Wayback Wednesday: NBA ShootOut ’97 (aka Total NBA ’97)
This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at NBA ShootOut ’97, aka Total NBA ’97 in PAL regions.
The first NBA ShootOut was an admirable effort by a brand new studio to provide an alternative to EA Sports’ established series of basketball games. However, as I noted in my retrospective of that game, it ultimately fell short of NBA Live 96 PC, which remains my pick for the best 1996 NBA sim title. Having recently spent more time with the PlayStation version of NBA Live 96, I’d also have to say that EA beat Sony on its own platform! Nevertheless, it was nice to have options; something that many of us greatly miss in light of NBA 2K’s virtual monopoly over the virtual hardwood.
To that end, when we had more developers throwing their hat into the ring with basketball video games back in the day, a few of them didn’t just stop at one. They made an effort to establish their own NBA series with annual releases to compete with NBA Live. Obviously it was ultimately NBA 2K that succeeded in dethroning EA’s game, but there were other commendable attempts along the way. That brings us to NBA ShootOut ’97, aka Total NBA ’97. Did Sony Computer Entertainment’s second hoops title improve upon the first NBA ShootOut? Let’s take a look back…way back…
Most of the issues with NBA ShootOut could be chalked up to an inexperienced studio making their very first basketball video game. Unlike EA Sports, they didn’t have the benefit of an established foundation to build upon. However, they did have EA Sports to learn from and imitate. Like many games that tried to be an alternative to NBA Live though, NBA ShootOut ignored some of the key design principles that had made EA’s game the yardstick in the genre; particularly after the massive jump from NBA Showdown to NBA Live 95. From controls to staple features and options, there were unnecessary alterations to the blueprint, on top of an overall lack of polish.
NBA ShootOut ’97 does make some familiar mistakes in that regard – including some legacy issues from the first game – but there are definitely improvements. That begins with the controls, which now feature a single Shoot and Pass button, along with a Special Move (i.e. Dribble Move) button and a Sprint control. Unfortunately, X is Shoot while Circle is Pass, which is the opposite of the standard approach. Needless to say, this makes it easy to fire up full court three-pointers instead of throwing outlet passes, thanks to muscle memory. Sprint is also on Square rather than a shoulder button; an awkward and ill-advised approach, as it always feels a bit uncomfortable.
There are a couple of other oddities, too. X is used for jump balls, but then Triangle is used to block and rebound on defense while X becomes the steal button. You can get used to it, but the functions feel like they’re mismatched between the offensive and defensive controls. Admittedly, basketball video games hadn’t firmly established a standard layout for their controls at that point, but again, NBA Live provided a solid template that too many other titles tried to change unnecessarily. At any rate, there’s also Icon Passing on L2 (though oddly it isn’t available for inbounds passes), you can call for cuts with L1 and R1, and R2 changes your current offensive or defensive play.
That’s some solid depth for a game released in 1997! As far as the improvements to the on-court experience however, that’s more of a mixed bag. NBA ShootOut ’97 remains somewhat of a sim-arcade hybrid, though it leans more in the sim direction. With that being said, it does come up short in terms of balance and realism. There is a semblance of strategy from the CPU, as it will get the ball to its best scorers, and vary up its attack with drives, post shots, midrange jumpers, and three-pointers. Sometimes the AI will seemingly forget what it’s doing though, or make a weird decision such as pulling up for a contested jumper on the break, or taking a three with a poor shooter.
Offense is undoubtedly favoured, and while it is possible to defend and rebound, the best strategy is to ensure you miss less often than the CPU! There are some satisfying swats and you can alter shots as well, but the CPU is very adept at knocking down contested jumpshots and dunking all over you on Veteran and All-Star difficulty. Conversely, Rookie difficulty is too easy, though you’ll still find shooting percentages are unrealistically high. You can knock the ball loose for steals, though the CPU does tend to recover its dribble almost immediately. It also has a tendency to stick to you like glue when it’s on defense, and catch up to your sprinting players on the break.
Despite the CPU’s ability to stick to its man, between the Sprint and Dribble Move buttons you can elude defenders. You are at the mercy of the appropriate dribble move being triggered, but it feels great when you do cross up a defender and explode to the basket for an emphatic dunk. NBA ShootOut ’97 doesn’t have the largest variety of slams, but the ones it has are loud and exciting. A few too many will be turned back though, often with a lot of contact. Shooting fouls aren’t nearly as frequent as they should be, and indeed, it feels like the referees have swallowed the whistle in general. On the bright side, there are fewer charging calls compared to the first game.
