White Men Can't Jump (video game)
| White Men Can't Jump | |
|---|---|
 Official video game box art of White Men Can't Jump | |
| Developer(s) | High Voltage Software |
| Publisher(s) | Atari |
| Distributor(s) | Atari |
| Platform(s) | Atari Jaguar |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player Multiplayer (up to four players) |
| Distribution | Cartridge |
White Men Can't Jump is a video game released for the Atari Jaguar in 1995 by High Voltage Software, loosely based on the 1992 20th Century Fox movie of the same name. As in the movie, players play games of two-on-two street basketball. It came with the Team Tap Adaptor, which allowed three or four players to play in tandem despite the game box saying "1 or 2 players". Due to its poor graphics, among other factors, it has been hailed as one of the worst Jaguar games by some critics.[1][2]
Game Modes
Vs. Mode
When you select the Vs. Mode in the Main Menu, your next choice is how many players. With one controller you can play 1 player mode (1 Human Player with 1 Jaguar AI player vs. 2 Jaguar AI players). If you have 2 controllers you can play 2 player mode (1 human player and 1 Jaguar AI player per team). If you have 3 or 4 controllers and an Atari Jaguar Team Tap, you can play 3 Player (2 human players on one team vs. 1 human and 1 Jaguar AI player on the other team) or 4 Player (4 human players, no Jaguar AI players). These modes are dimmed out if you don't have a Team Tap plugged in. Vs. Mode is the only way to play 3 or 4 player in the game. In Vs. Mode you have the options to choose between Standard Score or Street Score, Time or Score, and Standard Play or Make It/Take It.[3]
Tournament Mode
Tournament Mode can be played with 1 player or 2 players (on the same team). You start out with $500 you get from the Breakleg Brothers, and the smallest amount you can bet per game is $50.[3] Tournament Mode supports 1 or 2 players and does not support 3 or 4 player use of the Team Tap.
The City Slam Tournament
The City Slam Tournament's history is long and robust. Originally started back in the early '70s by a group of con men and hustlers as a way to make more money, it's grown into THE premiere street ball event. Everybody who's anybody is there. If you can make it through the Tournament, you'll have the most Kikkin'rep from Venice Beach to Compton, and every asphalt-Jungle-sandlot-half court in-between! The entry fee is $5000, once you've earned that much you'll automatically enter. If you haven't made five grand by the time you play 30 games, or at any point lose all your money, the Breakleg Brothers will be after you and Tournament Mode is over.[3]
Gameplay
Players can pass, fake a pass, jump, shoot, dunk, and punch (try to knock down an opponent). Players can also "Speed Boost", but this drains your energy quicker. The green bar is your energy, the more energy you haver the more likely you are to pull off a Super Dunk at a distance from the basket. Each character can pull of a variety of "Super Dunks". Each character has a specific Super Dunk listed in their information, but there are more complicated, dunks that are harder to pull off and less likely to be blocked. Players can also switch between both characters on their team when using an AI teammate.
Characters and teams
Sidney Deane and Billy Hoyle (played by Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson respectively in the film) are not playable characters and do not appear in the game.
The Breakleg Brothers
The Breakleg Brothers, Tangle and Cash, hand you your $500 in cash to get you started in the tournament. They expect their money back with interest when you win the tournament. They are not playable characters and are not the mobsters from the film. They're only gonna let you play 30 games before they come after you wanting payback. If you don't make it to the City Slam Tournament by then, you're gonna be in a world of hurt.
Teams
The teams all consist of two playable characters. All teams and players were created for the game and did not appear in the film.
3Pt. Kings
Jules and Freaky are the 3Pt Kings. They grew up playing ball to the sounds of George Clinton and Bootsy Collins. They are the former champions of Slam City '78. They're back and as funky as ever, ready to reclaim their former glory.
6th Street Shooters
Saber and Rush are the 6th Street Shooters. They are in it for the money! Not for themselves mind you. They hail from a rough part of town and want to put their winnings into cleaning up the neighborhood and bringing community pride.
Cool Cats
O.G. and G. Love are the Cool Cats, they consider themselves the refined old-school artistes of street ball hustling. When they're not out dunkin' on dopes, they're jamming some of the livest jazz in town down at their favorite hotspot.
Dis Masters
Tower (the one with Kid 'n Play hair) and Eggman are the Dis Masters. They are truly masters of their game and want to roll their winnings into a new rap label, with themselves as the hot act of course. When they're not cuttin' down on the local action, they're whippin' 'em all over the court!
Dunkin' Deamons
Titan and Wisp are Dunkin' Deamons, they both had promising high school basketball careers but didn't make the college cut. They love the game and are using the money they win to pay for college.
Urban Angles
Mace and Stress are Urban Angles, the darlings of a local-access cabel show that deals with life in the inner city. They're entering the Slam City Tournament to help raise money for their show and a local youth organization trying to get kids off the street.
The Icey Icey H.A.C.K.E.R.S.
SusieQ and EpicSteven are lowlifes on the information superhighway. When they're not running wild on computers systems around the globe, they're perfecting their tans at the Venice Beach boardwalk. Hackers by trade, SusieQ and EpicSteven have been targeted by the secret Gloxinon corporation for their multiple incursions into restricted projects. Donning disguises and going "off the grid," they enter the Slam City Tournament, hoping to dig up some clues as to what Gloxinon CEO Mr. Angeles wants with them.
