| NBA In The Zone 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
NBA In the Zone 2 is a video game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation. It is the second installment of the NBA In The Zone series.
NBA In The Zone 2 featured NBA rosters from the 1996–97 NBA season and support for up to eight players, [1] and introduced substitutions and the ability to play both a full season or playoffs to the series. [2] It also featured the American and Canadian National Anthems during the pre-game introductions.
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Consoles + | 93% [3] |
| Edge | 7/10 [4] |
| EGM | 8.5/10 [5] |
| Game Players | 8.6/10 [6] |
| GameFan | 95/100 [7] |
| GamePro | 3.5/5 [8] |
| GameSpot | 7.1/10 [9] |
| IGN | 9/10 [10] |
| Mean Machines Sega | 90/100 [11] |
| Mega Fun | 90% [12] |
| Next Generation |  [13] |
| OPM (UK) | 8/10 [14] |
| Super Game Power | 5/5 [15] |
Johnny Ballgame had a lukewarm response to NBA in the Zone 2, praising the player animations but complaining that only standard basketball game features are included and the gameplay is limited to little more than dunking and shooting three-pointers. He concluded that "its lack of depth dooms it to the sidelines with the rest of the middle-of-the-pack basketball games." [8]
Next Generation, in contrast, considered it a dramatic improvement over the original game. They judged it to have greatly expanded offensive and defensive possibilities and "the most realistic looking NBA teams in videogame history." Concluding that "with its intuitive control, sharp graphics, and deep gameplay, it's the best basketball game on the planet", they scored it a perfect 5 stars. [13]
Scoring the game a 7.1 out of 10, GameSpot's John Broady agreed with Next Generation that "The game sets a new standard of visual excellence for sports games on any console system. The realistic players practically jump off the screen, the play animation couldn't be smoother, and the camera angles provide several great views of the action." However, he also stated that the pace of the gameplay is so leisurely, it completely lacks the excitement of real basketball, though he added that this would also make it a good game for beginners at basketball games, since it gives them more opportunity to learn the mechanics. [9] The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly contradicted Broady on both points, saying that the graphics and frame rate are mediocre, but that this allows the game to play much more quickly than most basketball games. They gave it an 8.5 out of 10. [5]
Hexen: Beyond Heretic is a fantasy first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by id Software through GT Interactive Software on October 30, 1995. It is the sequel to 1994's Heretic, and the second game in Raven Software's "Serpent Riders" trilogy, which culminated with Hexen II. The title comes from the German noun Hexen, which means "witches", and/or the verb hexen, which means "to cast a spell". Game producer John Romero stated that a third, unreleased game in this series was to be called Hecatomb.
NBA Jam is a basketball video game developed and published by Midway for arcades in 1993. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series. The project leader for this game was Mark Turmell.
Olympic Summer Games is an official video game of the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. It is the successor to Olympic Gold and Winter Olympics. It was the last "Olympic" video game released for the fourth generation of consoles, as well as the Game Boy.
NBA Live 2000 is the 2000 installment of the NBA Live video game series. The cover features Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs. The game was developed by EA Sports and released in 1999. Don Poier is the play-by-play announcer with Reggie Theus on color commentary. The game features Michael Jordan in his first official appearance in the series. The PC version of the game introduced EA's "Face in the Game" feature, allowing players to use custom facial photographs on created players. It was also the final NBA Live game released for Nintendo 64. NBA Live 2000 is followed by NBA Live 2001. A cancelled Game Boy Color version was in development by Handheld Games for THQ, but it was scrapped during testing.
Madden NFL 98 is a 1997 football video game. It features John Madden on the cover. It was the last version of the Madden series to be released for the Super NES, Genesis and Sega Saturn platforms, as well as the last Madden game to utilize the 2D sprites for the players and referee, on 3D playing fields.
NBA Live 98 is a basketball video game based on the National Basketball Association and the fourth installment of the NBA Live series. Its cover art features Tim Hardaway of the Miami Heat. The game was developed by EA Sports and released on October 31, 1997, for the PC, November 30, 1997, for the PlayStation and December 31, 1997, for the Sega Saturn. It was the final NBA Live game released for the Super NES, Genesis, and Sega Saturn.
Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside, sometimes mislabeled as Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside, is a basketball simulation video game developed by Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. At the time of the game's release, Kobe Bryant was in his second NBA season and at age 19, was the youngest player to have a game named for him. It was followed by a sequel, NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant, released in 1999.
NBA Hangtime is a 1996 basketball arcade game developed and released by Midway. Home versions were released for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Microsoft Windows. A version for Game.com was announced, but cancelled.