Dunks and layups don’t always trigger on cue, though that was a common problem in contemporary NBA Live games as well. In contrast to the CPU’s deadeye shooting, jumpshots aren’t as reliable as they should be on Veteran and All-Star difficulty, so you’ll be trying to score inside as often as possible. That’s not to say that you can’t hit any jumpers, but you’ll really want to pick your spots, since every miss is costly with the CPU’s ability to score. Rebounding is solid, and while a number of boards will be scooped up off the floor, you can snatch them out of the air as they come off the rim as well. The CPU treats itself to a few too many offensive boards, but it’s manageable.
Player movement is reasonably fluid for the era, and the controls are responsive. The game really needed a defensive stance control though, so that you can stick with the CPU as effectively as it can guard your players. CPU teammates could’ve also done a better job of challenging shots, though they set picks and move around trying to get open on offense. Collisions are naturally primitive, though it is fun to send a player sprawling to the hardwood when you posterise them. In the rare instance that shooting fouls are called, free throws are attempted using a mechanic similar to the T-Meter. There are some nice contextually-appropriate animations, including full court heaves.
Once again though, there is a lack of realism despite the game leaning towards being a sim title. Top scorers will easily reach the 30-point plateau in three-minute quarters, and the point guard – no matter who it is – will always be a threat to dish out around 20 assists. The CPU is bound to shoot above 65% every game, and you likely will too unless you take a bunch of bad shots. As I said, defense isn’t impossible, but true to its name, the game is intended to be a wild shootout. That can be a blast, but it can also get tiresome being unable to stop the likes of Greg Ostertag from dominating inside. It wouldn’t have been the ideal choice for anyone who wanted a more realistic game.
Nevertheless, while the improvements in NBA ShootOut ’97 may be subtle at times, the more I played the game, the more I noticed them. If nothing else, the revamped controls made the gameplay feel more familiar and satisfying. Aside from a handful of blunders due to muscle memory, I was able to make some good moves and pull off a few highlight plays. It’s more polished than the first NBA ShootOut, and to that end, capable of producing some genuinely fun moments. The balance could be better and it comes up short as a sim experience, so for me at least it is frustrating at times. Still, it’s a noticeable improvement over its predecessor, which is what you want to see!
At the same time, it does retain some of the clunky design choices from the original NBA ShootOut. The only way to substitute players is to call timeout, though at least you can now see how many timeouts you have remaining. I do like that you can make substitutions between quarters however, and while I’d prefer being able to quickly pick the player to swap in rather than highlighting a position in the lineup and cycling through all of the bench players, it works and it’s aesthetically-pleasing. Sadly, instant replay retains the same terrible approach of having to pause a second time to change the camera angle, and positioning the manual camera is still needlessly challenging.
The graphics are impressive for a 1997 title, especially when they’re upscaled in the DuckStation emulator. It may be tough to appreciate those blocky polygons these days, but the player models are good for the time, with some fluid animations. Some of the face textures are also surprisingly good when you zoom in on them, though they are basically headshots pasted on the models. To that point though, the head models do detract from the likenesses, and they also wouldn’t have looked as good on CRT displays! Some of the jersey details are fuzzy and the players’ names are missing from the back, but across the board, the graphics are generally excellent for the era.
While the manual instant replay feature remains disappointing, the automatic replays showcase a variety of TV-style angles that make the dunks exciting to re-watch. The commentary by Mike Carlucci is still limited and repetitive, but it’s a nice touch that NBA Live didn’t have, and it can be turned off if you find it annoying. Like many sim and sim-arcade hybrid games of the era, the presentation is doing its best to replicate an NBA broadcast without any network branding. Unsurprisingly, NBA ShootOut ’97 seems to be taking a few cues from the NBA on NBC! The menus are also visually appealing, the music is catchy, and overall, the game has a really enjoyable vibe.
Apart from exhibition games, the only modes of play are Season and a standalone Playoffs. Mind you, that’s pretty much the extent of what all sim and sim-arcade games were offering back then – NBA Live included – and NBA ShootOut ’97 did boast a few improvements over its predecessor here. First of all, you can customise the Playoff brackets, and all 29 teams are now available; a much better approach than restricting the selection to the previous year’s field! You can no longer trade during a Playoff – which is realistic – but you change the format, quarter length, and difficulty, as well as choose fewer teams and thus start in the second round or Conference Finals.
Season mode is likewise mostly the same as it was in NBA ShootOut, albeit with a couple of welcome additions. The first is the ability to simulate games, which can be done in bulk by jumping ahead in calendar. The second is the selection of All-Star teams based on season performance. The third is season award winners, though only the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year are chosen, with the other awards being the scoring, rebounding, and assists champions. In contrast, NBA Live 97 did actually include a full complement of end-of-season awards – at least on PC and PlayStation – but it’s nice to see any awards in the season modes of older titles.
