Street Sports Basketball

Scenario

Round up your friends! Grab a ball! It’s time for STREET SPORTS™ BASKETBALL.

Everybody wants to play. There’s Butch, a great leaper, and “Magic”. There’s Kevin, a straight A student and genius of the basketball court, and Dana, who’ll add spice to any game. Brad, Julie, Melissa, Ralph, Vic, and Radar— they’re all ready to play. And though they may be just the kids next door, when it comes to hook shots and slam dunks, they’re pros.

So flip a coin. Choose up sides. Out on the street, the action’s just about to begin!

OBJECTIVES

STREET SPORTS BASKETBALL challenges your ball handling skills in a fast-paced game of street basketball. Choose where you want to play - the school playground, a city parking lot, out in the suburbs or in a back alley. Put together your own team from the best on the block. You can play with a friend or against the computer. Dribble, pass, and shoot - it’s up to you to make the right moves and take the best shots.

While you rack up points, STREET SPORTS BASKETBALL automatically keeps score. Winning requires a careful combination of strategy, team play, and some fancy footwork on the court. You’ll need a sharp eye and a quick hand to come out on top. But win or lose, there are plenty of thrills.

GETTING THE GANG TOGETHER

Choosing the Court So where do you want to play? The first menu screen of STREET SPORTS BASKETBALL gives you four choices:

• the school playground
• a back alley
• a street out in the suburbs
• a parking lot

To make your choice, move the joystick left or right and you’ll see the name of each court highlighted. Keep in mind: each court has its own advantages - and disadvantages. See that oil slick in the back alley? That could mean trouble. Notice that high curb on the suburban court? Dribbling the ball over that could require some fancy footwork.

Look to the top left corner of the screen for a close-up of the court you’ve selected. Press the FIRE button when you’ve made your choice.

SELECTING PLAY OPTIONS

Once you’ve chosen the court, you’ll select the mode of play. If you’re playing STREET SPORTS BASKETBALL with a friend, move the joystick to the far LEFT choice. (The word HUMAN will be highlighted.)

If you’re playing against the computer, move the joystick to the far RIGHT choice. (The word COMPUTER will be highlighted.) Press the FIRE button when you’ve made your choice.

When you play against the computer, STREET SPORTS BASKETBALL allows you to choose the skill level of your electronic opponent - Easy, Intermediate, or Tough.

Choosing Sides Next, you’ll determine uniform colors for each team - green or blue. If you’re playing with a friend, the player who wants the green team should press the FIRE button. The other player will be the blue team.

Before you begin choosing a team, however, you need a name. You can go with the old names — the Green team vs. the Blue team, or pick new names. To stick with the suggested team names, just press the FIRE button. To make up your own names, type in your choice and press the RETURN key.

With the team names selected, it’s time to choose sides. See that shining quarter in the top left of the screen? A flip of the coin determines who gets first pick. Move the joystick LEFT to call heads, RIGHT to call tails. Whoever presses the FIRE button first flips the coin. The winner of the flip gets first pick.

Check out the ten players lined up across the middle of the screen. If you want to know more about a certain player, move the joystick LEFT or RIGHT to get “up close and personal.” Press the FIRE button when you’re ready to choose a player for your team. You can watch the team you select assemble in the lower part of the screen (green team on the left, blue team on the right).

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Butch: Need a topgun? Try Butch. Nobody on the block makes those outside shots like he can. He’s got one awesome jump shot - like he’s got springs for legs.

Radar: Radar can’t run so fast, but they call him “The Slammer.” Just get him the ball and he’ll rocket through the air, stuffing the hoop with an incredible slam dunk.

Julie: You can count on Julie in a pinch. She never chokes under pressure. The guys may snicker ‘Butterfingers!’ behind her back, but Julie always gets the last laugh.

Melissa: Melissa’s got great moves: she can jam with the best of ’em. She shies away from the spotlight, but if you need to move the ball, get it to Melissa.

Ralph: Quick and agile, Ralph makes every move look easy. Sometimes, though, his cap slips over his eyes and he’ll blow a crucial shot. (Other times that’s just an excuse!)

Vic: Who’s wearing the radical shades? Just the sharpest shooter on the squad. The others call him a hot-shot, but Vic’s one cool dude and he lets you know it.

Brad: Okay, so Brad’s no superstar. He’s an average shooter and an okay ball handler. Brad might not be the greatest, but he’s a good team player.

“Magic”: “Magic’s” been playing ball ever since he could walk. Just check out his incredible hook shot and you’ll know why they’re calling him ‘Captain Hook.’

Kevin: Known as “The Brain”, Kevin’s a real whiz, both in school and on the court. He calculates the precise trajectory for every shot, so he almost never misses.

Dana: This pony-tailed powerhouse adds spice to every game. She may seem a little cautious, but when things get tough, count on Dana to turn up the heat.

Each team has three players. With the teams selected, move the cursor to PLAY GAME, and press the FIRE button to begin. At the start of each game, you choose what score will end the game. Move the joystick LEFT and RIGHT to change the end-game score, then press the FIRE button to begin. (This choice can be made by either player.)

INSIDE MOVES

Controlling the Players

During the game, you control one player at a time. The player under your control is identified by a lighter uniform. If you don’t have the ball, press and hold the FIRE button to assume control of another player on the team.

To move your player around the court, move the joystick in the direction you want to go.

Playing Defensively

Using the joystick, keep your player in a position near the opponent with the ball. A few quick moves with the joystick can keep your opponent off balance. And when the time is right, press the FIRE button and the player you control will jump up to block a pass or a shot.

To steal the ball from an opponent, run into the dribbling player face-to-face. Meet head-on and you’ll come away with possession of the ball.

Playing Offensively

Once you’ve got the ball, dribble it by moving the joystick in the direction you want to go. You can turn on a dime, make a fast break away from the pack, and clear a space for that dazzling slam dunk. But watch out - your opponents want that ball. To prevent them from stealing it, turn your back if you see them running head-on toward you.

When you’re in position to pass to another teammate (your player must be facing the teammate), press the FIRE button to make the pass. You can also pass on the run - a good strategy for outplaying your opponents.

To shoot, get into position facing your basket (green team on the right, blue team on the left). Then press the FIRE button. The player you control will choose the best shot for the moment — jump shot, hook shot, or slam dunk.

SCORING

Each basket is worth two points. The score appears automatically at the bottom of the screen.

END OF GAME

When you reach the score you chose before beginning play, the game will automatically end. To end the game at any point during play, press the RUN/STOP and RESTORE key simultaneously.

Want to play again? You can start another game using the same court and players, or start over and choose up new sides. When the game is over you will be asked if you want to play again with the same teams. Choose Yes to play again. Choose No to choose new team members, a new court, and a new end-game score.

CREDITS

Original program and design by Andrew Spencer.
Original artwork for Commodore 64 by Suzie Greene, Sheryl Knowles, and Michael
Kosaka.