 3.0 Chip (The one without he MK Characters, but most of the info is
valid for both. Note the version 1.0 has the MK characters and the version
2.0 does not have the MK characters, but is lacking the major trades that
occurred recently (These are VERY rare).
WHAT'S NEW IN TOURNAMENT EDITION?
There is much to be said about the Tournament Edition. Local arcade operators
have told me that it is "not much of an upgrade and is not profitable" and
"are NOT planning on carrying it". I hate to disagree, but anyone who has
played it will feel otherwise.
The above was quoted to be by my local arcade operator, but since then,
they have gotten two of them in! Go figure! Now...to the upgrades!
Three Characters
We asked for it, we got it. Although the game still
has a maximum of 1 to 4 human players, you can select
two characters of three selected from each team. This
allows greater flexibility in 'matching up' against
your opponent. You can also switch players during halftime.
Note that some teams such as Dallas only have two players.
The reason for this is that the digitized pictures from the
old game were kept and one additional players was added.
Some players were traded or left the NBA and could not be
included leaving only two.
Expanded Attributes
Each player is now rated numerically from 0 to 9 in eight
categories.
SPEED Overall speed of player
DUNK Rates the ability to complete dunks and of what variety
3-POINT Rates the ability to hit from downtown
STEAL How well the player strips the ball from opponents
BLOCK How well the player block shots
POWER Resistance to getting knocked down and ability to knock
down other players.
CLUTCH How well the player hits at crunch time
PASS Speed of pass - the faster, the less chance of getting
intercepted
IF YOU BEAT ALL 27 TEAMS?
If you beat all 27, then you can play as team ??? (I call the
'JAM TEAM') that is located on the left side near the bottom
when viewing the team selection screen. You must beat all 27
with the computer as your opponent or it will not count! The
Jam Team consist of special NBA ALL-STARS found in the game on 3.0
machines and on 1.0 machines, they are composed of all stars/MK
characters/special guests.
NBA ALL-STAR TEAM
(??? Selection at the Team Selection Screen)
Compiled by Lewis Tu (72123.146@compuserve.com)
Malone, Kemp Harper, Rider
Robinson, Rodman Miller, Johnson
Drexler, Hardaway Olajuwon, Baker
Ewing, Anderson Armstrong, Maxwell
Coleman, Anderson Mourning, Rick
Stockton, Johnson Hardaway, Jackson
Gill, Richmond Pippen, Miner
Bradley, Webb Thomas, Webber
Dumars, Starks Mashburn, Worthy
Mutumbo, Wilkins Mullin, Manning
After you beat all 27 teams, you will face computer opponents that put
NBA ALL-STARS and SPECIAL GUESTS with regular players. You can turn
this off and face 'normal' teams by turning the 'TOURNAMENT MODE' on.
The difficulty will also increase as you go and the computer actually
poses a threat to your precious winning streaks.
Also of interest...after beating all 27 teams, ANY opposing team will
receive 'QUICK HANDS' and 'MAX POWER'. This really makes things tough!
This can also be nullified with the 'TOURNAMENT MODE'
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TIDBITS
* Computer AI seems to be better.
* Players follow their skills..ie Stockton lurks around the 3-point line.
* The court is now the color of the home team.
* There are new and cool dunks, including more realistic quick power-dunks
that are hard to block.
* Speed of game action seems to be quicker than original
* "FIRE" does not last as long as in the original.
* When playing a human opponent, there is NO COMPUTER ASSISTANCE
* There are five internal game speed settings.
* There are five internal drone intelligence settings.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS
As in the original, there are special characters that you can get
by entering a specified initials and birthday. When you select these
characters, you do not see their attributes. By playing them, we will
get a better idea of their strengths and post our findings. Note:
The MK Characters and some of the more morally questionably ones have
been removed in Version 3.0. The NBA had decided that the league's
image could not tolerate their use. There are however many of the
older machines out there and codes that were removed are marked
with an #.
This list has been maintained and updated by Jerry Cattell.
Davis is the new addition to the list.
However,the code has only been tested on a v3.0.
If any of you out there can confirm it for a v1.0,
please email Jerry Cattell..
NBA Jam Tournament Edition Character Codes:
(* means does not work on version 3.0) (# means does not work on old version 1.0
or 2.0)
NBA ALL-STARS:
*Barkley BRK FEB 20
#Rodman ROD MAY 13
#Thomas ZEK APR 30
Brown DEE NOV 29
Coleman DC_ JUN 21
Ewing PAT AUG 5
Kemp KMP NOV 26
Malone KRL JUL 24
Mourning ZO_ FEB 8
Olajuwan HAK JAN 21
Pippen PIP SEP 25
Robinson ROB AUG 6
Webber WEB MAR 1
Wilkins DOM APR 16
SPECIAL GUESTS:
Kerri Hoskins(Yes!) KER OCT 10
Lorraine Olivia(Yes!) LOR FEB 20
*Coman(guy w/ gas mask) TJC OCT 11
*Elviscious ELV JAN 8
*Grim Reaper GRM OCT 31
*Kongo KNG JAN 16
*Raiden RAD JUL 9
*Reptile RPT NOV 11
*Sub-Zero SUB DEC 5
Air Morris(Old Code) WIL JAN 1
Barker PCB MAY 9
Davies(female) RJD SEP 3
Boon(the one and only) EJB FEB 22
Davis WBD AUG 17
Divita(Old Code) SAL FEB 1
Dabelstein(cap, glasses) DOZ DEC 31
Dillon JPD JUN 3
Carleton(Old Code) JMC AUG 5
Forden DWF SEP 28
Granner CG_ DEC 4
Gay RMG AUG 11
Heitsch WMN NOV 11
Petro(Old Code) GNP OCT 8
Hey(Old Code) JWH SEP 20
Jarvis EPJ JAN 27
Kinkead DIE JAN 1
Lasko ANL AUG 31
Linda Deal(female) LTD APR 30
Loffredo ML_ MAY 25
Goskie(Old Code) TWG DEC 7
Mednick CMM JUL 2
Oursler(Old Code) SNO JAN 3
Turmell(Old Code) MJT MAR 22
Newcomer(Old Code) JRN JUN 18
Liptak(Old Code) SL_ JUN 24
Penacho MDP JAN 13
Rivett(Old Code) RJR JAN 17
Roger Sharpe ROG AUG 1
Simpson JMS FEB 22
Tobias TOB AUG 24
Tsui JYT NOV 28
POWERUPS
Just as in the original, there are many 'Powerups' that give
your player super-human abilities. These are done with various
Joystick/Button combos. If they do not work for you, keep trying
for you may ne uncoordinated like me.
