NBA Jam (1993 video game)

Midway Games

Industry	Video games
Founded	1958
Founder	Leland Cook
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Products	NBA Jam

NBA Jam is a basketball video game created and distributed by Midway Games for arcade machines in 1993. It marks the inaugural installment of the NBA Jam franchise. The project was led by Mark Turmell.

This title represents Midway’s third basketball game following TV Basketball (1974) and Arch Rivals (1989). While it draws heavily from the 2-on-2 gameplay style of Arch Rivals, NBA Jam achieved significant commercial popularity.

Upon release, the game helped establish a rapid, exaggerated form of basketball simulation that Midway later adapted to other sports, including hockey with titles like NHL Open Ice and NHL Hitz 2002, American football in NFL Blitz, and baseball through MLB Slugfest.

Gameplay

In NBA Jam, players control two-on-two teams licensed by the NBA, featuring digitized representations of actual athletes. The gameplay emphasizes over-the-top action: characters perform extraordinarily high jumps and slam dunks that defy real-world physics. Traditional rules such as fouls, free throws, and most violations are omitted except for goaltending and the 24-second shot clock violation, permitting aggressive physical contact like shoving or elbowing opponents without penalty. Successfully scoring three baskets consecutively triggers an "on fire" state, providing unlimited turbo boosts and enhanced shooting accuracy. This mode continues until either the opposing team scores or the "on fire" player nets four additional consecutive shots.

The game is rich with Easter eggs, special modes, and hidden characters unlocked through specific button sequences or codes. For instance, on the Genesis, entering a sequence of pressing A five times followed by right five times activates "Super Clean Floors," causing players to slip if they move too quickly or abruptly change direction. Secret characters include personalities such as US President Bill Clinton and Hugo, the mascot of the Charlotte Hornets. Additionally, the arcade edition features a concealed "tank" mini-game accessible via a unique joystick and button combination before a match begins.

Teams and players

The original arcade release showcases rosters from the 1992–93 NBA season, whereas console adaptations use lineups from the 1993–94 NBA season. Subsequent ports for platforms like Sega CD, Game Boy, and Game Gear in 1994 incorporated updated player rosters. Midway did not obtain rights to include Michael Jordan's name or image—Jordan manages these independently—so he is absent as a playable character. Likewise, Shaquille O'Neal, who appears with the Orlando Magic in the arcade version, was excluded from home console editions. Players such as Dražen Petrović and Reggie Lewis, who tragically passed away after the arcade launch, were also removed from later console versions.

A special limited edition was produced featuring an extra team with players like Gary Payton and Michael Jordan, intended mainly for their personal use.

During development, secret characters including Godzilla and Bart Simpson were considered but ultimately not included.

Development

After the disappointing performance of Midway's arcade title Total Carnage, lead designer and programmer Turmell sought to develop a game with wider appeal by integrating digitized visuals similar to those used in earlier projects, drawing inspiration from Midway's basketball game Arch Rivals. Midway obtained an NBA license, agreeing to a royalty fee of $100 per arcade unit. Initially doubtful, the NBA was ultimately persuaded of the game's promise following a second presentation.

The initial concept from Midway featured elements such as various camera perspectives, coaching advice, instant replays, and first-person fast break sequences; however, none of these made it into the final release. The player sprites were digitized from amateur basketball players, including future NBA competitor Stephen Howard, who appeared as hidden characters in certain versions.

Turmell emphasized that while his main vision centered on flashy dunks and two-on-two gameplay, the project was a collaborative effort that incorporated player skill attributes. In 2008, Turmell disclosed that the game contained a programmed bias favoring his preferred team, the Detroit Pistons—resulting in frequent last-second misses by the Chicago Bulls during tight matches.

The home console adaptations were developed by Iguana Entertainment. Iguana president Jeff Spangenberg noted that creating the PlayStation version required six months, partly due to mastering new hardware. The Sega Saturn port demanded additional development time because of its hardware intricacies and the absence of access to Sega’s Graphics Library OS. Chris Kirby from Iguana UK handled the Game Gear and PlayStation versions; Darren Tunnicliff programmed the Saturn port, while Steve Snake was responsible for the 32X adaptation.

The entire game was coded using assembly language and backed by a marketing budget totaling $10 million.

Reception

Upon release, the game achieved remarkable popularity and generated substantial arcade revenue. In the United States, it dominated the monthly RePlay charts for upright arcade machines from April through October 1993, earning recognition as America's highest-grossing arcade title during Summer 1993. Its domestic earnings in 1993 surpassed $300 million, exceeding that year’s box office revenue of Jurassic Park. NBA Jam stood as the top-earning arcade game in America for 1993, with individual cabinets generating up to $2,400 weekly—setting a record for per-unit earnings in U.S. arcades. In Japan, it was ranked fourth among upright arcade games in August 1993. Globally, the game amassed over $1 billion in revenue within its first year. It sold upwards of 20,000 arcade units and accumulated total earnings of $2 billion over its lifetime.

