Classic Game Review: One On One

With 15 seconds to go, score tied 24-24; Dr. J inbounds the ball at the 3 point line. He fakes left, drives right, and with:05 left on the clock goes up with a 16 foot turn-around jumper… he scores! 26-24 now with: 02 left to go. Larry Bird inbounds the ball, steps backwards across the 3 point line, and flies as the last second ticks off the clock. It’s good!! Three points for Bird, and he wins 27-26!

Thus ended my first victory at the College level over the computer controlled Dr. J in Electronic Arts’ latest software masterpiece, the incredibly realistic “Julius Erving and Larry Bird go One on One” (0/0). In our interview in CGW 3.6, Trip Hawkins, President of EA said he wanted to produce games that were “simple (easy to understand), hot (fast and intense), and deep (the more you play, the more you find). One on one shows just how successful those concepts can be.

The first and last word on 0/0 has to be graphics. Absolutely fantastic!! After a few minutes of playing, you feel like you’re watching TV, but controlling the action. The players dribble with hand, spin and twist and twirl and leap just like in real life. Each is given different abilities as in real life. Bird is the better outside shot and rebounder, but Dr. J has inside moves that’ll make your head spin, and seems to have a knack for stealing the ball just at the right moment.

One friend of mine said he found it easier to beat the computer using Dr. J. I find it easier with Bird. For those who avoid lengthy rule books like the plague, 0/0 is your dream come true. The joystick controls player movement, while pressing the button starts a jump shot and releasing it lets the ball fly. A quick flick of the button turns your player around 180 degrees. On defence, the button causes an attempt at a steal or to block a shot, or go for a rebound. In the two (human) player games, the defence can play with the keyboard, or you can use one of a number of peripherals to equip your machine to use a pair of joysticks. And that is it. You can now boot up and start playing. When you do, I’d suggest starting at the Park and Recreation level, rather than Varsity, college, or Pro. You need to learn to walk before you try roller skates.

Your options in playing a game are numerous. You can play to a set score say 21 or with a time limit of 2, 4, 6, or 8 minute quarters. Your choice of either winner’s or loser’s outs. The computer will play either Larry Bird or Dr. J, and you can even vary the options in mid-game. If, for example, you happen to be losing by 15 to 20 points at the college level, (a not uncommon situation) and decide to make things easy on yourself, you can change levels to a Park and Rec game and attempt the comeback of the year. Or when you’re way ahead, up the computer to Pro level and see how it feels to have defeat snatched from the jaws of victory!

All games are played with a 24 second shot clock to keep the action flowing, and an extra touch of realism is added by the fatigue indicators at the bottom of the screen. The more you do, the more you tend to gas out. Attempts at steals, running and jumping are all good ways to expend energy, and since the number of timeouts are limited (fatigue drops to 0 after a timeout or at the end of the quarter) you may find it wise to slow things up a bit from time to time. As fatigue increases, your effectiveness decreases. Eventually you’re leaping attempts for the rebound may look more like a drowning chicken than anything else, so watch yourself carefully, and conserve your energy and timeouts. Any game benefits from those little extra touches. When you make a spectacular play, you’re ready for a pat on the back and one on one gives it to you with an Instant Replay. The computer will freeze the live action and replay your (or its) brilliant play, giving you a moment to beam with pride (or curse, as the case may be). And when you slam a particularly good dunk, the backboard will shatter, and you’ll get chewed out. A hint here stand still while they clean up, you’ll benefit from the rest. Lastly, foul shots take a special touch. Watch the computer player when he shoots, and eventually you’ll catch on.

One of my only (minor) problems in playing the game is that when things are hectic underneath the basket, it is sometimes hard to tell who has the ball. Particularly on defence when you’re trying to steal, I often find that I’ve gone up to block a shot without realizing that I’ve gained possession of the ball. This is ok, sometimes even good strategy at the Park level where you get the ball at the inbounds marker if you forget to clear it (we’re playing half court, remember), but at the college level, you’ll have a turnover for failure to clear. Perhaps a possession change sound or light indicator would help.

The other thing that I really would have liked is an overtime period for the timed games. Of course, you can simply play another two minute quarter, but the computer doesn’t know that its overtime and you lose a little drama.

Every game designer must hate reviewers who add all their little suggestions now that the time for change is past, but I’ll be looking forward to edition two of this one. I hope game designer Eric Hammond carries through on his teasing comment of wanting to add hook shots to the players’ repertoire at some point, and I’d like to see an option to allow PRACTICE at free throws, or perhaps even a free throw game.

When nominations are made for Computer Sports Game of the Year, 0/0 will be there. Super graphics, constant action, the opportunity to out-think and out-hustle your opponent all make this one of the best computer games I’ve seen, period.

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