Developer: Software Creations
Publisher: Tradewest
Release Date: 1990
(The jersey is just a generic one, but in a couple years there would be a team called Magic. That's kind of fun)
There are two reasons I wanted to review Magic Johnson’s Fast Break even though old sports games don’t get many clicks. The first one is that Pat Contri claimed, in what just may be the end of his Amico coverage, that it is a one-star game. That’s enough to make me want to play it right there. I love playing games that are old, bad, and that I already own despite having no recollection of playing. The second reason is that I live in Magic’s hometown of Lansing, Michigan. He’s probably Lansing’s most famous native son, and the competition is surprisingly stiff. Lansing was also home to Malcolm X, Burt Reynolds, and Stephen Seagal. That’s impressive for such a modest sized city. Sadly, there aren’t too many games based on other famous Lansingites, so I was excited to revisit Magic Johnson’s Fast Break as a tribute to my adopted hometown. Of course, just like everything he said about the Amico, Pat Contri was right about this one. No wonder I forgot about this game. It’s about as slight as a basketball game can be.
Magic Johnson’s Fast Break is a 2-on-2 basketball game that feels more like a tech demo than a complete game. I feel that the only reason it exists is because four people can play it at once. Being able to play with three other people is a fun concept, but you still have to make a quality game if you want people to actually buy what you are selling. Unfortunately, outside of four-player action and Magic Johnson’s disembodied head, this game has nothing going for it. There are only two unnamed teams that you don’t even get to choose, and all four characters play exactly the same. Every player is equally adept at stealing the ball and shooting three pointers, and I didn’t notice much difference in speed. The only option besides number of players is difficulty which makes for very little variety. It probably won’t surprise you by now, but there is also no season or tournament mode. So if you’re playing one player it’s just one game per difficulty level. How anyone thought such a skimpy game was acceptable so late in the NES’s lifespan is beyond me.
I might be more forgiving if the gameplay was solid, but there are problems with this too. This may be the only time that a sports game on the NES is too fast. I suppose fast is in the title, but the speed comes in annoying ways. After a shot is made it goes instantly to the inbound pass. It’s so quick that half the time I didn’t even realize what was happening. Stealing and passing are both done with the B button, so often possession would change mid steal and I would accidentally inbound it to the wrong team. This isn’t helped by the lousy shot animation. The net doesn’t move, the fans don’t cheer, and the shots are so low angled that it’s hard to tell if a shot is good or bad until possession changes. The NES was already five years old at this point. There’s just no excuse for such bad execution.
Like most branded sports games from the era, you don’t actually get to play as Magic Johnson. Instead, you are merely encouraged by him. When you do something impressive like making a three pointer, he will pop up and say something like “nice bomb kid.” Honestly the only good strategy in this game is to shoot a three every time, so you’ll see Magic a lot. It’s a good likeness, but it gets in the way more than anything. Sometimes he won’t pop up until the other team is running down the court which messes up the timing. It’s hard to defend when the action suddenly stops mid drive. This is a strange case where the game would be better with less of its star. He gives very generic advice between quarters which is fine but pointless. He will congratulate you if you win the game. Being congratulated by Magic Johnson does have a certain thrill to it, but I wish this was a game that made me feel more accomplished. In the end Magic’s compliment rings hollow, much like the game itself.
There were a few moments when playing that the score was close, and the game was somewhat exciting. I will admit that I enjoyed myself in these moments. This might be more because of the inherent fun of basketball than the game itself, however. The slight fun I had keeps it out of the cellar though, and it ends up right under Fester’s Quest on both lists. The fact that there are already eight games on my NES list under this one is either a bad sign for the console or the result of my questionable game selection. At least I know that many good games lie ahead.
NES Quality Percentage: 14/28 or 50%
https://1drv.ms/w/s!AvR1pVOGMfAniEZub_KTCsR7twUv?e=cG7vSp
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