Tech Blog

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I had some trouble on EA's stand at E3--let's just say some people conspired to be unhelpful--but I braved it for a second time after this earlier disappointment because I knew I couldn't give up the chance to play EA's take on the NBA Jam.

"What's your favourite team?" the demonstrator asked, and I responded (eagerly) "The Toronto Raptors" (I may have said "Tronna Raptors" for extra authenticity.) "Well, have I got a treat for you," said the demonstrator.

"We [the developers, EA Canada] are in Vancouver," he continued -- which in general, when you're discussing a Toronto sports team, would probably mean that he was going to viciously insult it, rather than offer a treat -- before booting up the game with the Raptors playing against Boston. The treat? Well, I think it was pretty amazing. While all of the other teams featured their normal, boring players, the Raptors starting two is Chris Bosh (of course!) and...

The Toronto Raptor.

If you've ever seen a Raptors game, you'll know that the Raptors mascot is probably one of the best in the business. Fun, quick to get the crowd involved, athletic and never cheesy, he's a legend, and being able to play him (or have him on your team) is a fantastic addition.

Fans of the original NBA Jam will be glad to learn, however, that they really haven't changed very much else. While it is in 3D, it plays just like the original, with passing, shooting, and turbo. The only real difference is you have to "flick" the Wii Remote in order to jump, but it's fairly intuitive.

In the course of a game against Boston both Bosh and the Raptor had some incredible dunks (the Raptor, in fact, going "on fire" after managing three in a row). It's fast, playable, and the player heads--formed from photographs of the player--make sure it's funny too. I'm looking forward to playing NBA Jam when it hits Wii later this year--and yeah, I'll be making sure the Raptor is on the first team.