BIG HEAD
Hold Joystick Up and Hold Turbo and Steal
Gives you a larger head...and makes you a bit taller
TEAM SWAP
Hold Joystick Right and Hold Pass - At HALF-TIME
Allows you to change team at half-time
May have to hit pass 3 or 4 times.
TOURNAMENT MODE
Hold Joystick Right and Hold All 3 buttons - At "TONIGHT'S..."
Turns off all Special Characters and some powerups
Turns off computer assistance.
ALT Spin Joystick Clockwise and Tap All buttons - At "TONIGHT'S..."
Same as above, but seems to turn on "SHOT % MODE"
I like this way personally.
EXTENDED ROSTER
Spin Joystick counterclockwise 3 Times and Press and
Release the STEAL button at TEAM SELECTION screen! Tap
STEAL 3 or 4 times and you can probably get it.
Gives you a choice of an extra player on SOME teams.
SHRINK CHARACTERS
Hold Joystick at DOWN/RIGHT Angle and Tap All 3 buttons
at once 3 Times.
Shrinks characters by 30%
MAX POWER
Hold Joystick Down and Hold all 3 buttons Down and START
Seems to Boost the Power Attribute
POWERUP GT (Goaltending that is!)
Hit Shoot 24 times! (Very difficult!)
Very few goaltending calls
BABY-SIZED CHARACTERS
Hold Joystick at DOWN/RIGHT Angle and Tap Turbo then
Shoot then Pass 3 times .
Makes characters really tiny....try it it is pretty wierd.
QUICK HANDS
Hold Joystick down and hit Shoot 5 times and hold on 5th
HUGE HEAD
Hit Shoot 5 Times, then Hold Joystick Up, hold Turbo and Pass
This gives you a really big head!
RUMOR MILL
This section is dedicated to all things not confirmed.
If anyone wishes to confirm the following information, PLEASE DO!
Then contact me and I will move it to the confirmed sections.
If you posted something listed in this section, it is not because
I do not believe you, but I am just waiting for a secondary
conformation by our primary contributors.
MISCELLEANEOUS:
When you turn off all codes with the TOURNAMENT MODE, it still allows
you to have some powerups but the message does not display. When
on a 1.0 machine, I got the effects of Max Power even with TOURNAMENT
MODE on. Just do the code as normal and try it out in the game.
Also, BIG HEAD will last through the first half on the 1.0 machines.
This may be a bug in the older version, but it is a way to get a
leg up on those people who turn everything off and rub your nose in
it that they know somthing.that you don't. Just do the code and beat
up on them!
At least on 1.0 machines, there seems to be somthing different about
player one. The rumored indestructability code (which may be just
MAX POWER with TOURNAMENT MODE on) only works for player one. With
the above note...The MAX POWER seems to only require All three buttons
and Joystick Down and not the START button as well, making it different
from the other players.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS:
APH NOV 18 Penny Hardaway
JVC,GET,SAN,CRL ???
POWERUPS:
Indestructibility - This code still hasn't been stated as confirmed:
This may be the bug that we found for allowing MAX POWER even with
TOURNAMENT MODE on.
STRATEGY GUIDE
The purpose of this section is to help people new or not so new to
the game learn some of the insights and tactics of some of the great
JAM players of the Internet. I will try to fill this section with
subsections written by some of these people as well as myself. I
think this is fair since I and everyone else has their own style,
thinking, and bias. I think that the addition of this section is
informative and entertaining.
Thomas Kunka:
Biography:
Thomas Kunka is currently working as Computer Training Coordinator
at Illinois State University in Bloomington/Normal Illinois as well
as finishing his Master's in Applied Computer Science and starting on
his Doctorate in Educational Administration. When not working, he can
be found at the local arcade searching for a good game of NBA JAM or
working on this FAQ! Here is his butchering of the English language.
On Strategy (Semi-Random Thoughts that dwell in his mind):
Picking the proper team is very important. Countless times I have
seen people pick a team like Seattle and try to shoot threes the
entire game with Kemp. I'm sorry, but it's not going to work well.
You have to match your team to your strategy.
In general on TE, I have been using the Washington Bullets. Laugh
if you must, but from my perspective, they are a very balanced team.
You have got Pervis Ellison who is a bit slower that I would like but
can play some serious defense with a 8 on power and an 9 on block and
he can power down a few dunks with a rating of 6. Calbert Cheaney
who has serious speed, threes, and steals. He is a good person at
crunch time and a great person to feed when you get double teamed.
And I always take Tom Gugliotta :-) because he is a very balanced
player with no attribute less than a 4. His strengths lie in his
three point shooting, speed, dunks, and power.
With better than average on three point shooting, speed, dunks, and
power I can meld into my strategy perfectly. I am generally a
three point shooter but like the ability to go strong and possibly
pass out of the dunk to my teammate and I am a firm believer in
knockdowns.
On offense I usually delay a second after inbound and then take it
up the court. My computer drone Ellison usually can throw a really
good screen at the top of the key and I go right around him towards
the top of the screen. This gives me a great cushion to launch a
good three. This works great against the computer, against humans,
it works fine as well at times.
On defense against the computer, I am basically a sieve and just hope
to contain them at crunch time. It seems frustrating at times,
because the computer seems to hold on to the ball and get off shots
that no human ever would against me. With timing, there is a
repetitive knockdown you can get in the backcourt, hit them back
off and when they get up, bull rush them. If you don't give them
space or time the hit right, they will pass out to their teammate
for an easy score. What also works good against the computer and
tougher computer drones is the combo hit and swipe where you knock
the opponent down and they hold on to the ball and you then get as
close as possible and hit steal.
On defense against humans, I consider myself a menace. I recently
played two against myself and held them to 8 points in the half.
I really knock them around and at times (especially when playing
doubles) I think that my sole mission is not to score but just to
keep the opponent in the stands. Against humans, this is very
effective...knocking them repeatedly into the stands is very
frustrating and makes them worry endlessly, forcing them into
mental mistakes.
Also, I like to pick on their computer player more than them when
playing one-on-one. If your drone is good on defense and is covering
the human player, he usually sticks pretty close. I frustrate my
doubles partner when we go head to head by leveling his computer
player just as he releases a pass. This is very entertaining when
you are off the screen and the computer drone comes flying into view.
Against good singles competition, the human player can burn you if you
are too aggressive with as quick pass to their drone.
For doubles me and my partner haven't played much TE and are wondering
what team we should choose. On the old Jam, we always took Orlando
with him as Shaq and me putting in Tony Scott for Skiles. The goal
was to get him on fire and goaltend. I was the assist man and three
point shooter as well as the infractor of scores of knockdowns...I
only wish that they tracked them back then. TE presents some new
challenges for us. He is now wanting to play the three point shooter
usually Stockton. With me as Malone, I can usually slice through the
defense, go in for the dunk, and dish out to him for the trey. I gave
him 14 straight assists for three pointers once. With results like that
I won't complain very much. We have been also contemplating using the
76ers against newbies who don't know the 'TOURNAMENT MODE' Take Bradley
with 'MAX POWER' and sub the ALL-STAR Pippen in place of Weatherspoon
with 'MAX POWER'.
