NBA Jam


NBA Jam is a long-running basketball video game series based on the National Basketball Association. Initially developed as arcade games by Midway, the game found popularity with its photorealistic digitized graphics, over-the-top presentation and exaggerated style of two-on-two basketball play. The successor to Midway's Arch Rivals, the original 1993 NBA Jam allowed players to jump many times above their own height, make slam dunks that defy human capabilities, and freely shove or elbow opponents out of the way. It also featured a variety of secret characters, as well as the ability to track player records and statistics between play sessions.
After the release of NBA Jam Tournament Edition, Acclaim, the publishers of the home versions of the Jam games acquired exclusive rights to release games under the NBA Jam name. Acclaim released one arcade game, NBA Jam Extreme, featuring the trademark over-the-top style of the previous games. Meanwhile, Midway continued its own series of NBA games with NBA Hangtime. After NBA Jam Extreme, Acclaim started publishing titles exclusive to home consoles with a more realistic style. Acclaim then attempted to return the series to its arcade roots with one more console game, 2003's NBA Jam, before the company closed in 2004.
6 years later, Electronic Arts acquired the rights to the name and in 2010 they released NBA Jam for the Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was an attempt to replicate the original Midway games on newer consoles and original lead designer/programmer Mark Turmell was consulted on its development.

Installments

Midway NBA Jam series
TitleYearPlatformPublisherInnovation/New features
NBA Jam1993Arcade, Super NES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega CDMidway2-on-2 basketball, one of the first sports games to feature NBA-licensed teams and players. Tim Kitzrow in-game announcer.
NBA Jam Tournament Edition1994Arcade, Super NES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Saturn, 32X, PlayStation, Atari JaguarMidway"Tournament" mode, more player attributes, player substitutions. Tim Kitzrow in-game announcer.
NBA Hangtime1996Arcade, PlayStation, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega GenesisMidwayThe gameplay is largely the same as the prior two Midway's NBA Jam games, with some additions. Has create-a-player feature. The title was changed due to the NBA Jam name being acquired by Acclaim Entertainment. NBA Maximum Hangtime was also a separate arcade version with updated rosters. Neil Funk in-game announcer.
1999Arcade, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Game Boy ColorMidwayLast of the Midway NBA Jam 2 vs 2 play version game. Tim Kitzrow in-game announcer.
NBA Hoopz2001PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, Game Boy ColorMidwayThis game is a descendant of NBA Jam and NBA Hangtime and a sequel to NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC. Features 3 vs 3 play.

Acclaim Sports obtained the rights to use the "NBA Jam" name over Midway. Acclaim produced its own version of the game with the NBA Jam name starting in 1996, but is a different game series from that of the original Midway version of NBA Jam.
TitleYearPlatformPublisherInnovation/New features
NBA Jam Extreme1996Arcade, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, WindowsAcclaimNBA SuperStars of the 90's, uses 3D graphics. Marv Albert in-game announcer.
NBA Jam 991998Nintendo 64, Game Boy ColorAcclaim5-on-5 basketball. Dan Roberts in-game announcer.
NBA Jam 20001999Nintendo 64Acclaim"Simulation" mode, "JAM" mode, improved Create a Player and Create a Team. Dan Roberts in-game announcer.
NBA Jam 20012000Game Boy ColorAcclaimNone
NBA Jam 20022002Game Boy AdvanceAcclaimNone
NBA Jam2003PlayStation 2, XboxAcclaimLegendary all-star teams. Tim Kitzrow in-game announcer.
NBA Jam2010Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360EA SportsNew modes, High-resolution photographs for heads of players. Tim Kitzrow in-game announcer.
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition2011PlayStation 3, Xbox 360EA SportsNew AI, improved visuals, roster updates. Tim Kitzrow in-game announcer.

Reception

In 1996, Next Generation listed the NBA Jam series as number 99 on its "Top 100 Games of All Time", commenting that, "NBA Jam is still a terrific game, especially in the arcade with four players. Many of its innovations are now cliche, but it remains one of the best arcade machines around."