I’m sure like many Double Dribble was one of the first Basketball games they every played. I’m sure I might have played some random B-ball title on the Atari 2600 prior but whether that actually resembled the sport is up for debate. While Double Dribble was popular in the arcade it blew up on the NES. With its fast-paced gameplay and (for the time) exquisite cutscenes we played it for hours. Although I have fond memories of those times even back then I noticed it was a flawed game. Double Dribble can still entertain but there are better arcade basketball titles out there now.
Double Dribble is mostly remembered for one thing: its cutscenes. Getting near the basket and hitting a hot spot will initiate a cutscene depicting your player performing their dunk. It isn’t in full color like the arcade game but I think the NES version looks better. These are the game’s visual highlight, so you better appreciate it as the rest of the package has issues. While you have a full five on five on court you’ll be hard pressed to see all of them. There is heavy sprite flickering going on with players straight up disappearing. The arcade game had a vocal rendition of the Star-Spangled banner which was pretty impressive. Here it is less than flattering. There also isn’t any music outside of the menus and half-time show.
First things first, Double Dribble is not a simulation. The original arcade game was designed to get you in and out as fast as possible to rack up quarters. The NES port adds the option to adjust quarter length up to thirty minutes which is nuts. There is no season mode or league either. There are only four made up teams, the New York Eagles, Chicago Ox, Boston Frogs, and Los Angeles Breakers. They tried to be clever but you know what they “really” are. Statistically all teams are identical and the choice comes down to your favorite color.
While Double Dribble is an arcade experience first it did at least adhere to the rules of the game. The NES version is a stripped-down version of it in many ways. The arcade cab used a three-button setup for dribble, pass and shoot. The home version dribbles for you which prevents the frequent traveling penalties. There shot clock has also been removed which removes the urgency of making shots. It removed some complexity but also makes it a faster paced experience.
The increased pace comes at the expense of the game’s depth. With no shot clock you can easily pass the ball around indefinitely to line up the perfect shot. Chances are that won’t happen as the AI is pretty aggressive with the steals. Speaking of the AI it almost never misses allowing it up catch up consistently unless you steal every time. Either that or hit one of the game’s hot spots. There are designated areas of the court that enable your shots to go in every time. Obviously the game doesn’t point them out but if you watch the AI you’ll find them. At that point the computer poses no challenge anymore.
I haven’t even mentioned the three-point glitch yet either. Releasing a shot in the upper right-hand corner of the court at the right time will always guarantee a 3-pointer. It really is amazing how easily everyone figured this long before the internet. Literally everyone I knew abused this glitch. Not only did it make beating the computer trivial but also turned multiplayer matches into contests to see who could exploit it the most. While I mentioned playing Double Dribble for hours that was only in the first days of release. After that the lack of any depth and options relegated it to an occasional dust off.
In Closing
Double Dribble was decent for its time but has long since been surpassed. Any fond feelings toward the game are pure nostalgia at this point. There is something to be said for a game that is all about the basics but Double Dribble is too simple to be entertaining for long. Stick with NBA Jam or NBA Playgrounds for your arcade thrills.
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