He's on Fire: Top 10 Reasons We’re Excited for the New 'NBA Jam'

Most issues in the NBA are subjective. For instance, if you're debating who the team to beat is heading into the 2010-11 season, it might depend whether you value collective talent (Miami) or a veteran team with a proven background (L.A., Boston).

Or maybe you're trying to figure out who is the most dynamic young point guard in the league. If you think creativity with the ball and explosive speed off the dribble are the most important factors, then you might hold Rajon Rondo on a slightly higher level than Deron Williams.

But when it comes to the greatest basketball video game of all time, there's little debate: It has to be the early '90s version of "NBA Jam" (either the arcade version or the home game).

And thanks to EA Sports, we'll be treated to a new and improved version of one of the most popular Super Nintendo games. The "classic arcade, hoops reignited" version is scheduled to be released on October 5 for Nintendo Wii and will be available as a download for XBox and PlayStation 3 users.

The game will have two featured modes: Classic and remix. The classic mode is just as it sounds—the game play will be pretty much identical to the original version. The Remix Tour will feature new camera angles, challenge features, and a variety of challenges depending on what team you choose.

With updated rosters, old school lineups, and even a few secret characters, video game junkies everywhere are sure to be satisfied with the new (and hopefully improved) version of "NBA Jam."

There are probably 100 reasons to be excited for its release, but let's highlight 10 to get you fired up for the first week of October.

10. New Game Modes

No one is denying how entertaining the actual in-game play for "NBA Jam" is, but the new version adds a couple of twists that go beyond the team game.

One of these game modes is three-player domination. The player will look to make shots from certain highlighted spots on the floor to claim the spots as their own. Once they do that, shots from your claimed spots will accumulate points...only you're doing so in game action against two opponents, similar to the pick-up game of 21.

Speaking of 21, there is a two-player version of that available as well. Another includes three-player elimination, which is a last-man standing game where the player with the lowest point total after a certain amount of time is eliminated.

These features are all available on the Remix Tour (which will be discussed in further detail later).

(Photo from JoyStickDivision.com—http://www.joystickdivision.com/2010/02/nba_jam_screens_are_fiery_hot.php)

9. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, and the Rest

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

OKLAHOMA CITY - APRIL 30: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to get past Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2010 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2010 at the Ford Center in Ok

Of course, the new game modes are exciting, but part of the fun of recreating a childhood favorite of so many gamers is the fact that today's stars will be prominently featured.

Imagine seeing Dwyane Wade throw passes off of defenders to himself for an uncontested dunk.Or having Kevin Durant sit in the corner burying three after three after three.

You could even sub Ron Artest into the game purely for the shoves on defense.

The sheer fun of having Kobe catch on fire or seeing Dwight Howard sky 25-feet into the air to block a shot will be just a little sweeter than seeing Harold Miner or Clarence Weatherspoon doing the same.

8. Hot Spots, Shoving, and More...

Besides the high-flying dunks and halfcourt threes, it was the little features in "NBA Jam" that it made so much more enjoyable.

For instance, the shoving. Defense wasn't exactly a priority in the original, but a well-timed forearm shove to the sternum would cause the offense to lose the ball and set your team up for an easy dunk or three-pointer.

Sure, you can do that in "NBA 2K10" or "NBA Elite"...but you'll get whistled for a foul. You can turn off the intentional foul feature, but then aren't you essentially playing a glorified five-on-five version of "NBA Jam?" 

There will be a counter move to the shoves: The offense will now be able to make defenders miss on a shove attempt and create a two-on-one situation. It would be beneficial for your scoring, but you probably won't need help in that department in the first place.

Players will still be able to catch fire, resulting in unlimited turbo, no goaltending, and about a 99 percent success rate from the field.

Additional features could be turned on in "tournament edition" as well, such as hot spots and special dunking ability from highlighted areas on the floor.

(Photo from IGN.com, http://media.wii.ign.com/media/056/056365/imgs_4.html)

7. The Dunks

The only real question about dunks is whether or not you'll still be able to smash the backboard.

In the meantime, enjoy this dunk montage and just imagine them being thrown down by Josh Smith, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade...even Tim Duncan!