Beach Bums
Dr. Ed and Slag are Beach Bums, they really are slackers with attitudes. If they weren't doin' this, they wouldn't be doin' nothin.
Metal Hedz
Gruff and Scrape are the Metal Hedz, former roadies for Jimi Hendrix (who is argued about by Sidney and Billy in the film) with a passion for the game. They came together to raise enough money to purchase a custom van and open the Traveling Heavy Metal Hall of Fame and Musical Revue. Scrape's signature move, The Hey Joe Jam, is a reference to a tune most famously done by Hendrix.
The Hot Bugz
Slimey and Ant are two bugs with attitude! They're both really small and run around trying to collect leaves and crumbs. Can these two bugs "hoop it up" for the big cash before the cruel winds of winter cause them to die?
The Helpers
A broke family of doctors, philanthropists, child-care workers, and all around helpful people are in need of a bit of cardio from hell... To pay for the funeral of their personal trainer they need to turn medicine into money and give those orphan b-balls hoop homes.
Muscle Boyz
Burger and Stomp, the Muscle Boyz are tired of the girlie-men they see on the courts at their local beach. They're determined to win the Slam City Tournament with their superior physiques and strong b-ball style. Then they'll open the Muscle Boyz Gym to promote their standards of physical fitness.
Psyko Squad
Rabies and Twitch are Psyko Squad, they intimidate by force of their unorthodox (some say psycho) methods of play. Their style approaches the closest thing to moshing in sports there is. Rabies and Twitch are made for each other! In fact, they plan to use their winnings to get married.
Baby Einsteins
Leibniz, Newton and Planck are three super-smart babies with attitudes. They've been hustling the courts for years to pay for their Ph.D. programs, but when Cal Tech starts charging extra in an effort to get the babies to drop out, they have to supplement their street cash with new jobs as cable technicians. With their astronomical IQs, cable installation is a breeze and these babies are raking in the cash in no time, until one day when they show up for a routine upgrade at a mafia kingpin's pad and witness a murder. Can these brainy infants untangle the web of lies and accusations? Or will the mafia make sure that their VCR clock hits double zero?
Screamin' Wheels
Hail and Goose are Screamin' Wheels, a couple of East-side thrill seekers looking to roll their winnings into fixing up their tricked out hot-rod "Fat Chick" so the can enter the Drag City Tournament.
Standards And Practices
By day, Randy and Joshua are a pair of stick-in-the-mud suits who work for the FCC, issuing fines for indecent exposure and adult language. But by night, they're both male harlots, licking, teasing and kissing their way across the hot Los Angeles underground... regardless of gender. One day, a mysterious call from a representative of the corporation Gloxinon summons them to a skyscraper downtown, where they are given groundbreaking news: the corporate team at Gloxinon wants to make group love to them. They proceed to do so for double their normal fee, and spend the money on designer sweatpants. Months later Randy and Joshua enter the Slam City Tournament on a dare from a friend (Todd).
Slammers
Skin and Smack are Slammers. They've been hustlin' for years with the Tournament running right in their backyard. They've hot-dogged their way into the competition to show the world nobody can come to their part of town and not expect some schooling from these former all-stars.
Street Sharks
Grip and Fence are Street Sharks, they wrote the book on "Zen and the Art of Hoops". Most people underestimate these cats until they go up against 'em 2-on-2 and end up leavin' with their wallets several Jacksons short of The Jackson 5. If they win, Grip and Fence will probably start the Church of the Pump Sneaker and walk the Earth, converting the faithful.
Surf Crew
Van and Rio of Surf Crew are the Annette Funicello and Frankie Vallie of the modern beach ball scene. They play ball just to see and be seen by the other hustlers. they have been taking all the comers for years. They're good and they look good doing it. If they win, they're going to blow their wad on surf wax, tanning lotion, and the inevitable series of plastic surgery.[3]
Courts
Like the movie, the entire game takes place in the Los Angeles area. The first four courts are playable from the beginning in Vs. mode.
Venice Beach
This ocean-side half court at Venice Beach is also affectionately known as "The Sand Box". The cool breezes and pretty girls make this court a favorite among some of the more outgoing hustlers.
Compton
The Compton, California court in the rough inner-city has given start to many of the most flashy, in-your-face hustlers ever to enter the city slam tournament. Only the toughest players need apply.
Torrance
This comfortable suburban nicely-maintained half-court in Torrance, California is where the hustlers come to play the real high stakes. The affluent teams hone their game here and take all comers. Usually right to the cleaners.
Downey
This quiet park in Downey, California is where hustlers come to hone their game. Its tranquility allows them to focus their energies on the splendor that is the monster dunk.
Inglewood Forum
The Inglewood Forum (Tournament Mode only) is the end of the line where you put it all on the line. This is where the Slam City Tournament is held. Those who make it this far have got to be good.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ Seanbaby.com - EGM's Crapstravaganza: The 20 Worst Games of All Time
- ↑ The Video Game Critic's Jaguar Reviews S-Z. The Video Game Critic.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 White Men Can't Jump Game Manual