I will take this time to note that I have not mastered all of the
powerups. I don't have the coordination to get POWERUP G.T. which
I would like for Bradley to have. Our premise for this combo is
speed, power (artificial), me with great overall ability, and him
with the ability to massively goaltend when on fire. Basically get
him on fire and allow me to pound the opponents into a pulp and be
the assist man again....just like the old days of JAM!
I generally play on lots of emotion and try to get a chip on my
shoulder. I love when people talk trash and really piss me off.
It makes it all the better when I go up by 15 in the first period.
I am not a perfect player and many of the games are close down to
the wire. One of the problems that I am having is that I play my
partner and the computer too much and this has led me to not be
well adapted to various styles of play. I can seldom get a match
around here and I am forced to play the computer. In the days of
old jam, I had a five deep line waiting to play me, now nobody plays.
Another note about picking players...It is really cool to hear
opponents say..."Who the hell is Gugliotta?' and comment all
through the game, "He's not THAT fast" , "How can HE knock me down?"
,"How come he keeps hitting threes?", "He just dunked on ZO!"
It is nice to be the jack of all trades! In Chicago, my bud Mike and
I were in a good game with a pretty decent team, they beat us the
first two and then I and Gugs took over and scored about 15 points
in about a minute...just alternating steal, three, steal, dunk,
steal, three..etc. I don't often take over on a doubles game, but
we put them away from that game on. Mike kept on yelling at me
because I would rather get the assist than the score...I can score
when I have to!
Also teams like Miami are good for many people with Miner and Rice.
Great speed and you have Miner with a 9 on dunks and Rice a 9 on threes.
Not bad at all! It still amazes me though...my partner and I took
Seattle with me as Kemp and him as Payton. This was a 1.0 machine :-(
so the players are a tad different than 3.0. I was miffed as Kemp
clanked about 6 or 8 dunks off the back iron. We lost some close
games because I couldn't put down a lousy dunk with a guy who had a 9.
This made me really ticked. Dunks are supposed to be a gimmie.
I can see getting knocked down at he last second or having it blocked
by another big man, but NO...Clangggggg!!!! Just give me the three
and I am fine. Thats why I like Gug's...he does it all and never
really screws up. I remember going for the dunk with him, getting
hammered by both ZO and Johnson, hold onto the ball, swing my arms
bodys flying, and dunk the thing. I like that!
Carl Chavez:
Biography:
Carl Chavez is an English major at the University of Washington (although
little of his talent was used in his strategy guide...;) ). He has had an
addiction to video games since playing Space Invaders when he was 4. He
occasionally writes computer programs as a hobby and would love to continue
his NBA Jam conversion for the Amiga if someone would provide him with IFF
graphics for the face generator he's written (since he can't use NBA
players' faces).
Strategy:
TEAM SELECTION:
The teams I like to use most are:
Seattle Supersonics - besides being my hometown team, the Supersonics
have very good balance. All four players can shoot 3-pointers
(all players have at least a five), three can dunk, three can
block, all can steal, and they're very fast too. I prefer a
lineup of Kemp and Schrempf because the CPU Schrempf helps me out
a lot; I think the high power of Schrempf tells the CPU that it
should beat up the opponent with injuries and block the hell of the
opponent. On a two-player game, I prefer Kemp and Gill be cause both
my teammate and I have two of the best players in NBA Jam TE.
Dallas Mavericks - Mashburn is hard to stop in the paint. His high
dunk catapults him over the opponent, and his high power can knock
blockers down while he's in the air. His 3-point shooting can hurt
from outside, he can block well, and he's good in the clutch. Jackson
is a good CPU player because of his steal and power ratings; he can
cause quite a few turnovers. Jackson also shoots the 3 well, and he's
good in the clutch too. The best thing about the Mavs - they are the
fastest team in the game (tied with the Clippers, Heat, and Nets).
Philadelphia 76ers - I have seen Bradley block a shot without jumping
(my opponent released the shoot button too early). Bradley is--with
Mourning and Robinson--the fastest center in the game. His outside
shooting inside the 3-point arc is excellent since his height makes
him very difficult for the shorter (6'6" and below?) players to block.
Bradley's height makes rebounding and "legal goaltending" very easy.
He can really steal with his long arms (7 steal rating), and he is one
of the best passing centers. Weatherspoon is a decent recipient of
those passes, since he can shoot 3's and he can dunk. Philadelphia's
weakness - the lowest clutch rating in the game. If you're behind near
the end of the game, you could lose.
Minnesota Timberwolves - Rider. He's fast, he dunks, he steals, he
shoots threes; he has good balance, and in my opinion he's better
than Gill because of his higher speed. Person, "the Rifleman,"
is a 3-baller and a very good stealer. He always hits his
last-second 3's because of his high clutch.
Milwaukee Bucks - I just like using Lohaus because I like the way
the announcer says his name: "H-LOWWW-HOWUSS." The team itself sucks.
MY ATTRIBUTE PREFERENCES:
The most important attribute is power. Power helps with both offense
and defense, because without power you can't knock people down. The
ball is harder to steal, dunks are blocked more, the path to the
basket is more clogged with standing players.
Second in importance is speed. With extra speed, you can shake off
defenders, get open for threes, drive for a dunk, and run for good
rebounding position. You can also conserve turbo.
Third is dunk. If you haven't noticed, it's possible to dunk from
close to the 3-pt. line at the top of the screen if your player
has a high dunk. Dunks are the most accurate shot in the game, are
harder to block than a normal shot, and help you get on fire
(since goaltends of shots do not count toward the 3 shots to get
on fire). The weakness of the dunk is that a person skilled at
knocking down players can just shove you before you put the ball
in; but if your power is high your dunk will still be successful
(it's funny to see a person get knocked in mid-air, but his power
is high so he floats to the floor throwing his elbows; sometimes
the player will change dunk direction too).
STRATEGY:
Like the Supersonics, I believe a constant pressure defense will
win a game because of transition points. Steal the ball and put
it in your own basket. Block the ball and force a shot clock
violation.
Rebounding is very important. You can grab a defensive rebound
and quickly pass it to your partner for a fast break, or throw your
elbows to clear a way for you to bring it across halfcourt. After
an offensive rebound, you can either put it back with a mid-air
layup or throw your elbows and try another play.
3-point shooting should only be used in an emergency. I'm sick of
watching players take 3 after 3, missing at least half of them.
