NBA JAM by EA SPORTS for Android

Forget courtside basketball seats. NBA Jam by EA Sports for Android puts you in the center of the 2-on-2 basketball action, playing as your favorite point guard or center from over 30 NBA teams. The game costs $4.99 but also offers additional players and super abilities via in-app purchases.

Pros

Jam Camp training: Are you a newbie? Complete Jam Camp to learn to run, sprint, shoot, dunk, block, steal, and shove like a pro. If you don't get a drill right, you'll be prompted to do it over and over again, till you do. After you successfully complete a drill three times, you may move on to the next one.

Three different modes: As its name implies, the Play Now mode has you selecting a team and jumping into a game; Classic Campaign tasks you with vanquishing all 36 teams to be crowned champion and win extras like legendary players, hidden players, and super skills. Multiplayer has you playing against friends (over a local Wi-Fi network) or banding with them to compete against the app.

Two different control schemes: Control your players with the classic D-Pad control pad or use gesture-based swiping.

Jam Store: You can unlock better players and super abilities organically by successfully progressing through the game. Or, if you're antsy, pay upfront to unlock various regional division packs for $1.99 each or the two conference players packs for $3.99 each. Alternatively, you can buy the Privileges Pack, which includes super abilities, for $1.99, or the Big Man Package, which unlocks the entire game for $7.99.

Very transparent: Before playing the game, developer EA has you accept a privacy and cookie policy, the terms of service, and an end user license agreement. You can read or reread these at any time in the Help & About section.

Robust Help & About section: Other than the privacy and cookie policy, the terms of service, and an end user license agreement, the Help & About section is filled with explainers of the game's various modes, rules, and controls.

Cons

A little dated: Those old enough to have played NBA Jam in its original arcade incarnation and remember the '80s and '90s basketball players might regard the game as a little slice of nostalgia. But younger players may find its once impressive graphics and classic catchphrases like "Boom Shakalaka" from original NBA JAM play-by-play announcer Tim Kitzrow, not to mention some of its legendary, long-retired players, very dated.

Bottom Line

If you're an NBA basketball fan, then you've gotta give EA Sports's NBA Jam for Android a shot.