NBA In The Zone '98 was one of those N64 basketball games that actually made you feel like you were calling plays instead of just mashing buttons. The animations were surprisingly smooth for the time—players had distinct moves, and the physics didn’t feel like everyone was sliding on ice. First time I booted it up, I got wrecked by the CPU because I kept trying to dunk with everyone instead of setting up picks.

What I liked was how the game forced you to think a little. You couldn’t just sprint down the court and chuck threes all day; the defense would shut you down fast. The season mode kept me hooked way longer than I expected, especially with the trades and stat tracking. Not as flashy as some other basketball titles back then, but it had a solid, no-nonsense vibe.

Still holds up if you’re into that mid-90s hoops nostalgia.