A better strategy is to dunk or layup until you're on fire, THEN
take the 3's.
Related to this '3 after 3' problem: there are many complaints
about bad players who beat veterans by throwing 3's from backcourt.
People who lose because of this strategy need to learn the proper
use of goaltending. If someone throws from fullcourt often, just
goaltend the ball. Sure, your opponent gets 3 points, but according
to you he would've anyway. As a bonus, your count to "fire" is not
reset, so once you get on fire your opponent can't do it anymore.
If you're against the CPU, there's less than 20 seconds left in the
period and you have a small lead, DON'T advance past halfcourt right
away. Just throw your elbows, because the computer will attack you.
They will fall down, and THEN you can try to score. This is an
important thing to do, because the CPU gets extremely tough with
<10 seconds in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters, and with <30 seconds
left in the 4th quarter.
TACTICS AGAINST A CPU:
First, an important hint:
When I tell you to "hit the guy," I don't mean hit, hit, hit. I
mean hit ONCE. Now check if the ball was dropped; if it has, then
grab it. If the player still has the ball, RETREAT. If you are too
close to the player when he stands, he will pass. Also, a quick
retreat lets you recharge some turbo so you can hit more times.
When the player stands, charge him and hit him again. Repeat
until stolen.
If the CPU has Max Power, hit TWICE before retreating. This is
more risky, but you are more likely to move the CPU player away
from the ball (sometimes the player falls, but the ball is under
his body, so you have to "move" him).
Backcourt pressure:
Watch the CPU as it inbounds the ball. First, it will pass to its
partner. Then it will do one of three things:
1) It will go toward the top of the screen,
2) It will go toward the bottom of the screen, or
3) It will go through the middle.
What happens:
1) This is the preferred occurence. The computer will probably fly
into the stands after one hit, so a steal is easy.
2) This is OK. The computer will need at least two hits to drop
the ball, though, unless you have a very high power.
3) This is rare, which is good, because the CPU will try
(and sometimes succeed) in going through you and your partner.
What to do:
1) Hit the guy into the stands and take the ball.
2) Hit the guy and take the ball.
3) Try for a hit. If you miss, back off and try again at halfcourt.
Halfcourt pressure:
This is where speed is important. If you can't hit the guy with
the ball, force the CPU to pass to his partner and hit him instead.
Get close to the ballhandler and he will pass, so quickly chase
the ball and hit the receiver as he grabs it.
Frontcourt pressure:
If you're ahead by at least 3, the CPU will probably try to shoot
a three-pointer. The CPU is quite predictable as to when it will
shoot, so you can try to block the shot. Alternatively, you can
let the CPU take the shot and goaltend it legally (jump as it
enters the cylinder and you can grab a rebound or a block: doesn't
work on swishes). Another alternative is to goaltend it illegally
and give them the points. A goaltended basket does not cancel out
your count for fire...
If you're behind or you have a small lead, then just get in the
CPU's face so it can't dunk and so its jump shots are less accurate.
Mix in a couple of swipes. Don't hit the CPU, though, because if you
miss or he doesn't fall down, he can either run past you and score or
pass to his teammate. Only hit the CPU if it is dunking or is near
the stands.
Jerry Cattell:
Biography:
Jerry Cattell is a student at the University of Miami majoring in
Computer Engineering/Computer Science/Mathematics. In his free
time(the little that he has), he can be found in computer labs
reading email and the 'Net, or hanging around the campus arcade.
On weekends, it's a sure thing you can find him at Grand Prix
Race-O-Rama taking on unsuspecting victims.
Strategy:
I have to agree with Thomas Kunka that it is very important to
choose a team that fits to your needs(I think people everywhere
must choose Seattle and use Kemp for 3-pointers) :)
I don't have any particular team that I always use, but all the
teams have one thing in common, big men. I don't bother with the
guys who are well-rounded; I go straight for the guys who are
going to get in your face and block the ball(Robinson, Bradley,
Ewing, Webber, and even Kemp). My general style of play is just
to play tenacious D. I do whatever I have to so that I can get
on fire. Then I goaltend away! While I am under the belief that
only a certain amount of points can be scored before the fire
streak ends, I feel that this period should be extended as long as
possible; for as long as you're on fire and goaltending, the
opposing team won't be able to score. So generally I just take
care of the defense, go up for the dunk, pass it off to my teammate,
and let him score. This also helps build the stats. You get the
assist if the ball goes in, the rebound if he misses and you get the
ball, or a steal or block if the computer gets the board.
It's nice to have a regular doubles partner so that you know exactly
what to do and when. However, many of us don't have the luxury,
so you have to be able to adapt to any style of play. When playing
against the computer, try to change styles of play. For one quarter,
just keep trying to find the right place to take three pointers.
For the next, just keep taking it to the hoop.
Being able to adapt is important in general. Not only does it make
it much easier to play with any number of partners, it can really
throw off your opponent's defensive strategy. If you continuously
go to the hoop, your opponents will generally try to compensate for
it. That leaves you open for the outside shot more often then not.
While I generally play around with the powerups when playing the
computer(always trying to find some new combo :), I don't use
powerups against people, unless someone is doing a lot of
trash-talking or I'm in an especially evil mood.
FINAL NOTE:
Thanx for all the hard work and info...keep on Jammin...tk
This FAQ is available at ftp.netcom.com in /pub/vi/vidgames/
--
"He starts writing a letter, Thomas S. Kunka
to make it perfectly clear Computer Training Coordinator
he's just a man who has reached \0 Illinois State University
the end of his rope, expressing |\ My opinion is not ISU's
his doubts and his fears" -- The Kinks /\ although we sometimes agree.
APRIL 26, 1994
This FAQ is available at ftp.netcom.com in /pub/vi/vidgames/
CONTENTS:
ACKNOWLEGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
WHAT'S NEW IN TOURNAMENT EDITION?
IF YOU BEAT ALL 27 TEAMS?
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TIDBITS
SPECIAL CHARACTERS
POWERUPS
RUMOR MILL
STAT SHEETS(Not included in text edition)
STRAGEGY GUIDE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Compiled and Edited by:
Thomas S. Kunka (tskunka@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu)
"Who thanks everybody on the Internet for supplying the info for
me to compile, and has no association with Midway or the NBA."
With Special Thanks To:
Jerry Cattell (jcattell@umiami.ir.miami.edu) (Characters)
Carl Chavez (foregone@u.washington.edu) (1.0 stats & more)
Jeh C. (rspain@mac.cc.macalstr.edu) (3.0 Stats)
Fast Eddie For helping with the extended NBA
JAM FAQ's for all versions.
Randolph S. Vance &
William G. Henderson For working on the original FAQ.
Great Job!
