NBA Jam: On Fire fulfills digital download promise on Xbox 360, PS3 in 2011; NBA Live-like sim in 2012 @ Gaming Target

Written by Matt Swider on April 05, 2011

News: There's no NBA Elite to derail this over-the-top b-ball game.

For the first time in... ever, Wii received precedence over Xbox 360 and PS3 when NBA Jam released last fall. EA sold the game to Nintendo loyalists as a standalone disc, while everyone else had to wait for a digital download via a coupon in the re-branded NBA Live, NBA Elite 11. The problem was that NBA Elite was delayed and eventually canceled, leaving Xbox 360 and PS3 owners scratching their heads. EA remedied the situation by releasing a standalone discs for the two lagging systems more than a month after the game was available for Wii.

The NBA Jam digital download, which we feel was always the more appropriate format for a lightweight game like this, hasn't been heard from until today. EA shot and scored in a press release announcing NBA Jam: On Fire Edition.

УEA SPORTS continues to support this iconic franchise through a new digital download and we're taking everything fans loved about the original and adding a host of new features,Ф said Trey Smith, Line Producer, NBA JAM: On Fire Edition. УWe've listened to all of the feedback from our fans and we are driven to deliver the very best NBA JAM experience to date.Ф

Listening to feedback translates to improving AI, including a dynamic online competition, a road-trip-themed challenges mode, on-the-fly player swapping through tag team and infernos-spreading abilities through team fire. As expected, roster updates and over-the-top animations will be included when the game releases this fall.

Best of all the press release had no "NBA Elite" in sight to ruin Jam's digital homecoming this time. The publisher announced that there'll be a sim in the future, saying:

УAs planned, our next NBA simulation title is in development at our Tiburon Studio in Orlando,Ф said Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS. УWe have top talent on the game, and we're giving the new development team time to deliver a superior experience. We're making great strides and looking forward to launching a new game next year."

Let's just hope it's not named NBA Elite, which has gone down in history as holding back NBA Jam and never materializing in the end.