NBA in the Zone '98
NBA in the Zone '98 — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is NBA in the Zone '98 on?
- NBA in the Zone '98 was released on Nintendo 64, PlayStation.
- When did NBA in the Zone '98 release?
- NBA in the Zone '98 was first released on February 16, 1998.
About NBA in the Zone '98
NBA IN THE ZONE ¿98 is a traditional five-on-five basketball game that follows the lead of its predecessors, NBA IN THE ZONE and NBA IN THE ZONE 2. In the original game, the emphasis was on an arcade look and feel. NBA IN THE ZONE '98 advances the series' evolution by leaning towards more of a basketball simulation. New options include an on-the-fly play-calling system as well as statistical tracking, which not only keeps season stats but also charts league leaders in various categories. You can also take on a friend in Versus mode and see who is really in the zone; with two multitaps, up to eight people can play at one time.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Nintendo 64, PlayStation
- Developer
- Konami
- Publisher
- Konami
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Non-fiction
- Series
- NBA
Details via IGDB.
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo 64 | 1998 | $5 | $21 | $89 | 11 reviews | Low |
Release timeline
- Nintendo 64Feb 16, 1998
- PlayStationMar 1, 1998
First release on each platform, from IGDB’s records of this game’s ports and editions. Remakes are separate games with their own pages, so they are not listed here.
We haven’t priced or authenticated the versions without a section on this page yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Nintendo 64 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-22
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAL release | $9 | $38 | — |
| Japanese release (NBA In The Zone '98) | $5 | $20 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a month
- Sealed: about 4 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-22.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $0.75 in Oct 2008, $2.08 five years ago, and $4.86 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2009 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $1.00 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $0.87 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $0.87 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $1.79 | $3.95 |
| Jan 2015 | $2.92 | $2.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $3.03 | $8.99 |
| Jan 2017 | $3.31 | $6.00 |
| Jan 2018 | $3.78 | $7.53 |
| Jan 2019 | $3.27 | $8.40 |
| Jan 2020 | $3.66 | $9.99 |
| Jan 2021 | $3.59 | $12.00 |
| Jan 2022 | $5.42 | $22 |
| Jan 2023 | $3.69 | $20 |
| Jan 2024 | $5.21 | $21 |
| Jan 2025 | $7.00 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2026 | $6.51 | $21 |
| Oct 2026 | $4.86 | $21 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Cartridge serial | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 16 February 1998 | NUS-NBAE-USA | NUS-01A-02 |
| Europe / PAL | April 1998 | NUS-NBAP-EUR | — |
| Japan | 29 January 1998 | NUS-NBAJ-JPN | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1998
- Authenticity
- Low
Konami's N64 basketball game that was panned at release, and a very cheap cart today.
NBA In The Zone '98 is a Konami basketball game for the N64, released in Japan in January 1998, in North America in February 1998 and in PAL regions in April 1998, where it is also known as NBA Pro '98. The cover features Glen Rice, and the game has a create-a-player mode and season and playoff modes. It uses stats and rosters from the 1996-97 NBA season. A separate PlayStation game of the same name was made by a different team at Konami.
GamePro's July 1997 preview billed it as the first realistic five-on-five basketball game for the N64. The finished game fared poorly. Electronic Gaming Monthly's John Ricciardi complained that the PlayStation version looked far better, and IGN called it the blurriest N64 game yet and boring. Next Generation said it was the only five-on-five hoops game available for the N64 but suggested waiting for something better.
How it was made
Developed and published by Konami.
What the press said at the time
| Next Generation Issue 41 | May 1998 | 1 out of 5 stars |
| GameRankings (aggregate) | 52% | |
| Edge | 6/10 | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 4/10 | |
| Famitsu | 27/40 | |
| Game Informer | 4.75/10 | |
| GameFan | 72% | |
| GameSpot | 3.6/10 | |
| IGN | 4.7/10 | |
| N64 Magazine | 71% | |
| Nintendo Power | 6/10 |
“With such high hopes riding on this title, Zone ’98 leaves hardcore sim gamers with nothing but a flat Spalding.”
“It’s amazing it hasn’t been done before, but better late than never.”
“Let's just say that too many aspects of the shooting, stealing, dunking, passing, free-throw shooting and (lack of) defense are unrealistic and/or frustrating.”
“what we wound up with is a travesty of a game that has not only tarnished Konami's reputation but also managed to make N64 look bad.”
Next Generation rated games from one star ("Bad: crucially flawed in design or application") to five ("Revolutionary"); three stars meant "Good: a solid and competitive example of an established game style." Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Nintendo 64 version.
Also on other platforms
PlayStation
- PlayStation. Reviews of the PlayStation version were lukewarm but found its gameplay a significant improvement on its predecessor, with new features such as on-court play calling.
How the other versions reviewed
| PlayStation | GameRankings | 65% |
| PlayStation | Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.25/10 |
| PlayStation | Famitsu | 26/40 |
| PlayStation | Game Informer | 8/10 |
| PlayStation | GameFan | 40% |
| PlayStation | GameSpot | 5.6/10 |
| PlayStation | IGN | 8/10 |
| PlayStation | Official PlayStation Magazine | 2.5/5 |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Before you buy
The US cartridge is among the cheaper loose carts in the library, and the fake risk is low. A complete copy costs about four times the loose price. PAL copies cost more than US ones, and Japanese copies cost about the same.
Watch on YouTube
Listings on The Game Traders
No active listings for NBA in the Zone '98 yet.
Be the first to list →Buyers looking for this
No active want ads for NBA in the Zone '98 yet.
Post a want ad →Popular games right now
Latest news mentioning NBA in the Zone '98
No recent news mentions in our 30-day feed window.