NBA in the Zone

Suit up with real players from the 29 NBA teams for five-on-five hoops in NBA In the Zone. Featuring enhancements over the arcade version, this multiplayer game offers six player configurations (using a multiplayer adapter), loads of team and player stats, and a diversity of moves, including rebound dunking, alley-oops, and behind-the-back dribbling.

Multiple camera angles and perspectives spice up the gameplay, and 3D texture mapping delivers realistic visuals. As one of the first titles for Konami Sport Series, NBA In the Zone may be the full-court press the fledgling division needs to be a contender.

Konami's taking it to the hardcourt, and is pulling out all of the stops. If you enjoy taking it to the hoop hard with all of your favorite NBA teams and the league's top dunkers, shooters and defensive players, this game has it all. Detailed uniforms, logos and special players' appearances make this the most realistic basketball game title to date.

If you own a PlayStation, In The Zone will be waiting for you some time this month.

Konami gave us this 85 percent playable version to try out. The game features some outstanding graphics work with texture-mapped polygons and incredibly fast movement--an early favorite in the race for the best 32-Bit basketball game.

But as you know, EA Sports and several other companies will have something to say about that. It seems as though every company has sports titles in development.

Another exciting feature is the multiple perspectives from which you can view the field of play.

Instant replays re a key element, and the players are easy to control and maneuver through the paint. During the replay, the camera angle will change, giving you the best angle to view a dramatic dunk or an in-your-face defensive play.

If you enjoy basketball and are looking to add a game to your PlayStation collection, you won't be disappointed with NBA In The Zone.

NBA In The Zone is a hoop dream come tme for PlayStation owners thirsting for b-ball action. Quick up-and-down-the-court action and unique graphics give the game enough hangtime to come out on top.

Phi Slamma Jamma

In The Zone is five-on-five basketball more in the tradition of NBA Jam than Live '96. Players run from end-to-end and exchange jams in this unrealistc dunkfest.

There's no play calling, no substitutions, and generally no strategy involved. You can play in either Exhibition or Playoff mode with all the NBA teams, including the expansion Raptors and Grizzlies.

Defensive player control is difficult as players stray from the direction they're initially moving. Offensively, players spin to elude defenders, and an assortment of throwdowns and finger rolls adds variety.

The great graphics feature rim-rocking dunks and spectacular in-your-face rejections. Amazing player detail, from the player's name and number on their jersey to Dennis Rodman's alternating hair color, gives the game an authentic look. The only drawback is the crowd, which looks like a cardboard cutout.

Soundwise, In The Zone shoots an air ball. The crowd is uninvolved except during the replay, and the mellow background music doesn't fit the game's upbeat style. The only bright spot is the announcer, who actually calls out the individual scorer's name.

The Big Dawg

As the lone contender in the PlayStation basketball-sim arena, NBA In The Zone is worth the price of admission, at least until challengers like NBA Live enter the fray.

In addition to Give and Go for the Super NES, Konami is also working on a PlayStation basketball title. All we were able to see was a tape of some of the action, and as revolutionary as the Super NES version was, the PlayStation game was that much better. Everything is drawn with 3-D polygons and the players' movements seemed to be some of the smoothest we've seen to date. But looks can be deceiving, and since we have yet to be able to play any of the various companies' polygon sports games, the verdict is still out as to whether polygons are the wave of the future.

Anyway, all 29 NBA teams will be in this game. Konami did get the NBA license for all of the teams and all of the players, so they seem to mean business. They also promise to have "dramatic" camera angles and "incredible" zooming effects that will let you see the gameplay from all around the court.