Retro Gaming Australia

Is there such thing as a gaiden game in the sports genre? Because that’s exactly what Team USA Basketball is to the NBA Playoffs series. Released in between Bulls vs. Lakers and Bulls vs. Blazers, Team USA Basketball is technically the “1992” entry in the NBA Playoffs series, but features no NBA teams. Instead it focuses on the exploits of the “Dream Team”, the team which represented the United States at the Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona, Spain. The 1992 Olympics marked the first time NBA players were allowed to represent their country, and Team USA was comprised of players such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton and Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The team absolutely demolished all opposition – the average margin was 43 points and they were the first team to score more than 100 points in each game at the Olympics.

Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs is EA’s first basketball game for the 16-bit era (though it launched on PC a year before it launched on the Mega Drive), and launched the NBA Playoffs series, which would eventually be surprassed by the NBA Live series. Unlike future entries in the series, Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs isn’t based on who contested the NBA Finals in the year of release, but rather a celebration of the rivalry between the two biggest teams of the 1980s, the Los Angeles Lakers lead by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and the Boston Celtics lead by Larry Bird.

Bulls vs. Lakers and the NBA Playoffs is the second game in EA’s pre-NBA Live basketball series. It’s a massive improvement over Lakers vs. Celtics, adding in features such as signature dunks, instant replay mode, improved shooting and passing control, a free throw meter and a much cleaner interface.

Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs is the third game in EA’s NBA Playoffs series, which preceded the better known NBA Live series. The pace of the gameplay is much slower than the Live series, but it does have Michael Jordan in it.