Basketball (Intellivision game)
Encyclopedia
Basketball is a multiplayer sports video game produced by Mattel
and released for its Intellivision
video game system in 1980. The players each control a basketball
team competing in four timed quarters of game play. While Mattel did obtain a license from the National Basketball Association
and used the NBA logo
in its box art, NBA Basketball does not use any official team or player names.
.
At the start of the quarter, the two players control the centers
during the tip-off. The team who wins the tip-off begins on offense, with the player controlling the team member with the ball. Players on offense use the keypad to select where in the offensive half of the court they wish to pass the ball. If a computer-controlled offensive team member receives the pass, control passes to that team member. When attempting to shoot the ball at the basket, players may choose between a jump shot (which is less likely to be blocked, but only hits at close range) and a set shot (which can hit from long distances, but has a greater chance of being blocked).
On defense, the player controls one member of the team, considered the "captain." The defense can block shots, intercept passes and rebound missed shots, and computer-controlled defensive team members are able to steal the ball from the offense. When a defensive team member (either player- or computer-controlled) gets the ball, the player controls that team member and switches to the offensive controls.
If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter of play, a single five-minute overtime period is played.
Game Room
service, have also left the game name simply as Basketball.
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
and released for its Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
video game system in 1980. The players each control a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team competing in four timed quarters of game play. While Mattel did obtain a license from the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and used the NBA logo
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
in its box art, NBA Basketball does not use any official team or player names.
Gameplay
Each player controls a three-man basketball team, actively controlling one team member at a time, with the computer controlling the other two. Like the real game of basketball, the player's team must score more points than the opponent's team by shooting more baskets and blocking opponent's shots on their basket. The game consists of four quarters, each a simulated twelve minutes in length. The pace of the game is governed by a simulated 24-second shot clockShot clock
A shot clock is used in some sports to quicken the pace of the game. It is normally associated with basketball, but has also found use in sports such as snooker, professional lacrosse, water polo, and korfball....
.
At the start of the quarter, the two players control the centers
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
during the tip-off. The team who wins the tip-off begins on offense, with the player controlling the team member with the ball. Players on offense use the keypad to select where in the offensive half of the court they wish to pass the ball. If a computer-controlled offensive team member receives the pass, control passes to that team member. When attempting to shoot the ball at the basket, players may choose between a jump shot (which is less likely to be blocked, but only hits at close range) and a set shot (which can hit from long distances, but has a greater chance of being blocked).
On defense, the player controls one member of the team, considered the "captain." The defense can block shots, intercept passes and rebound missed shots, and computer-controlled defensive team members are able to steal the ball from the offense. When a defensive team member (either player- or computer-controlled) gets the ball, the player controls that team member and switches to the offensive controls.
If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter of play, a single five-minute overtime period is played.
Variations from standard basketball
Due to the limitations of the system, a number of variations and changes were made to how Basketball plays versus a real-life game. Gameplay is on a simulated regulation-style full court, whereas traditional three-on-three basketball games typically use only a half-court setup. There are no foul shots in the game, nor are there three-point shots; all baskets, regardless of distance, are worth two points. Also, the shot clock resets not only after attempted shots and possession changes, but also upon completed passes. Theoretically, an offensive team can pass the ball continually and take only a single shot within a given quarter.Ports
NBA Basketball was sold by Sears for its private-label version of the Intellivision console, the "Super Video Arcade," without the NBA name or logo. Subsequent re-releases of the title, such as on the Intellivision Lives compilation game and Microsoft'sMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Game Room
Game Room
Game Room is a gaming service for the Xbox 360 video game system, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Launched on March 24, 2010, Game Room lets players download classic video games and compete against each other for high scores...
service, have also left the game name simply as Basketball.
External links
- Basketball at GameFAQs