Arch Rivals
System: NES
Release Date: November 1990
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Genre: Sports
Channel the Bad Boys era of basketball and start throwing punches in Arch Rivals! Choose one of four two-man teams to take control of and dominate the hardwood. There are also eight players to choose to take control of, each supposedly with their own particular strengths. Do you have what it takes to knockout your opponents?
This is not a deep simulation of basketball. This is the precursor to NBA Jam. On defense, you can jump with the A Button to try and interfere with shots, or throw a punch with the B Button. Hold that bad boy down to load it up and release to launch a bomb. If either of your opponents are in your way, they’ll be down on the ground. Offense doesn’t give you much more. Pass or call for a pass with the B Button and shoot or have your teammate shoot with the A Button. You have to be careful not to pass it to your teammate when the other team is by him, or it’s pretty much a guaranteed steal.
The eight choices of player says they have different strengths, but to be honest, I don’t think they do. I think everyone plays exactly the same and that’s okay. What’s not okay is the stupid little cutscenes that play after each basket. I get that there was likely a sponsorship deal with British Knights, but taking three seconds after each score to show the name and break up the flow of the game was maddening.
You have to keep an eye on the referee, because he can’t see anything and will trip you if you get too close. The second half also has garbage on the court that can trip you. Shots go in way more than you would expect, so it’s smart to take shots, even if they’d be low percentage. Slam dunks allow you to channel Shaq by demolishing the glass. Once you get used to punching your opponent whenever possible and getting in the way of their shots, you should be able to put up a ton of points.
At the end of the game, you get your stats when it comes to points scored, shooting percentage, steals, and rebounds. Your efforts stick around for each character until you power things down and the high scores are erased. Oh well. You can’t have everything.
Graphics: 2.0
What I can say is that sprites are big, even if they look pretty awful. Cutscenes look a lot better, but you get a lot of flickering on the court.
Sound: 1.5
Music is subdued, but stops every time there’s a cutscene. The sound effects aren’t offensive, but they aren’t good.
Gameplay: 3.0
The action on the court is fast-paced, until you score a basket… Punching works. Defense works. Offense works. Now if only it was a legitimate NBA game…
Difficulty: 2.5
Once you get used to the controls, you should be able to control the game without a problem.
Fun Factor: 3.0
Despite what it lacks, I had a good time with Arch Rivals. For all the misses the NES has had in terms of basketball, this one feels good.
Overall Rating: 2.4
Arch Rivals earns a C+. This is a good game and I expect the real life brawls that would come out of playing with friends is enough to keep it as a go to choice.