[{"TitleName":"GBA Championship Basketball","Publisher":"Gamestar","Author":"John Cutter, Scott Orr, Simon Freeman","YearOfRelease":"1987","ZxDbId":"0001998","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 44, Sep 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-08-27","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":124,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nAssistant Editor: Barnaby Page\r\nStaff Writers: Richard Eddy, Lloyd Mangram, Ian Phillipson, Ben Stone\r\nPhotographers: Cameron Pound, Michael Parkinson\r\nOffice: Sally Newman\r\nTechnical Editor: Simon N Goodwin\r\nAdventure: Derek Brewster\r\nPBM: Brendon Kavanagh\r\nStrategy: Philippa Irving\r\nLondon: John Minson\r\nContributors: Jon Bates, Robin Candy, Mike Dunn, Franco Frey, Dominic Handy, Nick Roberts, Mark Rothwell, Paul Sumner\r\nEducational Software: Rosetta McLeod\r\n\r\nPRODUCTION\r\n\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nArt Director: Gordon Druce\r\nIllustrator: Oliver Frey\r\nLayout: Tony Lorton, Mark Kendrick\r\nProcess and Planning: Matthew Uffindell, Jonathan Rignall, Nick Orchard\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Nick Wild\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nTypesetting by The Tortoise Shell Press, Ludlow\r\n\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset, [redacted] - member of the BPCC Group.\r\n\r\nDistributed by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return any written material sent to CRASH unless accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material which may be used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©1987 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"Producer: Gamestar\r\nRetail Price: £9.99\r\nAuthor: Scott Orr and John Cutter\r\n\r\nTen seconds to go. Nine, eight, oh no - you think it's all up to you now. The scores are equal and you've got the ball. You bounce the ball down the court and aim for the basket. The ball leaves your hands. Three, two, you score. The crowd goes wild! It's all the excitement of Championship Basketball.\r\n\r\nBasketball is a game of lightning speed for superathletes. It takes guts, stamina and strategy. And Gamestar claims its simulation 'helps you develop the strategies and skills to make you play like a pro.'\r\n\r\nIn Championship Basketball you can either practice or play a game. Techniques to practice include hook shots, jump shots, slam dunks and rebounds.\r\n\r\nTwo players can take opposing sides, each paired with a computer teammate; or both can play the computer; or a single player can challenge the Spectrum, aided by an intelligent computer ally.\r\n\r\nYou can play a straightforward game of basketball, or variants such as 'around the world' and 'horse'. The object in all is to score by shooting the ball into the high basket.\r\n\r\nVital skills include passing and receiving the ball, shooting, stealing and blocking. And strategy is important: when on the court with a computer teammate, you can choose from five offensive and four defensive plays.\r\n\r\nLook out for fouls, though... and now put on your trainers, get down to that court and play.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nJoysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair\r\nGraphics: poorly-defined and unimaginative; some colour clash\r\nSound: just a beep when the ball is bounced\r\nOptions: one- and two-player options (only one player can use joystick), four skill levels","ReviewerComments":["Yawn! I'm really going off Gamestar. I thought Championship Football (also reviewed this month) was the pits, but this takes the biscuit. The graphics are not very well-drawn and the colour clashes terribly, as usual. Though Championship Basketball is quite playable at first, after a while the bad graphics and beepy sound are a bit much.\r\nNick Roberts\r\n40%","Every basketball game ever written for the Spectrum has been a waste of time, and Gamestar's recent effort is no better than its predecessors. It suffers from having just two players on each side, which rules out the realistic game moves that could be used with five players. The little men running around the court are well animated, and the shots look good. But these are the only drawing points of a very boring and repetitive game. Championship Basketball leaves out many of the major basketball technicalities, and therefore fails to be a successful simulation.\r\nPaul Sumner\r\n40%","Championship Basketball is the latest in a long line of American sports games, and it could be the last for all I care. Small, wobbling stick men hobble round a crudely-drawn, colour-clashing screen; control is frustratingly slow and fiddly. The gameplay is at first quite enjoyable, but frustration and boredom soon set in. Though this isn't too bad for couple of games, the Harlem Globetrotters it ain't.\r\nMark Rothwell\r\n30%"],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: An uninteresting simulation - poor graphics, dull gameplay.","Page":"22,23","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Nick Roberts","Score":"40","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Paul Sumner","Score":"40","ScoreSuffix":"%"},{"Name":"Mark Rothwell","Score":"30","ScoreSuffix":"%"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"The Harlem Globe Trotter himself, none other than Cameron-have-flash-will-score Pound, hurls the ball through the basket."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Presentation","Score":"47%","Text":""},{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"36%","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"42%","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictive Qualities","Score":"33%","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"37%","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Sinclair Issue 22, Oct 1987","Price":"£1.5","ReleaseDate":"1987-09-10","Editor":"Teresa Maughan","TotalPages":108,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Teresa Maughan\r\nArt Editor: Peter George\r\nActing Production Editor: John Leach\r\nTechnical Editor: Phil South\r\nSoftware Editor: Marcus Berkmann\r\nDesigner: Darrell King\r\nEditorial Assistant: Angela Eager\r\nContributors: Richard Blaine, Audrey & Owen Bishop, Chris Donald, Mike Gerrard, Gwyn Hughes, ZZKJ, Tony Lee, Rick Robson, Peter Shaw, Rachael Smith, Mischa Welsh, Tony Worrall\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mark Salmon\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Julian Harriott\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nManaging Editor: Kevin Cox\r\nPublisher: Roger Munford\r\nPublishing Director: Stephen England\r\n\r\nPublished by Dennis Publishing Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England.\r\nTypesetters: Carlinpoint [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Sinclair ©1987 Felden Productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Sinclair is a monthly publication."