NBA: In the Zone Game Boy Color

NBA In the Zone makes its Game Boy Color debut with a full five-on-five action and a choice of 29 NBA teams with rosters current as of February 5, 1999. Gameplay is structured similarly to Konami’s own Double Dribble series on NES, with cinematic dunks and a streamlined two-button control scheme. Four modes of play include Exhibition, Versus, Season, and Playoffs. Exhibition is a single game with any of the available teams, Versus is a two-player contest requiring a Game Link Cable, while Season offers players the chance to guide one team through a choice of 28, 56, or 82 consecutive games.

Those who can’t wait to see their team compete in the NBA Finals can select Playoffs, which lets players skip season play and jump right into a best of three, five, or seven series. Before each game, players can adjust starting lineups as well as quarter length from three to 12 minutes. An excite gauge gradually fills whenever players score or dunk, which increases the performance abilities of everyone on the team for a limited amount of time. Win-loss records for up to three seasons can be saved to battery, with three difficulty levels available for computer AI. Also featured is the ability to toggle various rules and infractions called on both sides of the ball. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide