Double Dribble (video game)

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Double Dribble

Developer(s)	Konami
Publisher(s)	Konami
Release date(s)	Arcade version 1986 NES version September, 1987 (US) December 13, 1989 (Europe)
Genre(s)	Sports
Mode(s)	Up to two players.
Platform(s)	NES, Commodore 64, Arcade

Double Dribble is a video game by Konami. The original version was an arcade game released in 1986. In September of 1987 a version followed for the Nintendo Entertainment System. A version was also released for the Commodore 64 computer. The NES version features 5-on-5 action on a horizontally scrolling court, four different teams (Boston, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles), three levels of single-play difficulty, and four different choices of quarter lengths. Double Dribble was among the first games to feature cut-scenes, which depicted a mid-air player completing a slam-dunk, and one of the first to use speech, though in a limited quantity (such as announcing the game title and the game's beginning jump ball).

A sequel would be released in 1994 for the Sega Mega Drive called Double Dribble The Playoff Edition.

[edit] Quirks

Compared to many sports-related Nintendo games of this era, Double Dribble resembled its sport with surprising accuracy. However, there were several quirks in the programming that are noteworthy, if only for their contribution to the overall experience of playing Double Dribble:

Timing Issues: The game clock, as in most early timed videogames (see also: Tecmo Bowl), was far faster than real-time.

Translation Issues: In the third-quarter, third is abbreviated as "3rt."

Gameplay: Several positions on the court were 'hot spots,' high-percentage areas where shots-taken were likely to score points. For example: it is easier to hit a 3-pointer on the bottom right-hand side of the screen.