Collection essentials #315: NBA Jam Tournament Edition (Saturn)

I already wrote about NBA Jam for the Sega CD not too long ago. Tournament Edition is not really a sequel, more like an updated version that first came out in the arcade as well. You can read my post about regular NBA Jam for more info on what it’s about.

What’s new in Tournament Edition? The biggest thing is probably expanded rosters. Now, each NBA team has three players from their real-life rosters instead of just two. The gameplay itself is still two-on-two. But in between quarters, you can make a substitution. And you should, because characters get tired and need to rest on the bench to be refreshed. There’s a stat called “Injury” which shows you how much of a beating a player has taken up to that point in the game, and it resets to 0 when they get a quarter to rest. There are other additions too, including additional player stats to differentiate them further, and more options such as “Tournament mode” which turns off some of the game’s gimmicks for a more skill-based experience between two players.

There are many ports of NBA Jam Tournament Edition. None of them are exactly the same as the arcade, and there isn’t a clear objective pick as to which port is the best one. But the Saturn version certainly fares well and is in the discussion. The graphics are very close to the arcade (it’s zoomed in a little more which is a little weird), though there are some minor touches missing from this version such as certain sound effects and little details such as camera flashes in the crowd when characters do a fancy dunk. The Sega Saturn controller is a factor as well, with arguably the best d-pad of all time being a boon to the experience.

As I said in my previous NBA Jam post, these games are absolutely iconic and great timeless fun, a perfect pick for some casual multiplayer. If I want to play with someone who’s never experienced NBA Jam before, I might actually go with the original game because Tournament Edition adds just a little more complexity with the player substitutions. But there’s still no question that this fine version of the Tournament Edition is a very worthy collection essential that is a pleasure to revisit whenever friends are part of the equation.