I have been on a slight kick lately with covering the Commodore 64 releases, partly because that is where the most interesting action has been and I have a soft spot for this particular computer.  The Commodore 64 is quite a versatile platform that is completely open to programmers since everything is extremely well documented.  While there were plenty of sports titles released for the Commodore 64 when it was new, there are not that many being created by the homebrew community.  Jam It is a sports game, a good looking one at that, which makes it stand out a bit against the other titles being created for this platform.

Jam It features 2 on 2 basketball gaming with simple one button controls.  The kicker is that Jam It features up to four players at one time on a Commodore 64- not many multiplayer games like this available.  This is accomplished through a third party adapter that allows additional controllers to be plugged into the computer.  Remember, Atari 2600 controllers are cheap and easy to get, so are Sega Genesis- both are compatible with the C64.  Anyone that has been gaming on the C64 for any serious amount of time has probably found Jordon vs. Bird, Jam It shares a similar point of view of the action- half court, viewed from the half court line, etc.  There is no word if you can smash the backboard though (that would be pretty cool).

With the one button controls you will be able to perform extreme dunks (backboard breaking, maybe?), shot blocks, do jumpshots, pass/steal and even post up plays.  This will probably be accomplished through “contextual location” of your character and a direction press.  Contextual location just means the computer will decide the best action you are trying to perform based on where your player is in relation to the opponents and your team mate and their location on the court.

Jam It will reportedly feature realistic and challenging artificial intelligence (AI), three difficulty levels, unknown unlockable bonuses, a halftime show “mini game” and enough statistics to make fantasy basketball players happy.  Jam It may look like a retro title on a retro computer but the developers at Throwback Games are working on inserting newer options that will help hold your attention.

Jam It will be available in ROM format via Throwback Games website, on C64 disk from Psytronik.net and C64 cartridge thanks to RGCD.co.uk early next year.

Jam It  by Throwback Games
Platform: Commodore 64
Genre: Sports/Basketball
Website: Throwback Games.net
Available in February of 2015

Carl Williams

It is time gaming journalism takes its rightful place as proper sources and not fanboys giving free advertising. If you wish to support writers like Carl please use the links below. https://www.paypal.me/WCW https://www.patreon.com/CarlWilliams