Andy Eddie For a great FTP site to store our FAQ's
This FAQ and others are available at ftp.netcom.com in /pub/vi/vidgames/
Everyone with their name in the game! Hope to join you someday! :-)
Bally/Midway For creating the game.
Carl Johnson My doubles partner
(The one I give many great assists to and cover for on D)
Mike Kokal & Players at 'Just Games' in Downer's Grove IL
Brian Smolik Pretty decent compitition ;-)
Steve Christofferson
Dan Etter
Sammy Saltzman
Lewis Tu
Eric Ching
INTRODUCTION
This FAQ assumes that you have played the original NBA JAM and are fairly
knowledgeable of the numerous Special Characters and Powerups. If you are
not well versed in these areas, please read the other NBA JAM FAQ that
covers both arcade versions as well as the home entertainment systems.
This FAQ only covers the Tournament Edition (TE) and contains information
that is confirmed and a section dedicated to speculation and theory.
The information within has been gathered from other FAQ's and reliable
sources. If information is proved to be incorrect, please INFORM me
(no flames are necessary) Any mistakes are unintentional...I will repost
promptly with corrections as necessary. This edition primarily focuses
on the 3.0 Chip (The one without he MK Characters, but most of the info is
valid for both. Note the version 1.0 has the MK characters and the version
2.0 does not have the MK characters, but is lacking the major trades that
occurred recently (These are VERY rare).
WHAT'S NEW IN TOURNAMENT EDITION?
There is much to be said about the Tournament Edition. Local arcade operators
have told me that it is "not much of an upgrade and is not profitable" and
"are NOT planning on carrying it". I hate to disagree, but anyone who has
played it will feel otherwise.
The above was quoted to be by my local arcade operator, but since then,
they have gotten two of them in! Go figure! Now...to the upgrades!
Three Characters
We asked for it, we got it. Although the game still
has a maximum of 1 to 4 human players, you can select
two characters of three selected from each team. This
allows greater flexibility in 'matching up' against
your opponent. You can also switch players during halftime.
Note that some teams such as Dallas only have two players.
The reason for this is that the digitized pictures from the
old game were kept and one additional players was added.
Some players were traded or left the NBA and could not be
included leaving only two.
Expanded Attributes
Each player is now rated numerically from 0 to 9 in eight
categories.
SPEED Overall speed of player
DUNK Rates the ability to complete dunks and of what variety
3-POINT Rates the ability to hit from downtown
STEAL How well the player strips the ball from opponents
BLOCK How well the player block shots
POWER Resistance to getting knocked down and ability to knock
down other players.
CLUTCH How well the player hits at crunch time
PASS Speed of pass - the faster, the less chance of getting
intercepted
IF YOU BEAT ALL 27 TEAMS?
If you beat all 27, then you can play as team ??? (I call the
'JAM TEAM') that is located on the left side near the bottom
when viewing the team selection screen. You must beat all 27
with the computer as your opponent or it will not count! The
Jam Team consist of special NBA ALL-STARS found in the game on 3.0
machines and on 1.0 machines, they are composed of all stars/MK
characters/special guests.
NBA ALL-STAR TEAM
(??? Selection at the Team Selection Screen)
Compiled by Lewis Tu (72123.146@compuserve.com)
Malone, Kemp Harper, Rider
Robinson, Rodman Miller, Johnson
Drexler, Hardaway Olajuwon, Baker
Ewing, Anderson Armstrong, Maxwell
Coleman, Anderson Mourning, Rick
Stockton, Johnson Hardaway, Jackson
Gill, Richmond Pippen, Miner
Bradley, Webb Thomas, Webber
Dumars, Starks Mashburn, Worthy
Mutumbo, Wilkins Mullin, Manning
After you beat all 27 teams, you will face computer opponents that put
NBA ALL-STARS and SPECIAL GUESTS with regular players. You can turn
this off and face 'normal' teams by turning the 'TOURNAMENT MODE' on.
The difficulty will also increase as you go and the computer actually
poses a threat to your precious winning streaks.
Also of interest...after beating all 27 teams, ANY opposing team will
receive 'QUICK HANDS' and 'MAX POWER'. This really makes things tough!
This can also be nullified with the 'TOURNAMENT MODE'
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TIDBITS
* Computer AI seems to be better.
* Players follow their skills..ie Stockton lurks around the 3-point line.
* The court is now the color of the home team.
* There are new and cool dunks, including more realistic quick power-dunks
that are hard to block.
* Speed of game action seems to be quicker than original
* "FIRE" does not last as long as in the original.
* When playing a human opponent, there is NO COMPUTER ASSISTANCE
* There are five internal game speed settings.
* There are five internal drone intelligence settings.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS
As in the original, there are special characters that you can get
by entering a specified initials and birthday. When you select these
characters, you do not see their attributes. By playing them, we will
get a better idea of their strengths and post our findings. Note:
The MK Characters and some of the more morally questionably ones have
been removed in Version 3.0. The NBA had decided that the league's
image could not tolerate their use. There are however many of the
older machines out there and codes that were removed are marked
with an #.
This list has been maintained and updated by Jerry Cattell.
Davis is the new addition to the list.
However,the code has only been tested on a v3.0.
If any of you out there can confirm it for a v1.0,
please email Jerry Cattell..
NBA Jam Tournament Edition Character Codes:
(* means does not work on version 3.0) (# means does not work on old version 1.0
or 2.0)
NBA ALL-STARS:
*Barkley BRK FEB 20
#Rodman ROD MAY 13
#Thomas ZEK APR 30
Brown DEE NOV 29
Coleman DC_ JUN 21
Ewing PAT AUG 5
Kemp KMP NOV 26
Malone KRL JUL 24
Mourning ZO_ FEB 8
Olajuwan HAK JAN 21
Pippen PIP SEP 25
Robinson ROB AUG 6
Webber WEB MAR 1
Wilkins DOM APR 16
SPECIAL GUESTS:
Kerri Hoskins(Yes!) KER OCT 10
Lorraine Olivia(Yes!) LOR FEB 20
*Coman(guy w/ gas mask) TJC OCT 11
*Elviscious ELV JAN 8
*Grim Reaper GRM OCT 31
*Kongo KNG JAN 16
*Raiden RAD JUL 9
*Reptile RPT NOV 11
*Sub-Zero SUB DEC 5
Air Morris(Old Code) WIL JAN 1
Barker PCB MAY 9
Davies(female) RJD SEP 3
Boon(the one and only) EJB FEB 22
Davis WBD AUG 17
Divita(Old Code) SAL FEB 1
Dabelstein(cap, glasses) DOZ DEC 31
Dillon JPD JUN 3
Carleton(Old Code) JMC AUG 5
Forden DWF SEP 28
Granner CG_ DEC 4
Gay RMG AUG 11
Heitsch WMN NOV 11
Petro(Old Code) GNP OCT 8
Hey(Old Code) JWH SEP 20
Jarvis EPJ JAN 27
Kinkead DIE JAN 1
Lasko ANL AUG 31
Linda Deal(female) LTD APR 30
Loffredo ML_ MAY 25
Goskie(Old Code) TWG DEC 7
Mednick CMM JUL 2
Oursler(Old Code) SNO JAN 3
Turmell(Old Code) MJT MAR 22
Newcomer(Old Code) JRN JUN 18
Liptak(Old Code) SL_ JUN 24
Penacho MDP JAN 13
Rivett(Old Code) RJR JAN 17
Roger Sharpe ROG AUG 1
Simpson JMS FEB 22
Tobias TOB AUG 24
Tsui JYT NOV 28
POWERUPS
Just as in the original, there are many 'Powerups' that give
your player super-human abilities. These are done with various
Joystick/Button combos. If they do not work for you, keep trying
for you may ne uncoordinated like me.
