Street Slam

Introduction:

In my opinion, Data East is one of the greatest forgotten developers from the old arcade days. Their team released some truly amazing games in the 80's and 90's and I guarantee most arcade goers have played at least a few of them. I'm sure you recognize their other Neo Geo games like Windjammers, Spinmaster, or Magical Drop 3, but I feel like this title gets significantly less attention.

The game has three different names, one for each region and I'll refer to the game as the American title Street Slam for this review. It's known as Dunk Dream in Japan and Street Hoop in the European regions.

Data East isn't exactly known for their sports titles, but they really did a great job with just about every genre they touched. So if you like basketball and you have a Neo Geo, I guess you're in luck.

Gameplay: 🕹️

I know what you're thinking, you think Street Slam is just an NBA Jam knockoff for the Neo geo. Well you're not too far off, but this game really does stand on its own two feet. Data East changed the formula just enough to give Street Slam its own identity and distinct feel while retaining the simple and addictive gameplay of NBA Jam.

In the American version teams are represented by American cities whereas in other releases they are represented by different countries. Each team has eighteen points allocated across four categories: speed, three pointers, dunks, and defense. Personally I prefer high defense so I have more opportunities to prevent the other team from scoring, but all teams have a relatively balanced mix of these stats.

The game is three on three street basketball and the soundtrack is going to let you know that over and over again in the lyrics. Having an additional player, as opposed to just two, feels great and adds an extra level of strategy when you're trying to approach the opposing team's hoop. That extra player also means you have a higher likelihood that one of your teammates will be open for scoring.

The game controls great. Passing and shooting the ball is smooth and your team is usually right where you need them to be. The controls always feel responsive even though you will only be using two buttons. When you are on defense the A button jump blocks and the B button steals. When you are on offense the A button shoots the ball and the B button passes. There are a variety of other moves you can perform such as fakes and alley-oops and instructions will be shown to you during the halftime screen.

One big difference you'll notice is that Street Slam doesn't have a turbo button and it honestly doesn't need one. The courts are relatively small so you won't be traveling very far whether on offense or defense. This keeps the pace of game blazing fast with less time spent running back and forth in the middle of the court.

While you score baskets you will notice the Super Shot meter building at the bottom of the screen. Once the meter is full your players are powered up and you're guaranteed to make the next shot as long as you are within range. This is an important part of the game's strategy as you want to keep an eye on the rival team's power gauge too and try to run the time out before they can use their own power shot.

The gameplay itself in Street Slam is absolutely perfect and I really cannot find anything I don't like about it.

Graphics: 👾

The overall presentation in Street Slam is good and the animation is decent. The courts are brimming with detail, color, and activity with a lot of characters in the background including some kick ass moustachioed dude wearing hammer pants and a denim vest.

The only real flaw is the character design of the basketball players. They have to be the most generic “basketball dudes” you have ever seen. Judging from the brilliant character design of the aforementioned hammer pants guy, they really could have created some more distinct and fun players for the teams. Even NBA Jam got weird with secret characters like Scorpion, Sub Zero, P funk, and Bill Clinton. Data East really should have at least included Karnov.

The graphics won't make you barf or anything, but they're definitely not going to impress your friends.

Sound: 🔊

The music.... oh boy.... you are in for a treat.

While the soundtrack is high quality, all of the tracks are 1990's hip hop songs filled with cheesy lyrics that fit the overall atmosphere of the game. Remember when Will Smith was known as the Fresh Prince? Back when he was rapping about homework and his mom buggin? That's the level of G-rated stuff you get in Street Slam and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Just some good wholesome rap songs about three on three basketball.

The announcer's samples are clear but not as varied as I would like them to be. After you hear “DOWNTOWN” for the hundredth time it starts to get a little annoying. It would have been nice if the announcer had a few more lines to break up the repetition but overall everything sounds very good. Some of the samples like “Kiss the Rim” are comical but nothing comes close to the iconic BOOMSHAKALAKA.

Fun Factor:

Street Slam is a blast! After you get a feel for the pacing and find your groove it's pretty easy to get addicted and sink several hours into the game. The rounds are fast paced and you'll find yourself playing “one more game” all night.

Street Slam is very easy to pick up even if you don't know much about basketball. The rounds never drag out too long and last just long enough to keep you interested. Street Slam is also fantastic playing head to head with a friend.

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Conclusion: 📊

There's a certain charm in Street Slam that comes from Japanese developers trying to emulate American culture. This saturates the presentation of the entire game and comes off as a little silly but also completely awesome.

If you're looking for a basketball game on the Neo Geo you only have one choice. Fortunately it's a very solid game and pretty affordable. I would say it's a worthy addition to any library and a very fun overlooked title. Definitely a game worth giving a try at the very least!