Double Dribble

ダブルドリブル (Daburu Doriburu)NES, Arcade, Famicom Disk System, Game Boy +11986

  1. JP1986
  2. NA1987
  3. EU1988
  4. RU—

Double Dribble kept its name in Japanese arcades (ダブルドリブル), but the Japanese Famicom Disk System version was renamed Exciting Basket (エキサイティング バスケット), and the 1991 Game Boy version was called Double Dribble 5-on-5. No current re-release was found in the sources checked; the NES version last appeared on the Wii Virtual Console in 2007.

Double Dribble is a basketball game that Konami released in Japanese arcades on 4 November 1986. It followed Super Basketball, Konami's first basketball game, and was one of the first games with cut scenes and one of the first to use speech. Its attract mode plays "The Star-Spangled Banner".

In Japan the Famicom Disk System version came out on 24 July 1987 as Exciting Basket, and the NES version reached North America in September 1987. Without an NBA license, it uses fictional teams in NBA colors: the Boston Frogs, New York Eagles, Chicago Ox and Los Angeles Breakers. The home port sold over 2 million units.

A Game Boy version, Double Dribble 5-on-5, followed in 1991, and the NES game was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in November 2007. The game also appears in the Family Guy episode "Run, Chris, Run".1

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA Double Dribble Arcade February 1987 Konami 1
NA Double Dribble NES September 1987 Konami 1
NA Double Dribble 5-on-5Game Boy version Game Boy December 1991 Konami 1
NA Double DribbleVirtual Console (NES version) Wii Nov 26, 2007 Konami 1
JP ダブルドリブルDaburu Doriburu Arcade Nov 4, 1986 Konami 1
JP エキサイティング バスケットEkisaitingu BasukettoFamicom Disk System Famicom Disk System Jul 24, 1987 Konami 1
EU Double Dribble NES 1988 Konami 1
JP —Game Boy version Game Boy Sep 25, 1992 Konami 1
EU Double DribbleVirtual Console (NES version) Wii Nov 16, 2007 Konami 1

Also known as: ダブルドリブル JP1Daburu Doriburu JP1エキサイティング バスケット JP1Ekisaitingu Basuketto JP1Double Dribble 5-on-5 NA1

Box art by region

  • Double Dribble box art, North America release
    NA Double Dribble
  • Double Dribble box art, Europe release
    EU Double Dribble

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • GameplayArcade

    The arcade game runs on time: baskets add time, and the game ends when the timer runs out while the computer leads or is tied. The NES version lets players finish the whole game regardless of the score.1

  • GameplayNES

    The NES version offers quarters of 5, 10, 20 or 30 minutes and three difficulty levels for the computer opponent.1

  • GraphicsNES

    The NES version uses a horizontally scrolling court, shows cut scenes of mid-air dunks and has a little speech; its rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" differs slightly from the arcade's.1

All differences (5)

Reception

Game Machine listed the arcade game as Japan's 20th most successful table arcade unit of March 1987, and the home port sold over 2 million units. AllGame later gave the NES version 5 out of 5, while GameSpot gave the Virtual Console release 5 out of 10, criticizing the computer's unfair catch-up ability.1

In lists

Sources

  1. 1en.wikipedia.org

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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