Seven Sports Games: NBA ShootOut (aka Total NBA 96)

This strand covers a selection of noteworthy sports video games and what makes them worth writing about.

Long before the developers of 2K and EA Sports perfected life-like digital recreations of entire NBA rostrums, there was a time when basketball video games simply making the jump from 2D to 3D was a big deal.

With the arrival of the PlayStation from Sony in 1995 came an upgrade in game graphics that would change the industry forever. Its greater processing power made it possible for playable characters to exist in three-dimensional environments, a big advance that would usher in an all-new world of possibilities for video games, in particular that sports games would see a big benefit from.

From early on the NBA must have seen potential in the medium and, when Sony's new console arrived, the league licensed its name and the likenesses of teams and players to, not one, but two developers. EA Sports would go on to create the first in their long-running NBA Live series, while hitting the shelves in March of 1996, Sony Interactive’s product would become the first NBA game for the PlayStation.

Contrary to its American name (It was dubbed Total NBA 96 for European markets), NBA ShootOut is not about players taking one another on in three-point contests, instead it is a full 3D recreation of the five-on-five experience. Despite looking very rough by the standard of video game graphics today (as the below clip demonstrates), the game is still accessible and enjoyable to play decades on.

It may seem strange with hindsight but the graphics were one of the main things praised by critics at the time, the other being the range of features on offer. With all of NBA teams of the time present, it is possible to play with them a full NBA season down to a single exhibition match-up.

Players are able to perform all the basic scoring and defensive moves one in real life would be able to. That said, shooting is hard to perfect, sometimes requiring precise aim from the player for the ball to go down from long range. Going for a dunk in ShootOut triggers an instant replay, with the game camera going in close to capture the moment - this is apt for a game that prioritises more spectacular inside play.

A big selling point of this game a quarter-century later would be the possibility to take control of the nineties' biggest stars. ShootOut includes players some would not have expected to make an appearance in an NBA game, at least for the fifth generation. Even some teams of days gone by are present - it was made back when the Washington Wizards were still known as the Bullets.

So a big plus of this time-worn game is getting to take control of NBA legends in their prime, albeit with some notable omissions: Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. The latter's absence means that the famous 95-96 Chicago Bulls team, winner of that year's NBA championship after setting the regular season record of 72 wins, is incomplete.

Even still, the Bulls are the very best team to choose in ShootOut. In space of MJ, Dennis Rodman, with his shot attempts rarely falling short, ends up as the best player in the game - as well as the most recognisable even in polygon form.

Knowing ShootOut's preference for more exciting post-up moves, another good team to pick for the win would be the Houston Rockets. With a roster boasting two of the best inside players of the time, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, they are one of the best-suited teams for the way the game plays. Another reliable bet is the Indiana Pacers: as well as being a successful inside player, Reggie Miller also bucks the game's trend by being an accurate long-range shooter. As such he is a good all-around choice and a compliment to the Pacers' other reliable big men, Antonio Davis and the Dunking Dutchman Rik Smits.

NBA Shootout was a big hit internationally when first released and spawned seven annual sequels, but was in regular competition with its more heavily marketed and favourably reviewed NBA Live series, eventually losing out with the last edition in 2004. It was a worthy basketball emulator with its first edition notable for being one of the sport's first successful 3D video game, which is still fun to play for those able to seek it out.

NBA Shootout/Total NBA 96 was first published in March 1996 by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation.