Review: Flick NBA Basketball
by Matt Fox
May 29, 2009
Overview
Choose one of your favorite NBA superstars as you take to the court in this very simple and casual game from Freeverse. Ever just want to go outside and shoot some hoops? You don't really want to play an actual game, you just kind of want to shoot around for a while. That's basically how I felt about this game. In short, the game features a multitude of mini-games that allow you to, well...shoot hoops for the most part. There's the usual 3 point shootout contest and H.O.R.S.E. as well as a few others thrown in there to mix things up. With over thirty different NBA players to choose from, this game has a lot to offer. The only thing missing? Dunk contest...sigh. However, I just heard from the devs that the next update has a Slam Dunk Contest included in it! No word when that will hit, but they did say soon...awesome!
Features
As I said above, the app features five separate mini-games. There's the 3 point shootout where you basically shoot 3 pointers around the arch in five different positions. Each spot has five basketballs for you to shoot before moving on to the next one. You are also timed so be quick or you'll never get to the last ball before the clock runs out. There's the Hotshot Arcade game that is basically one of those moving hoops that you find in amusement parks or arcade galleries. You have to shoot four balls over and over in ninety seconds. Can you beat my score of 111? Probably...I'm not that good.
There's a Long Shot Challenge where you start in front of the hoop and continue moving backwards until the time runs out. They also have the classic game, H.O.R.S.E. If you've never heard of H.O.R.S.E. then for shame. But in case you haven't, you basically pick a spot on the court and shoot the ball. If you get the basket, your opponent must make the same shot. If he misses, he gets a letter. If you spell out "Horse" you lose.
The last mini-game is the Ball Spin. Here you have to keep the ball spinning on the finger as long as possible. Spin it by flicking left or right on the ball. Flip your device upwards to toss the ball in the air and catch it with the finger to score bonus points. Balance the ball with the accelerometer. It's harder than it looks. The last main feature here would be the NBA players you can choose to play as. There is a player from every team in the league, thirty in total.
Breakdown
The Good:
I was really impressed at the amount of players to choose from in this game. There's a player from every team on here so you're bound to find one of your favorites to play as. There's plenty of different games to choose from so you don't get bored just playing the 3 point contest or whatever. The graphics are stunning and the sound effects and crowd noises sound pretty good for the most part.
The music fits the game and works well. The controls are simple enough to get down and it makes the game fairly easy to play. I enjoyed most of the games and the 3 point contest is easily the best of the bunch. Once that Slam Dunk Contest shows up however, I'm sure that will be the top game on my list.
The Bad:
I found the game way too easy. Once you get the shooting down, you never miss. I got every ball in the 3 point contest, never missed in H.O.R.S.E., and killed in the Long Shot. The only games that are challenging are the Hotshot Arcade and Ball Spin. However, those two games are the weakest in the group in my opinion. The game does come with a lot of content, but it's just really easy.
With that said, if you play against a friend rather than the computer it becomes a lot more challenging and fun. The computer is really easy to beat, but play with a friend and the app gets a lot more entertaining for sure. I highly recommend doing this.