After reaching the Playoffs however, you’re no longer able to simulate games. Also, the simulated stats in NBA ShootOut ’97 are nowhere near realistic! If you choose 12-minute quarters, the scores will be ridiculously inflated, with teams regularly totalling over 200 points apiece. In turn, players will put up numbers for the ages, with the top scorers averaging between 40 and 60 ppg. Meanwhile, the league’s best glass cleaners will grab an absurd amount of boards; more than 30 per contest! A number of players will also be flirting with a triple-double average in points, rebounds, and assists. On the other hand, the standings will be fairly realistic, if not always entirely accurate.
In short, NBA ShootOut ’97 isn’t the ideal game if you’re after a more realistic take on the league. If you’re not too worried about true-to-life numbers or a realistic style of play however, it can be fun, and you’ve got season and postseason play for longevity. Much like NBA in the Zone, I think the game is best enjoyed with shorter quarters, which will also reduce the simulated stats in Season mode. Sim-arcade hybrid titles can become quite repetitive when playing full length games, as their gameplay better lends itself to shorter, action-packed showdowns, where out-duelling your opponent and coming out ahead at the final buzzer matters far more than individual numbers.
As the name would imply, NBA ShootOut ’97 is set in the 1997 season, with rosters and branding updated for that campaign. In fact, since it came out later than NBA Live 97, its rosters are accurate as of January 10th, 1997. This means that in addition to including prominent Class of 1996 rookies such as Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Antoine Walker, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Marcus Camby, and so on, a few undrafted players like Matt Maloney also made the cut. Trades from early on in the 1997 season are also accounted for, so you’ll find Robert Horry on the Lakers instead of the Suns. It also features an official representation of Dominique Wilkins’ stint with the Spurs.
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley are absent as usual, replaced by Roster Guard and Roster Forward on the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets respectively. As he was exclusive to EA Sports at the time, Shaquille O’Neal is also absent from the Lakers, replaced by Roster Center. Apart from sporting #99, they’re dancing the line of what was allowed, though a closer look at their generic faces will demonstrate that Sony didn’t feel quite as bold as Konami did with their stand-ins in NBA in the Zone 2! Notably, since there’s no inactive list in NBA ShootOut ’97’s 12-man rosters, those three Roster Players are in the starting lineups for their respective teams by default.
Speaking of default rosters, NBA ShootOut ’97 boasts deeper customisation than its predecessor. First of all, you can modify the default starting lineups without trading players back and forth; a staple feature now and something that NBA Live 96 had already provided, but nevertheless a welcome improvement over the first game. In addition to trading players, you can also release them into the Free Agents, and then assign them to other teams. There’s also a Create-a-Player function, though you can only select from a few pre-made appearances. However, you can enter the name of their college rather than select from a list of schools, and assign all of their attributes.
Said attributes are represented by green bars rather than numbers, and there’s also a limit to the attributes that you can assign, indicated by a red bar at the bottom of the screen. As in the original NBA ShootOut, you can’t view the ratings for any of the original players, nor can you edit them. Interestingly, there is an Overall Rating displayed for each player, and “Overall” is also its own category when assigning attributes to a created player. Hiding player ratings behind their previous season statistics was an annoyingly outdated approach, though NBA ShootOut ’97 wasn’t the last game to do so. Notably, Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside did it the following year.
There was enough to NBA ShootOut ’97 to keep basketball gamers entertained in 1997, as long as they enjoyed its style of gameplay and weren’t too worried about realism. Even today, it’s still fairly accessible to retro basketball gamers, and you can potentially have fun with an action-packed flashback to the 1997 season. It’s definitely a more casual experience, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not to everyone’s tastes. Personally, while I can enjoy it now, it wouldn’t have been what I was looking for at the time. I’d have to disagree with the contemporary reviews that lauded the game’s authenticity, because both the gameplay and the numbers tell a different story!
I can certainly see why reviewers and gamers enjoyed it though, and why it might be a nostalgic favourite for many. Even without any nostalgic attachment, I was able to have fun with it. It beat NBA Live to the punch with features such as Icon Passing, and it undoubtedly improved upon the first NBA ShootOut. However, I’d suggest that history favours NBA Live 97 as the preferable choice for sim gamers in 1997, while arcade gamers were better off with NBA Hangtime. Of course, it also depends on which platform you were on, and how much you cared about statistical accuracy. Some gamers just want to score, dunk, and win games, and that’s absolutely fine.