NBA In The Zone '98 is a basketball game for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation. It was released in 1998 and developed and published by Konami. It is the third installment of the NBA In The Zone series. The cover features Glen Rice of the Charlotte Hornets.
Madden NFL 97 is a football video game released in 1996. It was the first multiplatform Madden game released for the 32-bit consoles, being released on both, the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. 16-bit versions were also made for the established Super NES and Genesis platforms, as well as a portable version for the Game Boy.
NBA Jam Extreme is a 1996 basketball arcade game by Acclaim Entertainment based on the 1996–97 NBA season. After Midway Games released two NBA Jam games, Acclaim, the publisher of the home versions of NBA Jam, ended up winning the exclusive rights to use the Jam name. NBA Jam Extreme was the first Jam game from Acclaim, as well as the first edition of the game to use 3D graphics. In contrast, Midway's competing NBA game NBA Hangtime featured 2-D visuals similar to the previous Jam games. Extreme also features longtime sports broadcaster Marv Albert doing commentary instead of original commentator Tim Kitzrow. New to the game is the "Extreme" button, essentially a super version of the series' trademark "Turbo" button. The cover features Shawn Kemp of the Seattle SuperSonics, and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets.
NBA Live 96 is the second installment of the NBA Live video game series published by EA Sports and released on November 30, 1995. The PC and PlayStation covers feature Shaquille O'Neal of the Orlando Magic, while the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis and European PlayStation box covers feature a photo of the tip-off to Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals. PlayStation and PC versions are the first games in the series to feature 3D-rendered courts, allowing for multiple camera angles using EA's "Virtual Stadium" technology, which is also used for FIFA Soccer 96. On-court player graphics remain 2D sprites. It is also the first NBA Live game released for the PlayStation. NBA Live 96 is followed by NBA Live 97.
NBA Live 97 is the third installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Mitch Richmond of the Sacramento Kings. The game was developed by EA Sports and released on November 1, 1996. The MS-DOS, Sega Saturn and PlayStation versions featured polygonal models for the on-court players, thus marking it as the first 3D EA Sports Basketball sequel for the series. It was also the first NBA Live released for the Sega Saturn. The game received mostly positive reviews for its advanced graphics and wide array of available moves and plays, though the Saturn conversion was reviled for numerous technical deficiencies. NBA Live 97 is followed by NBA Live 98.
Space Jam is a sports video game that ties in with the film of the same name, and based on Looney Tunes characters by Warner Bros. It was released for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn consoles, and MS-DOS computers. Unlike the film and real rules of basketball, each team plays 3-on-3. Players have a choice whether to play as the TuneSquad or the Monstars. It features basic controls and 2D graphics. The game was developed by Sculptured Software, who also developed the Looney Tunes-based basketball game Looney Tunes B-Ball for Sunsoft the year prior to the production of the Space Jam film, and published by Acclaim Entertainment, who also published the NBA Jam series of basketball games.
NBA in the Zone is a series of basketball video games released by Konami for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 video game consoles. Konami followed up the In The Zone series with the release of NBA Starting Five for the Xbox and PlayStation 2.
NBA ShootOut '97 is a sports video game developed by SCE Studios Soho and published by Sony Computer Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation in 1997. It is the second installment of the NBA ShootOut series. The cover features Eddie Jones of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Andretti Racing is a video game developed by American studios High Score Productions and Stormfront Studios and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1996, and for Windows in 1997. The game's title refers to legendary racing drivers Mario Andretti and Michael Andretti.
NBA Fastbreak '98 is a basketball simulator released for the Sony PlayStation in 1997. It takes place during the 1997-98 National Basketball Association season. It was published by Midway Games and GT Interactive. Originally announced under the title "Hardwood Heroes", the game was released with minimal changes as NBA Action 98 on Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows, published by Sega. Another version was being developed by Z-Axis for the Nintendo 64 under the title "NBA Fast Break 64", with a prospective November 1997 release, but it was cancelled.
NBA In The Zone is a video game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation. It is the first game in the NBA in the Zone series. It has many sequels. NBA In The Zone 2, released in 1996, NBA In The Zone '98, released in 1997, NBA In The Zone 99, released in 1998 and NBA In The Zone 2000, released in February 2000. The cover features a shot of the Western Conference Finals from the 1995 NBA Playoffs between the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.
NFL Blitz is an American football video game developed and published by Midway Games for the arcade in 1997, the first game in the NFL Blitz series. The development team was headed by Mark Turmell and Sal Divita, who were known for being behind NBA Jam, and NFL Blitz was a deliberate attempt to translate the exaggerated arcade-style approach of NBA Jam to the football realm. The game was ported to the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Windows, and Game Boy Color in 1998. The cover athlete for the game was then Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart.