The NBA Jam reboot has had a tumultuous few months. Originally a Wii exclusive game, then rumoured to hit the 360, then announced that it'd be exclusively available with NBA Elite 11. At the end of September, it was announced that Elite was delayed, and Jam would be a standalone product.
After all that, it's finally - finally! - been confirmed that NBA Jam will be a retail Xbox 360 game, set for release on November 17th!
Not only that, but unlike it's Wii counterpart, our version will have online play via Xbox Live! Starting with just the standard 2-on-2 Classic play, it will expand come December with a free patch that'll add more modes to the multiplayer:
In December 2010, the online features for NBA JAM will expand significantly with several major online features being delivered through a free title update for connected gamers. In December, connected fans will be able to team-up locally and online to compete in Remix Games, including classic arcade hoop games like Backboard Smash, Domination Free-for-All, Elimination, and 21. Fans will also be able to make it a Jam Party online by inviting up to 3 friends to play. Plus, gamers will be able to take on the world in Online Progression, levelling up through a series of challengers and secret online JAM Challenges to unlock online exclusive rewards and hidden content in the ultimate quest for global bragging rights.
"We have listened to our NBA JAM fans and appreciate their desire to play this game online, so we are going to deliver the online feature set they expect and deserve," said Trey Smith, Creative Director of NBA JAM. "Fans will be able to play Classic JAM online right out of the box, and can expect to enjoy features like Team-up, Remix Online, Jam Party, Online Progression, and even more secret players and teams, in December."
On top of that, it'll have both the Classic Campaign (previously thought to be exclusive to the Wii version) and the Remix Tour mode. The Classic Campaign will let you play solo or with a friend in co-op taking on all 30 NBA teams back-to-back, old school style. The Remix Tour is a whole new ball game (well, it's still basketball, but you know...) - boss battles against NBA legends, half-court modes and challenges all adding unique playstyles to the game.
Still not enough good news for you? How about this: it's shipping with a MSRP of only $49.99 (USD), or £29.99 RRP in the UK (though the exact release date for UK/Europe has yet to be confirmed. EA have said it will be "late November")
Finally, here's a bunch of Xbox 360 screenshots to salivate over:
Screenshot gallery
We've got the full list of NBA JAM achievements - check the list for guides to unlocking them.