Basketball (1978 Video Game)
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''Basketball'' is a
sports video game A sports video game is a video game that simulates the practice of sports. Most sports have been recreated with video games, including team sports, track and field, extreme sports, and combat sports. Some games emphasize playing the sport (such ...
programmed by Alan Miller for the
Atari Video Computer System The Atari 2600 is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS), it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridg ...
(later renamed to the Atari 2600) and published by Atari, Inc. in 1978. The cartridge presents a game of one-on-one basketball and can be played by one or two players, one of the few early VCS titles to have a single-player mode with an AI-controlled opponent. Miller wrote a version of ''Basketball'' for
Atari 8-bit computers The Atari 8-bit computers, formally launched as the Atari Home Computer System, are a series of home computers introduced by Atari, Inc., in 1979 with the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The architecture is designed around the 8-bit MOS Technology 650 ...
with improved graphics, published in 1979. That same year, an arcade version similar to the computer port was released by Atari, but in black and white.


Gameplay

At the start of the game, both players are in the center of the court. A
jump ball A jump ball is a method used to begin or resume play in basketball. It is similar to a face-off in ice hockey and field lacrosse and a ball-up in Australian rules football. Two opposing players attempt to gain control of the ball after an offic ...
is thrown between them to begin play. The player in the offensive position (in possession of the ball) always faces a basket representing the assigned shooting target, and the defensive player always faces the opponent. Each player can move in eight directions with the joystick; the player who has the ball constantly
dribble In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score. As ...
s it. The defensive player may steal the ball when it leaves the opponent's hands (either in mid-dribble or mid-shot). After either player scores, the shooter is reset to the center of the court and becomes the defensive player while the former defender is positioned under the basket to inbound the ball. The player with the higher score after four minutes is the winner. The game has two difficulty levels selected with the Difficulty Switch. In "B" position, the player can move from goal to goal much more quickly than the "A" position.


Reception

In ''
Video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
'' magazine's "Arcade Alley" review column, reviewers described it as "that rare game that plays well solitaire or with a human opponent," and noted "the game definitely captures the flavor of basketball." The "fan's eye perspective" was singled out for particular praise, and the game as a whole was found to "offer the most exciting four minutes of one-on-one hoop action he reviewers hadseen so far."


Legacy

In the 1980
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
''
Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American disaster film, disaster comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams and brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker in their List of directorial debuts, directoria ...
'', flight controllers are seen playing Atari VCS ''Basketball'' rather than watching the monitor.


References


External links


''Basketball''
for Atari 2600 at Atari Mania * *
''Basketball''
at Arcade History {{DEFAULTSORT:Basketball (Video Game) 1978 video games Atari games Atari 2600 games Atari 8-bit computer games Basketball video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games developed in the United States