A turbocharged arcade basketball, heir to the cathartic Hoops style. Explosive pacing, unrestrained scoring and maximum fun with friends. Not a sim, but pure instant joy.
Your verdict
Category
Sports4 players3+
Description
NBA teams clash in arcade streetball matches in this Midway Dreamcast basketball game. Published by Midway, released in the United States in February 2001. Arcade 3-on-3 basketball with spectacular dunks, simplified rules, caricatured NBA characters. American version.
NBA Hoopz review
3/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Polished"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Basketball arcade-style in all its excess: three-on-three with no fouls, gravity-defying dunks and flaming balls that turn every basket into a show. Everything is fast, everything is over the top, and that's exactly the point. With several players, showboating becomes a sport. Snappy, fun and unabashed, perfect for blowing off steam.
A direct heir to the legendary NBA Jam, Hoopz pushes arcade basketball into a riot of impossible dunks, flames and shots from way downtown. The snappy three on three, the turbo and the exaggerated stats favour pure fun over simulation. The presentation has aged and the depth stays thin, but the immediate multiplayer pleasure remains lethal. For a fan of unashamed arcade sport or anyone nostalgic for the Midway school, the title keeps an intact festive appeal.