BIG HEAD
Hold Joystick Up and Hold Turbo and Steal
Gives you a larger head...and makes you a bit taller
TEAM SWAP
Hold Joystick Right and Hold Pass - At HALF-TIME
Allows you to change team at half-time
May have to hit pass 3 or 4 times.
TOURNAMENT MODE
Hold Joystick Right and Hold All 3 buttons - At "TONIGHT'S..."
Turns off all Special Characters and some powerups
Turns off computer assistance.
ALT Spin Joystick Clockwise and Tap All buttons - At "TONIGHT'S..."
Same as above, but seems to turn on "SHOT % MODE"
I like this way personally.
EXTENDED ROSTER
Spin Joystick counterclockwise 3 Times and Press and
Release the STEAL button at TEAM SELECTION screen! Tap
STEAL 3 or 4 times and you can probably get it.
Gives you a choice of an extra player on SOME teams.
SHRINK CHARACTERS
Hold Joystick at DOWN/RIGHT Angle and Tap All 3 buttons
at once 3 Times.
Shrinks characters by 30%
MAX POWER
Hold Joystick Down and Hold all 3 buttons Down and START
Seems to Boost the Power Attribute
POWERUP GT (Goaltending that is!)
Hit Shoot 24 times! (Very difficult!)
Very few goaltending calls
BABY-SIZED CHARACTERS
Hold Joystick at DOWN/RIGHT Angle and Tap Turbo then
Shoot then Pass 3 times .
Makes characters really tiny....try it it is pretty wierd.
QUICK HANDS
Hold Joystick down and hit Shoot 5 times and hold on 5th
HUGE HEAD
Hit Shoot 5 Times, then Hold Joystick Up, hold Turbo and Pass
This gives you a really big head!
RUMOR MILL
This section is dedicated to all things not confirmed.
If anyone wishes to confirm the following information, PLEASE DO!
Then contact me and I will move it to the confirmed sections.
If you posted something listed in this section, it is not because
I do not believe you, but I am just waiting for a secondary
conformation by our primary contributors.
MISCELLEANEOUS:
When you turn off all codes with the TOURNAMENT MODE, it still allows
you to have some powerups but the message does not display. When
on a 1.0 machine, I got the effects of Max Power even with TOURNAMENT
MODE on. Just do the code as normal and try it out in the game.
Also, BIG HEAD will last through the first half on the 1.0 machines.
This may be a bug in the older version, but it is a way to get a
leg up on those people who turn everything off and rub your nose in
it that they know somthing.that you don't. Just do the code and beat
up on them!
At least on 1.0 machines, there seems to be somthing different about
player one. The rumored indestructability code (which may be just
MAX POWER with TOURNAMENT MODE on) only works for player one. With
the above note...The MAX POWER seems to only require All three buttons
and Joystick Down and not the START button as well, making it different
from the other players.
SPECIAL CHARACTERS:
APH NOV 18 Penny Hardaway
JVC,GET,SAN,CRL ???
POWERUPS:
Indestructibility - This code still hasn't been stated as confirmed:
This may be the bug that we found for allowing MAX POWER even with
TOURNAMENT MODE on.
STRATEGY GUIDE
The purpose of this section is to help people new or not so new to
the game learn some of the insights and tactics of some of the great
JAM players of the Internet. I will try to fill this section with
subsections written by some of these people as well as myself. I
think this is fair since I and everyone else has their own style,
thinking, and bias. I think that the addition of this section is
informative and entertaining.
Thomas Kunka:
Biography:
Thomas Kunka is currently working as Computer Training Coordinator
at Illinois State University in Bloomington/Normal Illinois as well
as finishing his Master's in Applied Computer Science and starting on
his Doctorate in Educational Administration. When not working, he can
be found at the local arcade searching for a good game of NBA JAM or
working on this FAQ! Here is his butchering of the English language.
On Strategy (Semi-Random Thoughts that dwell in his mind):
Picking the proper team is very important. Countless times I have
seen people pick a team like Seattle and try to shoot threes the
entire game with Kemp. I'm sorry, but it's not going to work well.
You have to match your team to your strategy.
In general on TE, I have been using the Washington Bullets. Laugh
if you must, but from my perspective, they are a very balanced team.
You have got Pervis Ellison who is a bit slower that I would like but
can play some serious defense with a 8 on power and an 9 on block and
he can power down a few dunks with a rating of 6. Calbert Cheaney
who has serious speed, threes, and steals. He is a good person at
crunch time and a great person to feed when you get double teamed.
And I always take Tom Gugliotta :-) because he is a very balanced
player with no attribute less than a 4. His strengths lie in his
three point shooting, speed, dunks, and power.
With better than average on three point shooting, speed, dunks, and
power I can meld into my strategy perfectly. I am generally a
three point shooter but like the ability to go strong and possibly
pass out of the dunk to my teammate and I am a firm believer in
knockdowns.
On offense I usually delay a second after inbound and then take it
up the court. My computer drone Ellison usually can throw a really
good screen at the top of the key and I go right around him towards
the top of the screen. This gives me a great cushion to launch a
good three. This works great against the computer, against humans,
it works fine as well at times.
On defense against the computer, I am basically a sieve and just hope
to contain them at crunch time. It seems frustrating at times,
because the computer seems to hold on to the ball and get off shots
that no human ever would against me. With timing, there is a
repetitive knockdown you can get in the backcourt, hit them back
off and when they get up, bull rush them. If you don't give them
space or time the hit right, they will pass out to their teammate
for an easy score. What also works good against the computer and
tougher computer drones is the combo hit and swipe where you knock
the opponent down and they hold on to the ball and you then get as
close as possible and hit steal.
On defense against humans, I consider myself a menace. I recently
played two against myself and held them to 8 points in the half.
I really knock them around and at times (especially when playing
doubles) I think that my sole mission is not to score but just to
keep the opponent in the stands. Against humans, this is very
effective...knocking them repeatedly into the stands is very
frustrating and makes them worry endlessly, forcing them into
mental mistakes.
Also, I like to pick on their computer player more than them when
playing one-on-one. If your drone is good on defense and is covering
the human player, he usually sticks pretty close. I frustrate my
doubles partner when we go head to head by leveling his computer
player just as he releases a pass. This is very entertaining when
you are off the screen and the computer drone comes flying into view.
Against good singles competition, the human player can burn you if you
are too aggressive with as quick pass to their drone.
For doubles me and my partner haven't played much TE and are wondering
what team we should choose. On the old Jam, we always took Orlando
with him as Shaq and me putting in Tony Scott for Skiles. The goal
was to get him on fire and goaltend. I was the assist man and three
point shooter as well as the infractor of scores of knockdowns...I
only wish that they tracked them back then. TE presents some new
challenges for us. He is now wanting to play the three point shooter
usually Stockton. With me as Malone, I can usually slice through the
defense, go in for the dunk, and dish out to him for the trey. I gave
him 14 straight assists for three pointers once. With results like that
I won't complain very much. We have been also contemplating using the
76ers against newbies who don't know the 'TOURNAMENT MODE' Take Bradley
with 'MAX POWER' and sub the ALL-STAR Pippen in place of Weatherspoon
with 'MAX POWER'.
I will take this time to note that I have not mastered all of the
powerups. I don't have the coordination to get POWERUP G.T. which
I would like for Bradley to have. Our premise for this combo is
speed, power (artificial), me with great overall ability, and him
with the ability to massively goaltend when on fire. Basically get
him on fire and allow me to pound the opponents into a pulp and be
the assist man again....just like the old days of JAM!
I generally play on lots of emotion and try to get a chip on my
shoulder. I love when people talk trash and really piss me off.
It makes it all the better when I go up by 15 in the first period.
I am not a perfect player and many of the games are close down to
the wire. One of the problems that I am having is that I play my
partner and the computer too much and this has led me to not be
well adapted to various styles of play. I can seldom get a match
around here and I am forced to play the computer. In the days of
old jam, I had a five deep line waiting to play me, now nobody plays.
Another note about picking players...It is really cool to hear
opponents say..."Who the hell is Gugliotta?' and comment all
through the game, "He's not THAT fast" , "How can HE knock me down?"
,"How come he keeps hitting threes?", "He just dunked on ZO!"
It is nice to be the jack of all trades! In Chicago, my bud Mike and
I were in a good game with a pretty decent team, they beat us the
first two and then I and Gugs took over and scored about 15 points
in about a minute...just alternating steal, three, steal, dunk,
steal, three..etc. I don't often take over on a doubles game, but
we put them away from that game on. Mike kept on yelling at me
because I would rather get the assist than the score...I can score
when I have to!
Also teams like Miami are good for many people with Miner and Rice.
Great speed and you have Miner with a 9 on dunks and Rice a 9 on threes.
Not bad at all! It still amazes me though...my partner and I took
Seattle with me as Kemp and him as Payton. This was a 1.0 machine :-(
so the players are a tad different than 3.0. I was miffed as Kemp
clanked about 6 or 8 dunks off the back iron. We lost some close
games because I couldn't put down a lousy dunk with a guy who had a 9.
This made me really ticked. Dunks are supposed to be a gimmie.
I can see getting knocked down at he last second or having it blocked
by another big man, but NO...Clangggggg!!!! Just give me the three
and I am fine. Thats why I like Gug's...he does it all and never
really screws up. I remember going for the dunk with him, getting
hammered by both ZO and Johnson, hold onto the ball, swing my arms
bodys flying, and dunk the thing. I like that!
Carl Chavez:
Biography:
Carl Chavez is an English major at the University of Washington (although
little of his talent was used in his strategy guide...;) ). He has had an
addiction to video games since playing Space Invaders when he was 4. He
occasionally writes computer programs as a hobby and would love to continue
his NBA Jam conversion for the Amiga if someone would provide him with IFF
graphics for the face generator he's written (since he can't use NBA
players' faces).
Strategy:
TEAM SELECTION:
The teams I like to use most are:
Seattle Supersonics - besides being my hometown team, the Supersonics
have very good balance. All four players can shoot 3-pointers
(all players have at least a five), three can dunk, three can
block, all can steal, and they're very fast too. I prefer a
lineup of Kemp and Schrempf because the CPU Schrempf helps me out
a lot; I think the high power of Schrempf tells the CPU that it
should beat up the opponent with injuries and block the hell of the
opponent. On a two-player game, I prefer Kemp and Gill be cause both
my teammate and I have two of the best players in NBA Jam TE.
Dallas Mavericks - Mashburn is hard to stop in the paint. His high
dunk catapults him over the opponent, and his high power can knock
blockers down while he's in the air. His 3-point shooting can hurt
from outside, he can block well, and he's good in the clutch. Jackson
is a good CPU player because of his steal and power ratings; he can
cause quite a few turnovers. Jackson also shoots the 3 well, and he's
good in the clutch too. The best thing about the Mavs - they are the
fastest team in the game (tied with the Clippers, Heat, and Nets).
Philadelphia 76ers - I have seen Bradley block a shot without jumping
(my opponent released the shoot button too early). Bradley is--with
Mourning and Robinson--the fastest center in the game. His outside
shooting inside the 3-point arc is excellent since his height makes
him very difficult for the shorter (6'6" and below?) players to block.
Bradley's height makes rebounding and "legal goaltending" very easy.
He can really steal with his long arms (7 steal rating), and he is one
of the best passing centers. Weatherspoon is a decent recipient of
those passes, since he can shoot 3's and he can dunk. Philadelphia's
weakness - the lowest clutch rating in the game. If you're behind near
the end of the game, you could lose.
Minnesota Timberwolves - Rider. He's fast, he dunks, he steals, he
shoots threes; he has good balance, and in my opinion he's better
than Gill because of his higher speed. Person, "the Rifleman,"
is a 3-baller and a very good stealer. He always hits his
last-second 3's because of his high clutch.
Milwaukee Bucks - I just like using Lohaus because I like the way
the announcer says his name: "H-LOWWW-HOWUSS." The team itself sucks.
MY ATTRIBUTE PREFERENCES:
The most important attribute is power. Power helps with both offense
and defense, because without power you can't knock people down. The
ball is harder to steal, dunks are blocked more, the path to the
basket is more clogged with standing players.
Second in importance is speed. With extra speed, you can shake off
defenders, get open for threes, drive for a dunk, and run for good
rebounding position. You can also conserve turbo.
