NBA Jam 2002 for the Game Boy Advance is Acclaim's seventh attempt to give the NBA Jam series a respectable showing on a handheld system. Due to a variety of questionable design choices, as well as a few omissions, it's certainly not going to appease jaded enthusiasts who're still searching for a perfect portable rendition of their favorite extreme basketball game. However, NBA Jam 2002 does manage to offer a satisfying dose of two-on-two, no-rules, full-court roundball, complete with large, well-animated players and irreverent announcer comments.The game draws its roster from the 29 official NBA teams, and it features all the corresponding colors, logos, and court designs. In all, there are 140 different players, including such notables as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Allen Iverson. The game offers six gameplay modes, including season, playoffs, quick game, jam, horse, and practice. The practice and horse modes aren't substantial, but they're adequate for training yourself in the use of the game's combo-based shot mechanics. For the majority of players, the season and jam modes will yield the most playtime. The season setting lets you take a team all the way through a 28-game fantasy season, while the jam mode transforms the quick game option into an energetic exhibition match that's chock-full of wacky power-ups and hot spots. An options menu lets you continue your season via a password save system and tweak settings for computer opponent difficulty, player swapping, and quarter length.
