• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
  • We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.

R.I.P. Kobe. Who remembers NBA Courtside for the N64?

Deleted member 31923

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 8, 2017
5,826
Kobe's legacy is mostly in sports, but he had a big impact in video games as well. In addition to being a cover athlete on a lot of titles, he had his own game, Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside for the N64 that came out in 1998 (at 19, Kobe was the youngest NBA player to have a game with his namesake). This was followed by NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant in 1999, also for the N64. Finally, there was NBA Courtside 2002 for the Gamecube, that took out Kobe's name but still had him on the cover. All of these games were pretty great, and they were more serious titles in contrast to the arcade style of Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball, with almost all NBA players featured (minus Michael Jordan and a couple of others who had their own games). I was watching some gameplay of NBA Courtside last night on Youtube, and when I saw "Nintendo Sports" on the title screen, it made me sad that Nintendo doesn't make licensed sports titles anymore. Lots of nostalgia for it and Kobe.

Anyway, R.I.P. Kobe, and here is an article about his history in video games and the NBA Courtside series.

 
Last edited:
AxkilAvenger

AxkilAvenger

Banned
Apr 8, 2018
1,641
Never played it but was very aware of it. Was that the last time Nintendo did a licensed sports game? Or did they do one more Ken Griffey baseball game? Regardless. RIP brother
 
Davey Cakes

Davey Cakes

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,689
Massachusetts
Probably the last game I ever bought at Bradlees. I remember it being a pretty fun 3D basketball game, as someone who only really played NBA Jam before that.
 
LBsquared

LBsquared

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Nov 22, 2019
1,603
Some of my favorite sports gaming memories are player endorsed titles on Nintendo platforms. Ken Griffey Baseball and Kobe Courtside were awesomely unrealistic and fun.
 
Zero83

Zero83

Member
Oct 29, 2017
573
Oslo
I've only ever bought three sports games; NBA Courtside, FIFA 98 and FIFA 99 (all on N64). Courtside was great.
 

bell_hooks

Banned
Nov 23, 2019
275
User Warned: Inappropriate joke
I would say that games look great but that's just Kobe's lawyers harrasing me into admiting that I am video game slut and invite every video game into my body
Edit: Maybe joking wasn't how it should be intruduced, but Kobe Bryant is a rapist who's lawyers bullied women into settlment. I cannot allow any content about him without mentioning this
 
Last edited:

StonerSage

Banned
Sep 22, 2019
176
I really enjoyed the GameCube one, never got to play the N64 ones, as I had a PlayStation - is this article right though? I can't find any info of it coming to PlayStation.

" In 1999 that game got a sequel, NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant, which flipped the title, pushing the growing superstars name to the end. This time it went multi-platform, appearing on not just the N64 but the Game Boy Color, PC and PlayStation as well. "
 
ThisOne

ThisOne

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,938
I loved Courtside 2 on N64. Honestly, Courtside 2 is probably my all-time favorite sports game. I was pretty excited for the one on Gamecube but didn't think it was as good.
 
samred

samred

Amico fun conversationalist
Member
Nov 4, 2017
2,586
Seattle, WA
Remember it? I reviewed it for the Dallas Morning News. Sadly, most of their '90s game reviews have not been publicly archived, but if you're in a Dallas library right now, you could look it up. It was an interesting time for Nintendo of America, in terms of realizing they were getting wiped by PlayStation's partnership with EA Sports and scrambling to fill the gap with "first-party" fare. (N64 had two Courtside games, one Ken Griffey Jr game. No football.)

I didn't realize Courtside continued to the GameCube era with a single 2002 release.

 
smurfx

smurfx

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,578
was the first and only sports game i've personally owned. game looked super advanced at the time and i was super hyped and way into the lakers at that point too.
 
Conrad Link

Conrad Link

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,657
New Zealand
StonerSage said:
I really enjoyed the GameCube one, never got to play the N64 ones, as I had a PlayStation - is this article right though? I can't find any info of it coming to PlayStation.

" In 1999 that game got a sequel, NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant, which flipped the title, pushing the growing superstars name to the end. This time it went multi-platform, appearing on not just the N64 but the Game Boy Color, PC and PlayStation as well. "
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Nar it was a Nintendo thing, so N64 and GBC only.

The original was legit where I first heard of Kobe, he and the Lakers became my fav after that as I got more into the sport. Such sad news. :(
 
garion333

garion333

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,722
Era must be fairly young if this thread didn't blow up about how he gaslit his rape accuser to the point she didn't testify in court.
 
TheSentry42

TheSentry42

Member
Nov 2, 2017
1,249
First "sim" basketball game I owned and first baseball game after NBA Jam I had.

I remember playing it as a kid at a demo booth set up at an NBA game I went to watch. I told my mom I had to have it and she got it for me for my birthday. I thought the graphics were so good and phoro real which is laughable now.

Kobe name on it definitely helped sell it for me. Kobe was so huge back then. After MJ retired (for the second time) Kobe took over as the new MJ of his generation of players and NBA fans.

It was cool to learn later that he grew up in Italy and developed as a player in Europe. He was fluent in Italian and conversational in Spanish. Real smart guy. He of course wasn't perfect, but had a huge impact. I'd love to know what degree he was involved in his video game Courtside. Just a face for marketing or did he give some input?
 
Hybrid Rainbow

Hybrid Rainbow

Banned
Jun 23, 2019
6,446
First basketball game I played seriously since NBA Jam/Rap Jams Vol. 1 on SNES. Just being able to play as Kobe and Van Exel, etc. was amazing to me as a kid. I miss him so much man.
 
arkay

arkay

Member
Nov 8, 2017
459
Played and loved it as a kid. I remember trying out Courtside 2002 for the Gamecube when the console released at a kiosk in Zellers and being blown away by the graphics. I'd spend my entire time playing that and Star Wars Rogue Leader while my parents shopped.

Bodyshot_Wizard said:
I love the main theme from the game

Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


Wow this really brought back memories.. R.I.P. Kobe and GiGi.
 
RBH

RBH

Official ERA expert on Third Party Football
Member
Nov 2, 2017
32,938
samred said:
Remember it? I reviewed it for the Dallas Morning News. Sadly, most of their '90s game reviews have not been publicly archived, but if you're in a Dallas library right now, you could look it up. It was an interesting time for Nintendo of America, in terms of realizing they were getting wiped by PlayStation's partnership with EA Sports and scrambling to fill the gap with "first-party" fare. (N64 had two Courtside games, one Ken Griffey Jr game. No football.)

I didn't realize Courtside continued to the GameCube era with a single 2002 release.

Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

There were actually two Griffey games for the N64
 
elzeus

elzeus

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,887
If a platform holder and 2k sign some kind of exclusivity deal for Nba 2k21 that features Kobe there's going to be hell to pay. That version should be on as many platforms as possible.

rip Kobe
 
TΛPIVVΛ

TΛPIVVΛ

Member
Nov 12, 2017
2,767
man I remember my brother getting this on release and we used to play the hell out of it with friends! R.I.P. Kobe & Gianna
 
You must log in or register to reply here.