Third is dunk. If you haven't noticed, it's possible to dunk from
close to the 3-pt. line at the top of the screen if your player
has a high dunk. Dunks are the most accurate shot in the game, are
harder to block than a normal shot, and help you get on fire
(since goaltends of shots do not count toward the 3 shots to get
on fire). The weakness of the dunk is that a person skilled at
knocking down players can just shove you before you put the ball
in; but if your power is high your dunk will still be successful
(it's funny to see a person get knocked in mid-air, but his power
is high so he floats to the floor throwing his elbows; sometimes
the player will change dunk direction too).
STRATEGY:
Like the Supersonics, I believe a constant pressure defense will
win a game because of transition points. Steal the ball and put
it in your own basket. Block the ball and force a shot clock
violation.
Rebounding is very important. You can grab a defensive rebound
and quickly pass it to your partner for a fast break, or throw your
elbows to clear a way for you to bring it across halfcourt. After
an offensive rebound, you can either put it back with a mid-air
layup or throw your elbows and try another play.
3-point shooting should only be used in an emergency. I'm sick of
watching players take 3 after 3, missing at least half of them.
A better strategy is to dunk or layup until you're on fire, THEN
take the 3's.
Related to this '3 after 3' problem: there are many complaints
about bad players who beat veterans by throwing 3's from backcourt.
People who lose because of this strategy need to learn the proper
use of goaltending. If someone throws from fullcourt often, just
goaltend the ball. Sure, your opponent gets 3 points, but according
to you he would've anyway. As a bonus, your count to "fire" is not
reset, so once you get on fire your opponent can't do it anymore.
If you're against the CPU, there's less than 20 seconds left in the
period and you have a small lead, DON'T advance past halfcourt right
away. Just throw your elbows, because the computer will attack you.
They will fall down, and THEN you can try to score. This is an
important thing to do, because the CPU gets extremely tough with
<10 seconds in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters, and with <30 seconds
left in the 4th quarter.
TACTICS AGAINST A CPU:
First, an important hint:
When I tell you to "hit the guy," I don't mean hit, hit, hit. I
mean hit ONCE. Now check if the ball was dropped; if it has, then
grab it. If the player still has the ball, RETREAT. If you are too
close to the player when he stands, he will pass. Also, a quick
retreat lets you recharge some turbo so you can hit more times.
When the player stands, charge him and hit him again. Repeat
until stolen.
If the CPU has Max Power, hit TWICE before retreating. This is
more risky, but you are more likely to move the CPU player away
from the ball (sometimes the player falls, but the ball is under
his body, so you have to "move" him).
Backcourt pressure:
Watch the CPU as it inbounds the ball. First, it will pass to its
partner. Then it will do one of three things:
1) It will go toward the top of the screen,
2) It will go toward the bottom of the screen, or
3) It will go through the middle.
What happens:
1) This is the preferred occurence. The computer will probably fly
into the stands after one hit, so a steal is easy.
2) This is OK. The computer will need at least two hits to drop
the ball, though, unless you have a very high power.
3) This is rare, which is good, because the CPU will try
(and sometimes succeed) in going through you and your partner.
What to do:
1) Hit the guy into the stands and take the ball.
2) Hit the guy and take the ball.
3) Try for a hit. If you miss, back off and try again at halfcourt.
Halfcourt pressure:
This is where speed is important. If you can't hit the guy with
the ball, force the CPU to pass to his partner and hit him instead.
Get close to the ballhandler and he will pass, so quickly chase
the ball and hit the receiver as he grabs it.
Frontcourt pressure:
If you're ahead by at least 3, the CPU will probably try to shoot
a three-pointer. The CPU is quite predictable as to when it will
shoot, so you can try to block the shot. Alternatively, you can
let the CPU take the shot and goaltend it legally (jump as it
enters the cylinder and you can grab a rebound or a block: doesn't
work on swishes). Another alternative is to goaltend it illegally
and give them the points. A goaltended basket does not cancel out
your count for fire...
If you're behind or you have a small lead, then just get in the
CPU's face so it can't dunk and so its jump shots are less accurate.
Mix in a couple of swipes. Don't hit the CPU, though, because if you
miss or he doesn't fall down, he can either run past you and score or
pass to his teammate. Only hit the CPU if it is dunking or is near
the stands.
Jerry Cattell:
Biography:
Jerry Cattell is a student at the University of Miami majoring in
Computer Engineering/Computer Science/Mathematics. In his free
time(the little that he has), he can be found in computer labs
reading email and the 'Net, or hanging around the campus arcade.
On weekends, it's a sure thing you can find him at Grand Prix
Race-O-Rama taking on unsuspecting victims.
Strategy:
I have to agree with Thomas Kunka that it is very important to
choose a team that fits to your needs(I think people everywhere
must choose Seattle and use Kemp for 3-pointers) :)
I don't have any particular team that I always use, but all the
teams have one thing in common, big men. I don't bother with the
guys who are well-rounded; I go straight for the guys who are
going to get in your face and block the ball(Robinson, Bradley,
Ewing, Webber, and even Kemp). My general style of play is just
to play tenacious D. I do whatever I have to so that I can get
on fire. Then I goaltend away! While I am under the belief that
only a certain amount of points can be scored before the fire
streak ends, I feel that this period should be extended as long as
possible; for as long as you're on fire and goaltending, the
opposing team won't be able to score. So generally I just take
care of the defense, go up for the dunk, pass it off to my teammate,
and let him score. This also helps build the stats. You get the
assist if the ball goes in, the rebound if he misses and you get the
ball, or a steal or block if the computer gets the board.
It's nice to have a regular doubles partner so that you know exactly
what to do and when. However, many of us don't have the luxury,
so you have to be able to adapt to any style of play. When playing
against the computer, try to change styles of play. For one quarter,
just keep trying to find the right place to take three pointers.
For the next, just keep taking it to the hoop.
Being able to adapt is important in general. Not only does it make
it much easier to play with any number of partners, it can really
throw off your opponent's defensive strategy. If you continuously
go to the hoop, your opponents will generally try to compensate for
it. That leaves you open for the outside shot more often then not.
While I generally play around with the powerups when playing the
computer(always trying to find some new combo :), I don't use
powerups against people, unless someone is doing a lot of
trash-talking or I'm in an especially evil mood.
FINAL NOTE:
Thanx for all the hard work and info...keep on Jammin...tk
This FAQ is available at ftp.netcom.com in /pub/vi/vidgames/
--
"He starts writing a letter, Thomas S. Kunka
to make it perfectly clear Computer Training Coordinator
he's just a man who has reached \0 Illinois State University
the end of his rope, expressing |\ My opinion is not ISU's
his doubts and his fears" -- The Kinks /\ although we sometimes agree.