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In America, where basketball creates more mania than just about any other sport, every driveway of every suburban house has a hoop attached to the garage. That's where 'Pop' and 'Junior' go to 'shoot the hoop' on all those American sitcoms, like Roseanne. Practising those ball skills in a one-on-one tournament seems to be a national obsession.

NBA All-Star Challenge is a recreation of this 'informal' knockabout, using only the area around one basket, and featuring the cream of players from the four NBA leagues, in a series of short, simple games.

All-Star Challenge features the stars of America's most famous basketball teams, in a head-to-head format.

In each of the sub-games, score as many baskets in the shortest period of time.

The only view you see in all the different sub games is a static position at one end of the court. That basket is your only goal, your only aim, your passport to sanity. Study now the variety of game options:

1. One-On-One
   You against the computer or another player. Choose either to play for a specific time, or until a points target is reached. You may steal and block, but the usual violations of five-a-side basketball prevail. Possession alternates after a basket is scored.
2. Three Point Shootout
   Test your skills at shooting from the three point line, a wide arc surrounding the basket. Each player has four balls, thrown from five different positions on the line. Brown balls score one point, striped balls are worth two.
3. Horse
   A variation where two players have a skills match. One player plays a shot, and if successful the other must score from the same position, marked by an 'X'. If he fails, he is awarded a letter from the word 'Horse'. If the word is completed, he has lost.
4. Free Throws
   The player stands directly before the basket, and a crosshair rolls drunkenly around the goal area. Guide it to a position over the backboard and shoot. Choose how many balls you want to practise with.

The Tournament option is the same as the one-one-one option, but each player selects four characters to face four opponents, and plays through two qualifiers to reach a final.

As in normal basketball, certain actions result in fouls. Here, there are no free throws, just a change in possession. Travelling occurs when a player dribbles, stops or jumps, then continues without shooting.

Charging and blocking are offences incurred when a player makes contact, or inhibits play. Time violations are possible too.

People must be very desperate in America if they want to go to, play in or be associated with events like these. I'm not so far gone as to enjoy playing the console version.

This is just utterly dull and boring. You might wonder how a limited skirmish in a confined area of the court could work as a game. It doesn't.

The graphics and presentation are fairly average, but the game is non-existent. It's not even engaging the first time you play, and offers no lasting value whatsoever. This goes down as one of the worst basketball 'games' ever.

Incredible, this is like the appalling Jordan Vs. Bird, but somehow worse. The individual 'events' are almost identical, no matter how you dress them up the aim is still to get the ball through the hoop.

As if that wasn't repetitive enough the same bit of court is used for nearly all the events, which is a bit of a con if you ask me. It also lacks several import facets, such as a competitive element and fun. Most basketball games are tedious, this is just downright cruddy.

If you're that desperate for a basketball cart check David Robinson's Supreme Court by Sega - at least that's playable.

Presentation 81%
P. Nice graphic presentation of players and menus.

Graphics 61%
P. Good player animation and clear sprites. The court looks okay.
N. Very dark, dull colours, and virtually no variety.

Sound 52%
N. A nondescript array of barely acceptable sound effects and forlorn music. Not great, by any stretch of the imagination.

Playability 36%
P. There is a two player option, which offers head-to-head play.
N. Very limited range of action. No variety. Dull from the very first play, although some players are quite skilled.

Lastability 25%
P. Two players might get some brief, occasional enjoyment.
N. The routine and flaccid gameplay holds zero lasting appeal.

Overall 29%
A dull, wafer-thin excuse for a game that basketball fans especially should avoid at all costs.