(Photo from IGN.com, http://media.wii.ign.com/media/056/056365/imgs_3.html)

6. Photographs On Players' Heads

The closest you could come to a high resolution avatar of a player in the classic version of "NBA Jam" was a grainy picture of your player before the game and next to his stats at the end of each half.

Of course, after 17 years, graphics have improved quite a bit. But "NBA Jam" isn't taking itself too seriously—high resolution photographs will be used for each player's head.

Ever see "South Park" episodes where they use an actual picture of a celebrity on top of a cut-out body to emulate that character? That's sort of what this will be like.

It's a bit difficult to explain, but check out a few different pictures to see what I mean. And tell me you're not thrilled to play with these avatars.

(Photo from IGN.com, http://media.wii.ign.com/media/056/056365/imgs_2.html)

5. Remix Tour

As mentioned earlier, one of the new game modes will be "Remix Tour."

EA Sports' creative director for "NBA Jam", Trey Smith, describes Remix Tour as "the same controls, same Jam, same everything, but we are gonna flip the camera around a bit, change some rules, throw some power-ups into there, and the big thing we are excited about are the all-new Boss Battles."

The power-ups will be in areas like quickness, which besides making a player faster will also make his shot more difficult to block, and power, where shoves become more effective.

To go along with the new camera angles, power-up areas, and a few new changes, the aforementioned games of 21, three-player domination, and three-player elimination, and others will be featured in this mode. These features will make the Remix Tour approximately three times longer to complete than the classic mode...and all the more reason to keep playing.

(Photo from IGN.com, http://media.wii.ign.com/media/056/056365/imgs_1.html)

4. Secret Characters

The only thing better than seeing Brad Lohaus and Blue Edwards putting up 100 points a game was seeing Edwards team up with the architect of funk, George Clinton, and doing the same.

"NBA Jam" was known for some of its creative characters you could unlock, such as Frank Thomas, Will Smith, Randall Cunningham, Heavy D, the Phoenix Suns Gorilla, and former President Bill Clinton.

EA wouldn't say whether or not Clinton would be a secret character once again, but they did confirm that certain players, such as the Stickman, will be available...and most will still have the same dominant stats.

(Photo from TheNoLookPass.com, http://media.photobucket.com/image/nba%20jam%20secret%20characters/r2estyle/NLP/jam/105025.jpg)

3. Final Showdown vs. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson

In the end of the game, users will get an opportunity to take on two of the best to ever play the game: Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

In a two-on-two game in real life, these two would be almost unbeatable. And while it doesn't quite make up for the absence of a Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen pairing in the finals, it's as good of a replacement as you'll find.

(Photo from IGN.com, http://media.wii.ign.com/media/056/056365/imgs_1.html)

2. Boss Battles

According to Trey Smith, the Boss Battles will be similar to a tournament-style format, but Remix Tour gives you the choice of where you want to start.

"You start off in that division and you play each one of those teams. Each team has a gold-silver-bronze challenge, so say you're playing against Boston, for instance. The bronze challenge is to win a 2-on-2 game with power-ups, only you're playing against Paul Pierce and Larry Bird. Then the silver challenge is a backboard smash game against Pierce and Kevin Garnett, a different way to play 'Jam.' Then the gold challenge is a boss battle against Larry Bird.

"Every one of those slots is going to be a surprise. You never know what to expect. Maybe you'll hop in and find two-on-two mini-men. Stuff like that. It's just us having fun, and once you unlock it, you can customize your experience however you want to play."

Each team's legendary players will more than likely be featured as the gold medal challenge.

(Photo from IGN.com, http://media.wii.ign.com/media/056/056365/imgs_1.html)

1. Tim Kitzrow's Commentary

Tim Kitzrow was the original voice of "NBA Jam" and he'll be returning in that role for the new version. And just the fact that phrases like "Boomshakalaka!," "He's heating up!," "He's on fire!," "Is it the shoes?," and "Nail in the coffin!" will once again be regularly a part of our lives is something worth celebrating.

Be on the lookout for a few new catchphrases as well—"Boom goes the dynamite!" is one of them.

If that's not enough to get you pumped up, not much will.