Beyond any shortcomings with gameplay and modes, NBA ShootOut ’97 also had the drawback of being a first party exclusive, whereas NBA Live 97 was multi-platform. Like Sony’s later NBA titles and the Nintendo-exclusive NBA Courtside series, there was a sizeable contingent of gamers who simply couldn’t get their hands on it. Also, like its predecessor, NBA ShootOut ’97 wasn’t released in North America and PAL regions until March, when the season was well underway and many basketball gamers would’ve already picked up NBA Live 97. Furthermore, it didn’t come out in Japan until June 27th 1997, at which point the NBA Finals had been over for two weeks!
Releasing a game that late in the season – or indeed, after the season has concluded – will always be an uphill battle. It’s clear NBA ShootOut ’97 still found an audience, though. Anyone that didn’t like NBA Live 97, or just felt like a change of pace, may have been inclined to give it a look. Interest in the NBA always picks up once the Playoffs are on the horizon, so a March release can potentially grab the attention of gamers who are feeling inspired to hit the virtual hardwood. And of course, because there wasn’t a monopoly in the basketball gaming space, we were accustomed and open to multiple options. As such, NBA ShootOut ’97 wasn’t completely doomed.
The late release also benefitted its rosters. NBA Live 97 could boast Shaq – and it did just that on the back of its boxes – but it was also missing players who signed on just after its rosters were finalised. An early release for NBA Full Court Press meant that it had to launch with final 1996 season lineups, though its official patches included a roster update. NBA ShootOut ’97 was able to include players returning from overseas stints such as Dominique Wilkins and Isaac Austin, as well as undrafted rookies that ended up with prominent roles such as Matt Maloney. Having those updated rosters right out of the gate was another reason to check out a game that came out a bit later.
As I mentioned, the PAL version of NBA ShootOut ’97 kept the Total NBA branding. I’m still not sure of the reason for the regional title, though a couple of Konami’s NBA games were likewise renamed for the PAL market. As I said in my retrospective of the first NBA ShootOut, I do appreciate how delightfully 90s the Total NBA moniker is! Apart from the name change, Total NBA ’97 dropped the Eddie Jones cover art in favour of a rubber basketball texture. There was also a limited edition featuring Toni Kukoc on the cover, making it an early example of a basketball game with a special collector’s edition, and Kukoc the first cover player to win the title in the same year.
Whichever name you knew it by, the second game in the NBA ShootOut/Total NBA series was a commendable effort. I personally wouldn’t rate it as highly as some of the contemporary reviews did, but it made some pleasing improvements in key areas. The controls are better, even with the reversal of the Shoot and Pass buttons, and assigning Sprint to a face button. It makes the game more accessible, while the Special Move button makes driving to the hoop far more interesting. The balance could be better and it’s lacking realism, but there’s an undeniable fun factor. It may not be atop my list of retro basketball gaming options, but I’m also open to spending more time with it.
Although the Season and Playoffs modes are extremely barebones compared to their modern counterparts, the additions they received made them sufficiently deep for the time. The same goes for the expanded roster editing functionality. It’s primitive by today’s standards, and it’s nothing that NBA Live wasn’t already doing back then (and NBA Live was still doing it better). However, it was an improvement on what the first game provided, and accounted for all the basic customisation needs. The game looked great, and it even boasts a couple of features that were ahead of their time. From the gameplay to the modes and features, NBA ShootOut ’97 was a more polished product.
Unfortunately, it also repeated a few of the mistakes of its predecessor, from the very clunky instant replay controls to limiting substitutions to timeouts and quarter breaks. Stylistically, there isn’t much difference between the Arcade and Simulation gameplay settings, apart from turning off the rules. Hiding the Game Rules menu behind the Custom gameplay setting is a bit strange, though it’s good that it’s there. As a sim-arcade hybrid, it isn’t entirely sure what it wants to be, leaning sim but with greatly exaggerated statistics. There’s depth to the experience, but not enough authenticity for simheads, unless they’re looking for a more relaxed, casual approach to basketball.
That audience does exist though, so once again, I’m not surprised whenever I hear that NBA ShootOut ’97 or another game in the series was someone’s favourite back in the day. I’d suggest that anyone who played and enjoyed the first game would’ve greatly appreciated the additions and improvements. It’s solid on the sticks and would’ve been a viable alternative if you didn’t like NBA Live 97, or simply wanted something a bit different. That was the benefit of having multiple basketball video games. NBA Live was the gold standard for sim basketball back then, but titles like NBA ShootOut ’97 were doing some good things too, and most importantly, provided us with a choice.
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