JORDAN VS BIRD: ONE ON ONE

 JORDAN VS BIRD is the second installment in the ONE ON ONE basketball
simulation from Electronic Arts. The original version, of course, paired Julius
Irving and Larry Bird. Designed by Joe Helleson and Mark Madland, this latest
edition offers okay graphics, four on-court games between the two superstars, a
variety of offensive and defensive moves, 4-player Slam Dunk and 3-Point
contests, four play levels, and joystick control.

 For the most part, JORDAN VS BIRD is a fine program that's lots of fun to play.
It's evident, though, that "advanced programming techniques" were used in its
creation, for there are some glaring graphic and joystick glitches, most
apparent on the Slam Dunk and 3-Point screens. Although these glitches would be
obvious even to a person with poor eyesight, Electronic Arts felt compelled to
label them "sprite reusal techniques" in the instruction manual. JB plays all
right anyway.

 From the Game Options menu, you can select any of four one-on-one games: a full
game, a 15- or 11-point game, or a warmup. Certain of the following options will
have to be set, depending on which game you've selected: the player to be
controlled and the joystick to control him with; the length of a quarter (2, 5,
8, or 12 minutes); and play level (recreational, varsity, college,
professional). As many as four can play in the Slam Dunk and 3-Point contests,
both of which allow warmups. The Slam Dunk competition can be set so that all
participants attempt to perform a slam identical to Michael's.

 Offensive moves include runs, backward shuffles, jump shots, finger rolls,
slams, jab steps, and fake jump shots. Defensive moves include steals, blocking
shots, and rebounds.

 The C64 screen display covers one side of the basketball court, from the
backboard and net to the 3-point line. The screen scrolls left and right as the
players dribble around. In a one-on-one game, there is a scoreboard, including a
24-second clock. Whistles blow to indicate fouls, no time on the shot clock, and
the end of a period. A Statistics screen appears at the end of each period.

 The Slam Dunk screen is identical to the One-on-One screen, with the exception
of a strip of black tape indicating the point from which a slam is launched.
Following each slam attempt, a panel of judges appears and provides a score for
that attempt (50 is perfect).

 The 3-Point screen adds five racks of five balls each: You have 60 seconds to
shoot all 25; each ball is worth one point, with the exception of the fifth ball
of each rack, which is worth two points. When the fifth ball -- the "money" ball
-- is in the air, the next rack appears, or in this case (thanks to "advanced
sprite reusal programming techniques"), _seems_ to appear.

 JB is controlled completely with joysticks. Playing against a friend instead of
the computer requires a second joystick. The stick moves your player in the
direction you've pushed; diagonal pushes from a standstill cause the player to
take a jab step; a double click of the button will make the player turn around
and dribble with his back to the net. A quick press of the button fakes a jump
shot, and a normal press takes a jump shot, assuming you release the button
while your player is still in the air. If he doesn't shoot, he'll be called for
traveling.

 On defense, a double click attempts a steal; a single click attempts to block a
shot; and, while near a missed shot, a click makes the player jump for a
rebound.

 The JORDAN VS BIRD package comes with a copy-protected, double-sided disk, a
Command Summary card for the C64 version, and an instruction manual that has
lots of interview transcripts with the stars.

 Despite graphic displays that are only fair and definitely glitch-ridden
(there's an excessive amount of flicker), and despite the joystick's occasional
refusal to respond on the warmup screens, JORDAN VS BIRD is a good simulation.
It's not fantastic to look at, but it's a lot of fun to play, if only because of
the participants.

 There are plenty of slams to practice -- Air Jordans, 360s, rim kisses,
windmills -- and they're also neat to watch: The Commodore is so lethargic in
its processing that Michael slams in slo-mo. If you do things correctly in the
3-Point contest, you can get Larry to pump in shot after shot. He operates in
slo-mo as well, and he does it all so smoothly and effortlessly. The four pl
levels allow for sloppiness, so that you can work up to pro at your own pace,
rather than leaping right in.

 There are additional features available in the IBM-PC version: sound toggle,
boss button, time out keys, and a keyboard control option. Also available in the
IBM version is instant replay, which will rerun sequences. It does this in
slo-mo: Thus, Commodore users won't miss it because their version of the program
_already_ runs in slo-mo! JORDAN VS BIRD isn't state of the art, regardless of
its programming.

 Nevertheless, with its different play setups, many game moves, and moderately
tough joystick control, all built around two of the best players in basketball,
it provides plenty of fun.

 JORDAN VS BIRD: ONE ON ONE is published and distributed by Electronic Arts.

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