In the U.S. home console market, it was the best-selling title for Sega Genesis, Super NES, and Game Gear during March and April 1994, ranking second among all home video games for 1994 behind only Donkey Kong Country, with Genesis sales surpassing those of Super NES. Console versions moved 2 million units in 1994 alone, exceeding 3 million cartridges worldwide by February 1995, and surpassing 4 million within twelve months. Combined sales of Genesis and Super NES versions have reached approximately 6 million copies globally.

Critical reception

The Super NES edition received a unanimous score of 9 out of 10 from all four Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewers, earning the "Game of the Month" accolade. They commended its visuals, audio quality, four-player capability, and gameplay that was both easy to pick up and deeply engaging. For the Genesis version, Mike Weigand pointed out issues such as "fuzzy voices and bland colors" but still affirmed its overall entertainment value. The Game Gear adaptation was considered less impressive due to the absence of certain music tracks, though it remained a worthwhile option for owners of the handheld.

GamePro praised the Sega CD version for its expanded player roster, enhanced control scheme, and richer sound experience featuring additional voice samples, music tracks, and effects compared to other home editions. Nonetheless, they criticized its graphics as inferior to those on the SNES and arcade versions and found the lengthy loading times detracted from enjoyment, ultimately concluding it offered limited appeal for players already familiar with NBA Jam.

Regarding the Game Boy port, GamePro noted that despite hardware constraints, it managed to retain some of the arcade original’s charm.

Next Generation described the Sega CD iteration as "good, but it could have been so much more."

In 1995, Flux ranked the arcade original 19th in their "Top 100 Video Games." The following year, Next Generation placed NBA Jam at number 99 in their "Top 100 Games of All Time," highlighting its lasting popularity particularly in four-player arcade mode despite widespread availability on home platforms.

In 2017, Gamesradar positioned NBA Jam at 23rd among the "Best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games ever," while IGN ranked it 36th in their "Top 100 SNES Games," applauding its enjoyable gameplay and hidden characters.

Tournament Edition

When reviewing the 32X release, GamePro suggested that those who owned the Genesis version had little reason to upgrade but acknowledged that "Jam's classic run-and-gun gameplay injects much-needed excitement into the otherwise sparse 32X library." Electronic Gaming Monthly lauded it as the most faithful arcade conversion available at that time. Conversely, Next Generation awarded it three out of five stars, commenting that it failed to showcase any meaningful advancements from a 32-bit perspective and labeled it another disappointment for the 32X platform.

A reviewer from Next Generation summarized that although there were some enhancements, Tournament Edition essentially repackaged the existing game and primarily catered to devoted fans or newcomers without prior versions. The Game Boy variant received criticism from GamePro for its poor sprite resolution and was described as "a pale imitation of an otherwise excellent title."

The PlayStation version earned high accolades from Electronic Gaming Monthly for its accurate conversion and additional improvements; Next Generation declared it the best iteration released so far. However, GamePro pointed out missing arcade-level graphical details and voice samples alongside AI difficulty that was excessively challenging.

Steve Merrett of Sega Saturn Magazine gave the Saturn port an 89% rating, calling it a flawless conversion featuring highly playable mechanics centered on timing-based gameplay. Both Sega Saturn Magazine and Maximum praised its faithful retention of arcade content but noted it lacked compelling reasons for owners of Genesis or SNES versions to upgrade.

The Jaguar edition was considered competent yet inferior to the PlayStation release by GamePro. Meanwhile, Electronic Gaming Monthly found it marginally better but largely redundant due to numerous existing versions without meaningful new features.

Entertainment Weekly awarded the game an A grade, emphasizing its extensive NBA roster, impressive graphics and sound design, authentic commentary, and numerous hidden elements—describing it as an "arcade slam dunk."

In 1995, Total! ranked it eighth in their "Top 100 SNES Games." By 1998, Saturn Power placed the Sega Saturn version at number 89 in their "Top 100 Sega Saturn Games." In 2018, Complex included NBA Jam Tournament Edition at 44th among "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time."

