Super Slam Dunk

Overview

Super Slam Dunk, known in Japan as Magic Johnson no Super Slam Dunk, is a basketball game licensed by Earvin "Magic" Johnson, the LA Lakers' legendary points guard. The game has a dynamic camera view that turns around to place the net at the top of the screen. It was released on the SNES in Japan and the US in the summer of 1993.

Gameplay

Super Slam Dunk is a basic basketball game. Magic Johnson himself appears before every game and gives commentary as to which team has the advantage and why. The game has all the teams from the NBA at the time, but no NBA licence. Therefore, there are no team logos and the teams are only referenced by the city name. The last names of the players for the actual NBA teams are used as well.

The game primarily uses an vertical viewpoint. During the face-off the view is from the side of the court, and after the face-off the camera moves around to face the net. When the other team gains possession and moves the ball out of their zone, the camera moves around again so as to face the other net. Basic statistics are tracked during the game and since player names are used it's possible to know who scored the most over the course of the game.

Game Modes

In Super Slam Dunk there is no option to play an entire season, only a single exhibition game or a playoff showdown. In the playoffs, there are 8 teams. The player starts by choosing a team and playing against the rival. Win or lose, the player must then next pick another team to play as from one of the other match-ups. This continues through to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

This means there is a strange system where the player's team could be playing as one team in the quarter-final, only to turn around and choose to play against that team in the semi-final. There is no best of 7 series, only single games are played. A password system is used to save the player's progress.

Game Options

Super Slam Dunk has relatively sparse options. The game can be played 1 player, 2 player, or auto-play, where the computer plays itself. The period length can be set to 2, 5, 8, or 12 minutes. Finally, fouls and the music can be turned on or off.