- NA release: 27th April 1998
- PAL release: 10th June 1998
- JP release: N/A
- Developer: Left Field
- Publisher: Nintendo
- N64 Magazine Score: 90%
Licensed sports games aren’t what you expect to be published by Nintendo, but here we are with NBA Courtside, a licensed basketball game and one that does a really good job with the sport. The graphics are particularly good on the N64, with some really nice reflections on the court.
At first, it seemed like a very back and forth game like other baseball games, with you and your opponent taking turns to score, but I eventually learnt how to properly tackle and defend (players you aren’t directly controlling move to sensible positions) and was able to go on the offensive and win some matches. Controls are fluid with a lot of options to adjust to your liking.
NBA Courtside is a very solid basketball game, one that is enjoyable for non-Basketball fans and probably great for those who are into the sport.
Fun
NBA Courtside is the most satisfying version of any rule-heavy American sport we’ve ever played. Not that the likes of Madden and Quarterback Club aren’t excellent games – it’s just that NBA Courtside is the only one that has ever managed to recreate the whole spectacular experience, rules and all, and still leave you feeling as if you’re really in charge of everything that’s happening.
Martin Kitts, N64 Magazine #18
Remake or Remaster?
Sports games evolve over time.
Official Ways to get the game
There’s no official way to play NBA Courtside
Europe
Japan
North America
N64 Games by Date
1997: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1998: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
1999: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
2000: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
This was the beginning of NOA’s partnership with Left Field Productions; which lasted from 1998-2002, ending with NBA Courtside 2002 for the GameCube.
They put out some… throughly ok games. The partnership quickly fell apart when Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln left NOA and when Iwata took over from Yamauchi. While I can’t say that their loss was massive for Nintendo as a whole? They certainly helped to fill a sports-shaped hole in the N64’s library and it’s a shame that they couldn’t do the same for the GameCube, as it could’ve really done with their support…