Tournament Edition

NBA Jam Tournament Edition (also known as NBA Jam T.E.) debuted in arcades as an enhanced update that incorporated refreshed rosters, additional features, and retained the core gameplay mechanics. New musical compositions for this edition were created by Jon Hey. The teams consisted of three players each, with two active on the court simultaneously; notably, a "Rookies" team featured five members drafted in the 1994 NBA draft. Player substitutions were allowed between quarters. This version introduced secret teams and hidden characters, while players were assigned new attributes such as clutch performance and fatigue levels. The "Tournament" mode eliminated computer-controlled assistance, and specific on-court zones offered opportunities for extra points or unique dunk animations.

Initial test builds included eight concealed characters, some from Midway's Mortal Kombat franchise, which were ultimately removed at the NBA's request prior to release. Midway committed to updating all test arcade units to exclude these unauthorized characters.

Outside arcades, NBA Jam Tournament Edition was adapted for multiple platforms including Super NES, Genesis, 32X, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Saturn, PlayStation (serving as a launch title in North America), and Atari Jaguar. After manufacturing 250,000 Genesis cartridges, Midway identified a defect in the flash memory save system that required players to perform certain in-game actions to enable the "AutoStat" feature; this was communicated to users as an undocumented function.

Ports and sequels

Acclaim Entertainment handled numerous home console and PC versions of NBA Jam, notable for incorporating hidden characters such as political figures including President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Holding exclusive rights to the NBA Jam name, Acclaim released NBA Jam Extreme in 1996 without Midway's involvement; this installment featured 3D graphics and commentary by Marv Albert but garnered mixed critical responses. Acclaim continued to utilize the franchise until its closure in 2004, though subsequent releases achieved limited success.

Midway introduced NBA Hangtime in arcades in 1996, offering polished 2D gameplay alongside a create-a-player option; it was well received by players and critics alike. An updated version titled NBA Maximum Hangtime followed, along with various home console ports. Transitioning into 3D graphics, Midway launched NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC in 1999 and continued with console-exclusive titles such as NBA Hoopz (2001), which expanded gameplay to three-on-three matches, as well as the NBA Ballers series.

EA Sports acquired the rights to the NBA Jam brand and released a rebooted version in 2010 for Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. This edition involved original creator Mark Turmell and EA Canada, achieving both critical acclaim and commercial success. A sequel titled NBA Jam: On Fire Edition followed in 2011 for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.

In 2020, Tastemakers LLC produced a three-quarter scale replica of the original NBA Jam arcade cabinet featuring emulated versions of the original game, Tournament Edition, and Hangtime, enhanced with online multiplayer capabilities.

Other Midway sports series

Midway expanded its arcade-style sports gameplay beyond basketball with titles such as the 1996 hockey game NHL Open Ice and the popular American football series NFL Blitz. Around this period, Midway developed Power Up Baseball, based on similar arcade concepts; however, it was cancelled due to unfavorable testing feedback and complications related to the number of paid plays required.

Following a strategic shift towards console development, Midway continued producing arcade-inspired sports games including sequels within the NFL Blitz franchise, the hockey series NHL Hitz, baseball games under the MLB Slugfest banner, and the soccer title RedCard 2003.

Popular culture

Within the realm of sports entertainment, expressions such as "He's heating up," "He's on fire," and "Boomshakalaka!" have become synonymous with NBA Jam. These iconic phrases highlight players' performance streaks, with the term "on fire" activating a fiery visual effect on the ball. The game’s commentary, delivered by Tim Kitzrow—whose announcing style is reminiscent of Marv Albert—introduced several memorable lines that have since entered basketball slang. Although Jon Hey authored the script, numerous lines were spontaneously created by Kitzrow during recording sessions.

NBA Jam also pays homage to Spike Lee’s character Mars Blackmon from his 1986 film She's Gotta Have It as well as a Nike advertisement from the same period. The legendary question "Is it the shoes?" follows impressive plays, and the 2010 iteration expanded on this with the phrase "It's gotta be the shoes!" as a tribute to that tradition.

The soundtrack for NBA Jam was composed by Jon Hey, featuring lively, funk-inspired tunes reminiscent of George Clinton’s P-Funk sound. Reflecting this influence, the character "P. Funk" in the console editions of NBA Jam Tournament Edition is modeled after Clinton himself. It is worth noting that the original arcade versions included distinct music tracks for title screens and game quarters.

In July 2009, Ed Boon, creator of Mortal Kombat, disclosed that a secret Mortal Kombat themed basketball court was incorporated in a home console version of either NBA Jam or NBA Hangtime.

October 2019 saw Reyan Ali release a book via Boss Fight Books that chronicles the creation, commercial achievements, and cultural significance of the NBA Jam franchise within Midway’s history.

See also

• Double Dribble (1986 video game)
• Arch Rivals (1989)

External links

• Game Information
• NBA Jam Oral History | Where Are They Now? - SI.com