},"MainText":"Gamestar\n£9.99\nReviewer: Gwyn Hughes\n\nRachael says she's always in the mood for a bit of two-on-two, so I had to explain that this is four player basketball. You know, the game played by tall, athletic men with strange names like Dr Meadow-duck Raspberry, and short, weedy reviewers with hot Spectrums.\n\nLast time Gamestar knocked us all for six with their Baseball simulation, and this could score even higher because the game is better known over here. So prepare to dribble (no, not down your chin, dummy) as Gwyn (Highballs) Hughes takes to the court.\n\nIf ever a game was suited to computerisation, this is it. The aim is nice and clear - get the ball into the basket - and there ain't so many men on court that you'll lose sight of the one you're controlling. Once again Gamestar have a potential winner.\n\nThere's no denying that they take amazing care with their games but it's a pity that there are still details which slip past their defences, such as a dodgy selection of keys - this is one for the joystick team.\n\nThey do give you all the options though, offering a single player game, where your partner is computer controlled, or two player versions as teammates, facing Spectrum opposition, or two sides of one human and a micro mate.\n\nAlmost ready to start, but not quite, because unless you're playing with a human, you need to tell your partner what strategy you want him to follow. This is rather like the formation picking that you find in American Football simulations, and gives you around seven seconds to choose front five attack patterns or four defensive.\n\nWhatever your strategy, control couldn't be easier. Just use your joystick to steer and dodge as you weave past the opposition, then jab at fire to pass. Your partner receives the ball without it being intercepted and you run for the basket, then jab fire again and he throws it to you. Now hold fire longer so that you leap in the air, then release as you reach your zenith... and you've scored!\n\nIt's a good thing that the game plays so fast, because you can't change the length of the quarters, which could be a bit off-putting if you're not a devotee of the sport. A twelve- minute game would have made for a much snappier affair.\n\nThere's also a lot of potential for clever sidestepping and leaping around to deflect shots from the basket, but it's rather spoilt by the Spectrum's attribute clash. Suddenly the player you thought was on your side changes colour as he steps out of the scrum!\n\nAs with Baseball, your attitude to Basketball is going to depend on how much you like to lob balls through hoops, and whether you can find a friend toy against. The one player game may prove to have a limited life, but for two players it could prove totally addictive.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"Clever and close simulation of a sport which lends itself to computerisation, but limited by the long game.","Page":"72","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Gwyn Hughes","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"As the players return from the basket, it's time to select the next play. There's nothing to indicate which one you've chosen, so that human opponents aren't able to prejudge your strategy, and you can carry on changing your mind to the last minute. The program also comes complete with a fine selection of fouls - Rachael reckoned these were her favourite parts of the game!"}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Playability","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Value For Money","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Addictiveness","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 68, Nov 1987","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1987-10-18","Editor":"David Kelly","TotalPages":124,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: David Kelly\r\nDeputy Editor: Graham Taylor\r\nStaff Writer: Jim Douglas\r\nStaff Writer: Tamara Howard\r\nArt Editor: Gareth Jones\r\nAdventure Help: Gordo Greatbelly\r\nZapchat: Jon Riglar\r\nHelpline: Andrew Hewson\r\nContributors: Richard Price, Tony Bridge, Chris Jenkins, Tony Dillon, Gary Rook\r\nHardware Correspondent: Rupert Goodwins\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Mike Corr\r\nSales Executive: Steve Prescott\r\nClassified Sales/Production: Alison Morton\r\nPublisher's Secretary: Debbie Pearson\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nPublisher: Terry Pratt\r\n\r\nTelephone [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscription Enquiries [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Clive Goodyer\r\n\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted by Nene River Press, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1986 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\nABC 84,699 July-Dec 1986"},"MainText":"Label: Gamestar\r\nAuthor: Simon Freeman\r\nPrice: £7.99\r\nMemory: 48K/128K\r\nJoystick: various\r\nReviewer: Graham Taylor\r\n\r\nChampionship Basketball is a release from Activision's Gamestar label - a follow-on from Championship Baseball, two months ago.\r\n\r\nFrankly, the game looks completely awful. Some of the least impressive miniscule sub-budget game sprites I've seen in ages run around like little ants, attribute probleming each other into oblivion when the going gets tough and four people are around the basket at once. Try playing a sensible defence routine under those circumstances!\r\n\r\nSound is equally dull consisting almost entirely of obscure farping (that's farping) noises, no matter what the game circumstances.\r\n\r\nIt's the gameplay that's the tricky bit. I managed to score the same number of points as the computer without having a clue what I was doing.\r\n\r\nThere are, however, facilities within the game for quite subtle plays. Aside from the straightforward business of chasing the ball, learning how to get it away from another player without committing a foul, and lining yourself up with the basket properly at the beginning of each play you can select from four plays each depending on whether you are defending or attacking.\r\n\r\nEach play type is basically a series of instructions to the other member of your team and determines his movement in the play for the basket. For example, one attacking move is to send your team-mate straight to the basket, ready for a pass at the right moment. Other alternatives include marking one or other of the other side's team members. It seems sophisticated but I'm really unsure of how much it all counts for in the actual game. I found just running around a bit and throwing the ball when I got a spare moment into the general direction of either my team mate or the basket just as effective.\r\n\r\nPersonally I hated this game. It might be arguable as to whether the gameplay is marvellous or terrible but it looks absolutely dire.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"A simulation of American Basketball with two players a side! Thoroughly implemented but looks appalling.","Page":"80","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Graham Taylor","Score":"3","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"3/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]