One-on-One Basketball (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Man Development Corp.
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

One-on-One Basketball is a sports game that was originally released in 1983 on the Apple II.

+ Has a number of customisation options including difficulty level, scoring rules, as well as an excellent two-player mode.

+ Bird and Dr. J have different skill-sets and learning how to outwit opponents using their unique play styles is a blast.

+ Fatigue Bar persuades you to rely on strategy over brute force, and carefully using time-outs for recovery adds nuance.

+ Like Food Fight (1986, Atari 7800), the replay feature is phenomenal and the shattering backboard animation is amusing.

- Quick-tap button presses occasionally result in a shot instead of a spin, and the end of each match-up is anti-climactic.

- Far sides of the court can't be reached, which is problematic when an invisible wall stops you in your tracks.

- Presentation is dry, and the graphics are simple with nothing in the background despite the cheering crowd.