NBA In The Zone '99 was one of those N64 basketball games that tried to go toe-to-toe with NBA Live, and honestly? It holds up better than you’d think. The animations are a little stiff by today’s standards, but back then, the way players moved—crossovers, dunks, even the way they’d jostle for rebounds—felt surprisingly real.

You jump right into exhibition games with the full '98-'99 rosters (Tim Duncan’s Spurs, AI’s Sixers, all the classics), and the controls are simple enough that you’ll be pulling off alley-oops within minutes. The three-point shooting’s a bit unforgiving, though—took me a while to stop bricking every long-range attempt.

What really stuck with me was the commentary. It’s repetitive, sure, but there’s something weirdly charming about hearing the same excited "HE TAKES IT TO THE RACK!" every time you drive to the hoop. If you’re into retro sports games, this one’s a solid pickup.