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NBA Hoopz

From Alfawiki
NBA Hoopz
Company typeVideo game
IndustryVideo games
Founded2001
FounderMidway
ProductsNBA Hoopz

NBA Hoopz is a basketball video game released in 2001 by Midway. Serving as the follow-up to NBA Hangtime and NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC, Hoopz stood out as the only arcade-style 3-on-3 basketball title available during the 2000–01 NBA season. The cover prominently features Shaquille O'Neal.

Overview

Departing from the conventional 5-on-5 or earlier 2-on-2 formats, NBA Hoopz introduces a 3-on-3 gameplay mode featuring NBA athletes. Players select a trio consisting of a guard, forward, and center from an NBA lineup for the first half, with substitutions permitted in the second half.

Crafted as an arcade experience, the game prioritizes exaggerated aerial maneuvers over realism: characters can leap 20 to 30 feet, execute long-range dunks, and perform physically improbable moves. Fouls are seldom called and only for severe pushing; free throws occur infrequently after multiple fouls, and there are no boundaries out of play. Additionally, sinking three shots consecutively triggers an "on fire" state that grants near-perfect shooting accuracy and allows goaltending without penalty. Both the PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast editions support up to four participants simultaneously.

Features

  • More than 500 High-Flying Animations
  • Detailed Graphics, Player Models, and Animated Spectators
  • Engaging Mini-Games such as 21, 2ball, and Around the World
  • Hidden Courts including Beachside and Street Court
  • Exciting On-Fire Mode
  • Official NBA Player Rosters and Statistics

The uniforms for the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns teams were not updated to reflect the 2000-01 NBA season, instead retaining their designs from the 1997-98 NBA season.

Reception

According to Metacritic, the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 editions garnered "mixed" reviews.[1][2] Prior to its launch, GameZone highly praised the Dreamcast version.[3] Rob Smolka of NextGen criticized the PS2 release for its unpolished animations and lack of innovation.[4]

Dan Elektro from GamePro highlighted that while the Dreamcast version included features like player creation, season mode, and mini-games such as 2ball, it struggled with identity—failing to fully satisfy casual fans of Showtime or dedicated simulation enthusiasts. He suggested opting for NBA 2K1 instead.[5] Regarding the PlayStation version, he acknowledged Midway's efforts but preferred Live as a superior simulation alternative.[6] For the Game Boy Color edition, he criticized it for attempting features beyond what the hardware could handle.[7]

In a later review, Jake The Snake described the PlayStation 2 version as packed with content—including four mini-games such as 21ball—but only moderately effective overall, appealing primarily to players with shorter attention spans who might choose it over EA's NBA Live.[8]

External links

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  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NGen
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