GBA Championship Basketball

Sinclair User

Overall 3/10

Graham Taylor 3/10

Label: Gamestar Author: Simon Freeman Price: £7.99 Memory: 48K/128K Joystick: various Reviewer: Graham Taylor Championship Basketball is a release from Activision's Gamestar label - a follow-on from Championship Baseball, two months ago. Frankly, the game looks completely awful. Some of the least impressive miniscule sub-budget game sprites I've seen in ages run around like little ants, attribute probleming each other into oblivion when the going gets tough and four people are around the basket at once. Try playing a sensible defence routine under those circumstances! Sound is equally dull consisting almost entirely of obscure farping (that's farping) noises, no matter what the game circumstances. It's the gameplay that's the tricky bit. I managed to score the same number of points as the computer without having a clue what I was doing. There are, however, facilities within the game for quite subtle plays. Aside from the straightforward business of chasing the ball, learning how to get it away from another player without committing a foul, and lining yourself up with the basket properly at the beginning of each play you can select from four plays each depending on whether you are defending or attacking. Each play type is basically a series of instructions to the other member of your team and determines his movement in the play for the basket. For example, one attacking move is to send your team-mate straight to the basket, ready for a pass at the right moment. Other alternatives include marking one or other of the other side's team members. It seems sophisticated but I'm really unsure of how much it all counts for in the actual game. I found just running around a bit and throwing the ball when I got a spare moment into the general direction of either my team mate or the basket just as effective. Personally I hated this game. It might be arguable as to whether the gameplay is marvellous or terrible but it looks absolutely dire.

Your Sinclair

Graphics 7/10

Playability 8/10

Value For Money 7/10

Addictiveness 8/10

Overall 8/10

Gwyn Hughes 8/10

Gamestar £9.99 Reviewer: Gwyn Hughes Rachael says she's always in the mood for a bit of two-on-two, so I had to explain that this is four player basketball. You know, the game played by tall, athletic men with strange names like Dr Meadow-duck Raspberry, and short, weedy reviewers with hot Spectrums. Last time Gamestar knocked us all for six with their Baseball simulation, and this could score even higher because the game is better known over here. So prepare to dribble (no, not down your chin, dummy) as Gwyn (Highballs) Hughes takes to the court. If ever a game was suited to computerisation, this is it. The aim is nice and clear - get the ball into the basket - and there ain't so many men on court that you'll lose sight of the one you're controlling. Once again Gamestar have a potential winner. There's no denying that they take amazing care with their games but it's a pity that there are still details which slip past their defences, such as a dodgy selection of keys - this is one for the joystick team. They do give you all the options though, offering a single player game, where your partner is computer controlled, or two player versions as teammates, facing Spectrum opposition, or two sides of one human and a micro mate. Almost ready to start, but not quite, because unless you're playing with a human, you need to tell your partner what strategy you want him to follow. This is rather like the formation picking that you find in American Football simulations, and gives you around seven seconds to choose front five attack patterns or four defensive. Whatever your strategy, control couldn't be easier. Just use your joystick to steer and dodge as you weave past the opposition, then jab at fire to pass. Your partner receives the ball without it being intercepted and you run for the basket, then jab fire again and he throws it to you. Now hold fire longer so that you leap in the air, then release as you reach your zenith... and you've scored! It's a good thing that the game plays so fast, because you can't change the length of the quarters, which could be a bit off-putting if you're not a devotee of the sport. A twelve- minute game would have made for a much snappier affair. There's also a lot of potential for clever sidestepping and leaping around to deflect shots from the basket, but it's rather spoilt by the Spectrum's attribute clash. Suddenly the player you thought was on your side changes colour as he steps out of the scrum! As with Baseball, your attitude to Basketball is going to depend on how much you like to lob balls through hoops, and whether you can find a friend toy against. The one player game may prove to have a limited life, but for two players it could prove totally addictive.

As the players return from the basket, it's time to select the next play. There's nothing to indicate which one you've chosen, so that human opponents aren't able to prejudge your strategy, and you can carry on changing your mind to the last minute. The program also comes complete with a fine selection of fouls - Rachael reckoned these were her favourite parts of the game!

Read it at Your Sinclair Rock'n'Roll Years

Crash

Presentation 47%

Graphics 36%

Playability 42%

Addictive Qualities 33%

Overall 37%

Mark Rothwell 30%

Nick Roberts 40%

Paul Sumner 40%

Producer: Gamestar Retail Price: £9.99 Author: Scott Orr and John Cutter Ten seconds to go. Nine, eight, oh no - you think it's all up to you now. The scores are equal and you've got the ball. You bounce the ball down the court and aim for the basket. The ball leaves your hands. Three, two, you score. The crowd goes wild! It's all the excitement of Championship Basketball. Basketball is a game of lightning speed for superathletes. It takes guts, stamina and strategy. And Gamestar claims its simulation 'helps you develop the strategies and skills to make you play like a pro.' In Championship Basketball you can either practice or play a game. Techniques to practice include hook shots, jump shots, slam dunks and rebounds. Two players can take opposing sides, each paired with a computer teammate; or both can play the computer; or a single player can challenge the Spectrum, aided by an intelligent computer ally. You can play a straightforward game of basketball, or variants such as 'around the world' and 'horse'. The object in all is to score by shooting the ball into the high basket. Vital skills include passing and receiving the ball, shooting, stealing and blocking. And strategy is important: when on the court with a computer teammate, you can choose from five offensive and four defensive plays. Look out for fouls, though... and now put on your trainers, get down to that court and play. COMMENTS Joysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair Graphics: poorly-defined and unimaginative; some colour clash Sound: just a beep when the ball is bounced Options: one- and two-player options (only one player can use joystick), four skill levels

The Harlem Globe Trotter himself, none other than Cameron-have-flash-will-score Pound, hurls the ball through the basket.