Developer: Sega Publisher: Sega Release: 11/90 Genre: Sports
When the Genesis launched in America new releases were slow. Thanks to Nintendo’s strong arm tactics few if any third parties were there in the launch window. That left Sega to provide the lion’s share of software and all things considered they did a damn good job. With so few games I played everything, even the sports games even though I am not much of a sports fan. Even with my lack of enthusiasm for the genre I know a bad game when I see one and Pat Riley Basketball lands in that category. Unfortunately basketball fans would have to wait a little while to get a decent title on the platform.
Do not let the name fool you. Pat Riley Basketball is not a simulation and is more of an arcade basketball title. Despite the famous coach’s name in the title Sega simply took their Japanese game Super Real Basketball and slapped a license on it to give it an air of authenticity. This was part of Sega’s marketing push in the early years of the Genesis as they did the same with Tommy Lasorda, Buster Douglas, Arnold Palmer, and Joe Montana. It does not work in this case in my opinion. You cannot polish a turd and this one smells bad.
The controls are simple as the gameplay lacks depth. On Defense A calls a time out although to be frank I never found a reason to do so. B shoots and when on defense switches players to the one nearest the ball or attempts to block an opponent’s dunk. C passes or steals when on defense. Stealing feels too random. Supposedly you steal when the ball is mid dribble but any attempt to time it is futile. You are better off mashing the button and hoping for the best. You can switch between zone defense and man to man formation as well as switch player positions based on stats but that is the jist of it. This is an arcade style game through and through.
On the court the action is simple. Even though the action is 5-on-5 the game has the pacing of a Double Dribble. Without the NBA license you have generic players and teams. The players have different stats but they are identical in appearance on both sides. The only distinguishing trait you might notice is some players are faster or slower than others. In terms of making shots I did not perceive any perceptible difference between players. Supposedly the teams focus on different mechanics but I will be damned if I noticed any difference. Like Konami’s game the most exciting part of the game is triggering a cutscene. Here however they are interactive as you must place the cursor within the shot gauge to hit the dunk, make the shot, or block a dunk. Good luck on that last one.
Despite the staid gameplay the game puts up a fight. The AI is aggressive and there is some rubber banding in the third and fourth quarter. Stealing becomes mandatory as the AI will rarely miss if you want to avoid a blowout. Despite the tough opposition I found it easy to build a large lead and cruise through the tournament mode. And that is the problem. With so few teams the tournament is a mere three games. That leaves exhibition matches against the AI or a friend. Because the game is so lacking in every area it has little replay value. And a sports game that fails to excite with its gameplay is worthless.
With middling gameplay the only notable aspect of Pat Riley Basketball is its cinematic cutscenes. Like Konami’s game whenever you are close to the basket to make a play the game will switch to a cinematic of the play. However there are far more of them with cinemas for free throws, dunking, three pointers, and even blocking shots. The animation is a little stilted but it is clearly a step above what you would see on the NES. To be fair that is not saying much; at this point I am trying to find anything nice to say about this game. In all other facets the presentation is adequate at best.
In Closing
Pat Riley Basketball was decent at best at launch. But even then I found it middling. Like Double Dribble the cinematic plays add an element of excitement to the otherwise drab gameplay. But just like that title once the thrill is gone you are left with a game that has a short shelf life and you will likely never play again. In light of better arcade basketball games like NBA Jam Pat Riley Basketball does not stack up.
