Great Basketball

Overview

Released on the same day as its Volleyball counterpart, Great Basketball recreates the sport for Sega Master System owners. It was the first basketball game for either the Sega Master System or the NES. It's also notable for its early use of sound samples and a rather gratuitous half-time show in the form of a cheerleader routine.

Gameplay

The game is viewed from the side in a similar manner as Double Dribble or NBA Jam and plays much like those games and other basketball sims: The character with the ball must get it to the end of the court (either on his own or by passing it between teammates) and place it in the basket to score points all the while avoiding the defending team. The game used one button to pass and the other to shoot.

The player can choose one of eight national teams: USA, Canada, USSR, Japan, Cuba, Czechoslovakia (as it wouldn't become two separate nations until 1993), Italy and Hungary.