NBA Jam: Information from Answers.com

Release Date: 1994
Genre: Sports
Style: Basketball
Similar Games: Arch Rivals (Sega Genesis), NBA Jam (Sega Genesis)

Game Description

A slight upgrade over the Genesis rendition of Midway's wildly enjoyable arcade game, NBA Jam for the Sega CD has updated rosters and stats, a louder, more animated audience, halftime video clips, and more voice effects. Unfortunately, the game has inexcusably long loading times.

~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

If ever there was a game that was testament to loading time, NBA Jam would be it. Retaining almost everything from the Genesis version, this game takes well over two minutes to load half of a game!

Despite the loading time and the shiny CD, this is the Genesis version of NBA Jam. Slightly more animation was added, as was a rather boring and mundane techno soundtrack and the effects and voices have been only slightly touched up from their cartridge counterparts. The controls are as accurate as ever, enhanced by the Genesis' perfect six button controller.

The game itself is still in tact with all the players (including a few player updates from the previous cartridge versions) available, including the secret characters. Possibly the best feature of this Sega CD version is the four player capability, though keeping four slam dunking players at bay while the game loads may become a task in itself.

If you simply love NBA Jam or never picked up the Genesis version then this could be worth purchasing. But otherwise there are really no worthwhile advantages over the cartridge version. While it's still a great arcade basketball game, NBA Jam on the Sega CD just lacks any rewarding features.

If you can handle the Genesis' shoddy soundtrack and sound effects, don't mind losing the full length video clips during halftime, and like to play the game instead of waiting for it to load, then you're probably better off with the Genesis version.