Licensed sports games aren’t what you expect to be published by Nintendo, but here we are with NBA Courtside, a licensed basketball game and one that does a really good job with the sport. The graphics are particularly good on the N64, with some really nice reflections on the court.

At first, it seemed like a very back and forth game like other baseball games, with you and your opponent taking turns to score, but I eventually learnt how to properly tackle and defend (players you aren’t directly controlling move to sensible positions) and was able to go on the offensive and win some matches. Controls are fluid with a lot of options to adjust to your liking.

NBA Courtside is a very solid basketball game, one that is enjoyable for non-Basketball fans and probably great for those who are into the sport.

At the time of its release, NBA Courtside was easily the best N64 basketball game. Compared to the typical basketball games of its time, Courtside had a steeper learning curve as a result of its emphasis on simulation over arcade gameplay. Learning controls and movements was a bit frustrating early on but worth it once the player knew what to do since it added realism to the games.

It was interesting how Nintendo decided to go with Kobe Bryant as the face of the game/series considering he was just getting started in his NBA career. As we all know, Kobe went on to become one of the best players in NBA history so I guess Nintendo and Left Field Studios had a good foresight on Kobe's potential. Because of him being featured in this game, he became one of my favorite players to follow even though I've been an Orlando Magic fan through and through (RIP Kobe).