basketball (thing)

It's the one on one match of the decade. blue player against green player. It's winner take all in this exciting match. It's Basketball for the Atari 2600.

This was one of the first Basketball based video games ever made. It is very simple, just a couple of stick figures, a square ball, and 2 simple goals. This is a great game to play in 2 player mode, especially considering the fact that it gets very easy to beat the computer with a little practice.

The games are always four minutes long. One other thing of note is that you can pick up the second controller and control the computer player's movement even in single player mode. I am not sure if this is a bug or a "feature".

The player with the ball will dribble automatically and will always face the goal. The defending player will always face the ball.

To shoot, depress the red controller button. Your player will stop dribbling and will hold the ball, waving it back and forth over his head (as shown in the diagram). When the controller button is released, the player will shoot. If the shot is made when the ball is over the player's head, it will be a long, high arching shot. If the shot is made when the ball is held low in front, it will be a short easy shot. The shot will always go towards the goal.

To defend against your opponent's shot, place yourself between the ball and the goal. When the shooter releases the ball, depress your red controller button. Your player will jump and you can block the shot and recover the ball. You can only block a shot when the ball is in its "upward" arc: there is no "goaltending" in this game.

To steal the ball, put the player's feet even with your opponent's feet. When the ball leaves your opponent's hand during the dribble, take the ball and race towards your own basket. Stealing the ball comes much easier with practice and will become an integral part of your defense strategy.

Basketball was released under the Atari, Sears, and Beagle Brothers labels. The Atari and Sears versions had about six different label variations, all of which were common. Those versions are valued at about $2 at most. While the Beagle Brothers version is very hard to find, and is valued at around $300 USD. Oddly enough the Beagle Brothers version said, "You care about your money" on the front of the cart, and so did they, since their version was an unlicensed pirate. As always, games with boxes and manuals are worth more.