Set the court on fire in NBA Jam: On Fire Edition

NBA Jam: On Fire Edition is a refined version of last year’s reboot on the Nintendo Wii that is finally available for Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network. As a fan of the original NBA Jam, it was great to be able to get back on the court with one of the most fun arcade sports games around. On Fire Edition focuses on intense 2-on-2 pickup games with hilariously animated versions of real NBA players.

Jam was easy to pick up and play, and in less than two minutes I was performing superhuman jumps and lighting the hoops on fire with ease. My favorite parts of On Fire Edition are the enhanced taunt and shoot features. By triggering turbo mode, players have the chance to perform outrageous under-the-legs shots and dances to juke out of the way of defending players. These moves were especially fun to pull off when playing with other people, when the stakes for bragging are always much higher.

Although most serious players probably won’t care, the ability to use your XBLA avatar as a player is a feature that was left out of the final version. While this is a small complaint, the big-headed character style seems to be an obvious fit for personal avatars.

Players will be able to play through the campaign mode or quick-play with up to three other players either locally or online. NBA Jam: On Fire Edition looks to bring a more lighthearted feel to the normally serious sports game genre when it hits XBLA and PSN this holiday season for a cool $15.