Seeing Harvey head towards the NES shelf, the two exchanged a glance and decided to check out the other company's products.
It wasn't until they arrived at the GAMENOVA section that the two suddenly realized the crowds there were just as large as they had been before.
Even now, the few machines available for trial use are packed with people, frequently eliciting gasps of surprise from the onlookers.
Many people are even offering advice and suggestions.
"Pass the ball! Jordan is sticking too tight; this can't go on!"
"No, we still have to take a gamble. If Jabbar can get inside the three-point line, we can use Skyhook now that we have enough energy."
Amidst the incessant chatter of their off-site advisors, the television continuously emitted indistinct commentary.
Then came the sound of sneakers rubbing against the court and the sound of a basketball being slammed into the hoop.
The sound effects were just as good as the One on One game they were playing earlier, and even had their own unique characteristics.
" Jabbar? Their game also signed basketball stars?"
"I also heard Jordan, it must be him."
The two quickly squeezed into the crowd and looked into the inner circle.
Two young boys sat on the short sofa in the center, each holding a controller and intently watching the screen to operate it.
When the two of them saw the image on the screen, they felt their brains freeze instantly.
It was an Close-Up close-up shot of a player dunking.
This single goal clearly decided the outcome of the match.
"It's garbage time."
"Oh, what a pity. If he had passed the ball just now, we would have had a chance."
"It's not a bad deal, not many people managed to get this Close-Up animation today, it's awesome."
"Whose turn is it? Is it my turn to play?"
Just by looking at the game's options menu, Miles could tell that " One on One " seemed to be a lost game.
Unlike the monotonous options in " One on One- One" with just a few lines of white text on a black background, the options in " Double Dribble " are like a game in themselves.
Each option has a basket.
Each time the player changes their choice, the basketball player standing in the bottom right corner throws a ball, which lands precisely in the basket corresponding to the selected option, before the player changes the option.
It was like a penalty shootout, which was incredibly interesting.
But what surprised them most was that there was actually a "team" option.
It's worth noting that in " One on One," while you can choose a character, you can only choose between Bird and Johnson.
However, in " Double Dribble ", there is no character selection feature; instead, it is based on teams.
" New York Team, Chicago Team, Los Angeles Team, Boston Team ----"
As the player switched options, Ethan and his companion gained an understanding of the available teams.
There are currently four teams to choose from. Although they are named after places, these two veteran fans could easily recognize who their real-life counterparts are.
The game officially begins only after the basketball lands precisely in the hoop marked "END".
But from that very first glance, the two of them were completely dumbfounded.
Ten people were positioned on either side of the field.
In the very center are the two players waiting to kick off.
Although the character models aren't as detailed as those in " One on One ", they have everything you need and are just as good.
It's even—much smoother!
As soon as the crisp whistle blew and the referee's voice, which seemed to come out in some unknown way, sounded, the ten players immediately sprang into action.
In an instant, the entire court came alive. Ethan watched as the Boston Team won the ball and, despite being surrounded by the New York Team, executed a series of smooth dribbles before the black player with the ball passed it to the white player who was already poised to pounce.
It all happened so fast that Ethan didn't even have time to figure out what was going on.
It felt just like watching an exceptionally fast-paced NBA game.
In the blink of an Kung-Fu Master, the battle situation can change dramatically.
Especially with so many people moving together, each with different movements and positions, just keeping his attention focused on the rapidly moving basketball already consumed a lot of his energy.
Unfortunately, whether it was a mistake by the Boston Team's player or a deliberate act by the New York Team, the player who was about to catch the ball suddenly exerted force and knocked down the New York Team player who was defending in front of him.
"Push!"
The referee's voice came through clearly again.
The game was then paused, and the players quickly moved to their designated positions.
A New York Team player stood behind the free-throw line, ready to shoot.
"They even have pushing fouls and free throws??"
Ethan and Miles exchanged bewildered glances, suddenly feeling as if their own perceptions were crumbling.
Wasn't " One on One " supposed to be a masterpiece from EA, the world's most amazing sports game company?
Even if other companies' competing products are different, they shouldn't be at this level, right?
No, this can't even be considered a competitor anymore.
These are not even in the same league!
The game features a complete 5v5 battle mode, smooth 10-player simultaneous high-speed movement, and even the curves of the basketball are exceptionally beautiful.
Combined with the game's top-down 2.5D perspective, the entire scene has a strong sense of depth. If it weren't for the low pixel count and somewhat monotonous colors, it would truly be comparable to watching an exciting basketball game.
Recalling their seemingly intense duel in the " One on One " game they had just played—
Looking back now, I really couldn't stand anything about it.
1v1 attack and defense battles are not impossible, but the fewer the players, the smoother and faster the experience should be.
Only in this way can the excitement of basketball be truly showcased.
However, in " One on One- One", both Bird and Johnson's movements during jumps and shots were extremely slow.
It can even take several seconds for them to land after jumping.
This situation wouldn't have been a big deal before, but now that they've seen the visuals of " Double Dribble," they suddenly feel that the sluggish jump is like that of an old man in his twilight years.
Even my grandma can jump better than him!
They dare to use Bird's name? Aren't they ashamed?
I'm so ashamed of myself for getting so engrossed in such a leisurely game of pretend play.
Just then, the Boston Team quickly adjusted their strategy after a brief setback, and after a few dribbles, the player with the ball had reached a perfect position.
Bang!
The screen played the same Close-Up animation that the two had seen when they first arrived, except this time the movements were completely different.
"Reverse back buckle!"
Ethan and Miles stood in the cheering crowd, listening to the rousing music playing in their ears.
"I said— Ethan, did you bring any money?"
"F**k, go stop Harvey first, tell him not to rush into buying the NES!"
"Yeah! Yeah! Damn! Thank goodness I took a look."
After seeing " Double Dribble," only one word remained in their minds.
purchase!
SHUTUPANDTAKEMYMONEY!!!
Who the hell said EA is invincible?
This is simply a case of dimensional reduction attack!