Previous Next

Sports simulations have always proved the most difficult games to make playable on a computer. Hardly any, with the possible exception of International Soccer, have managed to capture the atmosphere and tension of a real sporting event, not to mention the fine control and manoeuvrability that is vital to a game of this kind.

One On One certainly qualifies as one of that rare species - the convincing sports simulation.

It was designed and written with the help of Larry Bird and Julius Erving, two of the USA's best basketball players. And it shows. The amount of work and planning that has obviously gone into this program is mind-boggling.

Each of the player's characteristics have been moulded on either Bird or Erving. So, depending on which of the two you choose, your shooting and defending abilities will be different.

One feature that has been built into the game is fatigue. Too much running and jumping will slow your player down. Another strange addition is a "hot streak" where the computer allows you to have a better run than your opponent. It won't tell you are having a "hot streak" though - you will just have to feel it happening.

Yet again, I have to complain about the price of Electronic Arts' software. They may well be able to get away with charging the equivalent of £30 in America, but they won't sell many in Britain at that price.

If they dropped their price to around £15 or £20, I would recommend that you rush out and buy a copy.