Software:Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside

From HandWiki
Short description: 1998 basketball video game
Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside
North American cover art
Developer(s)Left Field Productions
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Producer(s)James Maxwell
Programmer(s)Michael Lamb
Artist(s)Jeff Godfrey
Composer(s)Chris Lamb
Platform(s)Nintendo 64
Release
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside, sometimes mislabeled as Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside,[3][4][5][6][7][8] is a 1998 basketball video game developed by Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game was released in North America on April 27, 1998 and Europe on June 10, 1998. At the time of the game's release, Kobe Bryant was in his second NBA season and at age 19, was the youngest player to have a game named for him. It was followed by a sequel, NBA Courtside 2 Featuring Kobe Bryant, released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color.

Gameplay

Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside features 5-on-5 gameplay. There are three modes: Pre-Season (Exhibition), Season, and Playoffs. In both Season and Playoffs modes, players have the option to simulate games.

Team rosters reflect the 1997-98 NBA season with two notable omissions: Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan, and Golden State Warriors star Latrell Sprewell. Due to licensing agreements, a fictional player named "Roster Player #98" is used in Jordan's place. Upon the game's release, Sprewell was serving a 68-game suspension from the league due to a 1997 choking incident. Players can also be created and edited in both appearance and abilities.[9]

Development

Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside was first announced at the November 1997 Nintendo Space World, though it did not yet have the Kobe Bryant branding and was to be titled simply "NBA Courtside".[10]

The animations were created using motion capture.[11]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings76%[12]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStar[13]
Consoles +87%[15]
Edge7/10[16]
EGM8.125/10[17]
Game Informer9/10[3]
GameFan89%[18][lower-alpha 1]
GameRevolutionB−[4]
GamesMaster82%[19]
GameSpot5.9/10[20]
Hyper83%[6]
IGN7.8/10[1]
N64 Magazine90%[7][21]
Nintendo Power7.8/10[8]

Critics almost uniformly commented that Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside, while far from perfect, was indisputably the best basketball game for the Nintendo 64 thus far.[20][1][5] There was a consensus that the game has strong A.I. which demands skillful maneuvering from the player,[17][20][5] and that the use of medium-res mode makes the graphics look smoother and sharper than in most Nintendo 64 games.[17][20][1][5]

The game also received some criticism for its gameplay. GamePro said that controlling players can be tricky, such as when grabbing rebounds and performing free throws.[5] Electronic Gaming Monthly's four reviewers all said the biggest problem is that when advancing with the ball, players come to an immediate stop when they touch a defender, opining that this mechanic is frustrating and unrealistic to the point of silliness.[17] GameSpot judged that the graphics, though impressive by Nintendo 64 standards, seemed modest when compared to some contemporary basketball games for the PlayStation. Though they praised the flexibility of the camera views, the audio commentary, and the gentle learning curve of the controls, they concluded that the game as a whole was solid but failed to stand out.[20] Electronic Gaming Monthly instead argued that the game's merits are outstanding in spite of its flaws.[17]

IGN also recommended the game, saying that though they could not score it higher due to its issues, it outshines previous basketball games for the Nintendo 64 by so much that basketball fans would find it essential.[1] GamePro, noting its high level of realism and selection of moves, called it "a must-buy for all N64 hoop-heads."[5][lower-alpha 2] The game held a 76% at the review aggregator website GameRankings based on 13 reviews.[12]

The game received a Player's Choice designation after selling one million copies.[22] During the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, NBA Courtside was a finalist by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for "Console Sports Game of the Year", which was ultimately awarded to 1080° Snowboarding.[23]

Notes

  1. ↑ In GameFan's viewpoint of the game, one critic gave it a score of 87, and the other 90.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game two 4.0/5 scores for graphics and sound, 3.5/5 for control, and 4.5/5 for fun factor.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Casamassina, Matt (April 27, 1998). "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/04/28/kobe-bryant-in-nba-courtside. Retrieved January 27, 2020. 
  2. ↑ Johnston, Chris (March 5, 1998). "Nintendo Nabs Kobe Bryant". Archived from the original on October 5, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20001005141415/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_03/05_kobe/index.html. Retrieved October 21, 2022. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 McNamara, Andy; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (May 1998). "Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (61). http://www.gameinformer.com/cgi-bin/review.cgi?sys=n64&path=may98&doc=kbc. Retrieved January 27, 2020. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dr. Moo (May 1998). "Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside [sic Review"]. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19980613163858/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/n64/sports/kobe.htm. Retrieved January 28, 2020. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Johnny Ballgame (May 1998). "NBA Courtside Blows Out the Competition". GamePro (IDG Entertainment) (116): 101. Archived from the original on December 13, 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20041213024518/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/n64/games/reviews/199.shtml. Retrieved January 28, 2020. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Toose, Dan (August 1998). "Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside". Hyper (Next Media Pty Ltd) (58): 57. http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-688-53.jpg. Retrieved January 28, 2020. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kitts, Martin (July 1998). "Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside (Import)". N64 Magazine (Future Publishing) (17): 66–67. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) 107: 96. April 1998. http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-349-101.jpg. Retrieved January 28, 2020. 
  9. ↑ "Nintendo 64 Previews: Kobe Bryant's NBA Courtside". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (106): 32. May 1998. 
  10. ↑ "Nintendo 64 Previews: NBA Basketball". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (103): 48. February 1998. 
  11. ↑ Air Hendrix (April 1998). "Sports Insider Previews: NBA Courtside". GamePro (IDG) (115): 94. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside for Nintendo 64". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 4, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190504115356/https://www.gamerankings.com/n64/197750-kobe-bryant-in-nba-courtside/index.html. Retrieved January 27, 2020. 
  13. ↑ Cook, Brad. "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside – Review". All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141114213615/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=11629&tab=review. Retrieved January 27, 2020. 
  14. ↑ Marrin, John (May 22, 1998). "[Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside"]. CNET. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000823205213/http://gamecenter.com/Consoles/Nintendo/Nbacourt/. Retrieved November 24, 2021. 
  15. ↑ "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside" (in fr). Consoles + (78): 112–13. July–August 1998. 
  16. ↑ Edge staff (July 1998). "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside". Edge (Future Publishing) (60): 90. https://archive.org/details/edgeuk060/page/n77/mode/2up. Retrieved January 27, 2020. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 "Review Crew: Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (108): 134. July 1998. 
  18. ↑ Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Ngo, George "Eggo" (May 1998). "[Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside"]. GameFan (Metropolis Media) 6 (5): 54. https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_6_Issue_05/page/n55/mode/2up. Retrieved October 18, 2020. 
  19. ↑ Alway, Robin (August 1998). "Review: Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside". GamesMaster (Future Publishing) (71): 67. http://www.nintendo64ever.com/scans/mags/Scan-Magazine-830-67.jpg. Retrieved January 28, 2020. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 MacDonald, Ryan (May 1, 1998). "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside Review [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. Red Ventures. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/kobe-bryant-in-nba-courtside-review/1900-2544871/. Retrieved January 27, 2020. 
  21. ↑ Kitts, Martin (August 1998). "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside". N64 Magazine (Future publishing) (18): 68–70. 
  22. ↑ Traiman, Steve (January 9, 1999). "Two Video-Game Value Series Spike Sales". Billboard: 43, 45. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1999/BB-1999-01-09.pdf#page=41. 
  23. ↑ "Second Interactive Achievement Awards: Console". Archived from the original on 11 October 1999. https://web.archive.org/web/19991011020746/http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_console.html. Retrieved November 24, 2021. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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