The Fun Factor 04.16.07: Midway's NBA Games
Posted by Cory Moore on 04.16.2007
Boom-shakalaka! In gearing up for the NBA playoffs, here's a look back at some of the finest arcade basketball games ever.
With March Madness passing a few weeks ago, I've been busy working on papers. Nothing but filthy, stinking papers. Hence the reason I'm not too fond of college in April. Because when the NCAA tournament is over, you know you're going to be up to your neck in a sea of work before the summer.
But alas, I'm here to inform you of great games. And do that, I shall.
March may belong to college basketball, but April belongs to the pros. I'm talking about the NBA, of course. Every year, it seems like I'm enthralled by a particular video game leading up to the NBA Playoffs. Last season, it was NBA Live 06. The year before it was NBA 2K5. This year has been different. I put down NBA 2K7 before Christmas, and I really don't have the time to go all out and devote time to it now. So in lieu of that, I went up to my game room the other day and busted out the classics. You know, the SNES, the N64. And wouldn't you know just a few games of Midway's old classics did the trick.
If you've played them, you know what I'm talking about.
And for the newbies, well, pay attention. You're in for a treat.
The Controlled Substance
Hands down, Midway produced some of the finest in yesteryear's arcade sports games. You ever wonder why the faster, exciting modes in today's sports games are called "arcade mode?" Titles like NBA Jam are the reason.
Midway's line of arcade basketball games relies on a 2-on-2 game, not unlike that of what you play in your driveway. The game has 3 different commands: pass (steal on defense), shoot (rebound/block on defense), and a turbo button. The latter is the most influential of them all.
In Midway's arcade games, none of the traditional rules are enforced. Players get knocked on their butts on a consistent basis…but you're not going to get the benefit of a foul call…period. There is no such thing as out of bounds, there's no 3-seconds in the paint, and the referee is nowhere to be found. Even though the shot clock is operational, you're going to be laughed at if it actually expires. In essence, it is street ball held in an arena and played by NBA stars. But oh, it's so much better than that…
The Fun Factor
The first – and most obvious – appealing feature of Midway's basketball games is the over-the-top style of gameplay. Instead of a 5-on-5 game, you're treated to a 2-on-2 track meet. Three-point baskets are hit routinely, spectacular dunks are encouraged, and players are lit ‘on fire' when they bury three consecutive shots. Seriously, a wave of flames shadows the player and his motions. It's awesome.
Many sports games are criticized for their lack of thorough commentary. While Midway's arcade masterpieces are hardly mind-blowing, they're certainly more entertaining. Seriously, where else are you going to hear "He's on fire!!!" when the player's shoes have burst into flames and he's darn-near invincible? The same thing can be said about "The Monster Jam!!" when a player's feet soar above the backboard and then he performs a flipping, two-handed dunk. We're talking about freaking Tim Kitzrow, for goodness sake! By the way, has he done ANYTHING besides NBA Jam? The commentary only enhances the over-the-top nature of the game.
The games are also known for their ‘easter eggs.' For example, in the original arcade version of NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, players could enter codes to access Mortal Kombat characters and then-president Bill Clinton. The same edition was also known for introducing the pointless-but-still fun ‘big head' mode. Sure, it may be a staple now, but it was hailed as different and highly entertaining back in the day.
And now, for the many incarnations…
NBA Jam (1993) Platforms: Arcade, SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear
The first NBA Jam slammed into arcades in 1993. The first game to revolutionize the arcade sports scene, NBA Jam featured the high-flyers of its day, such as Scottie Pippen, Dominique Wilkins and Hakeem Olajuwwan. The arcade version followed the 1992-93 season and the console versions treated players to 1993-94 elements. According to Wikipedia, the original game made more than $1 billion in quarters!
NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (1994) Platforms: Arcade, SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, Playstation, Sega Saturn
The second incarnation of NBA Jam was released shortly after its younger brother's instant success. The game made numerous improvements, which included bumping up the number of players to a whopping 120. This game let you substitute players after every quarter, injuries and fatigue were factored in, and power-up icons – such as ones that improved three point shooting and allowed dunks from ANYWHERE on the court – were plentiful. Tournament Edition also introduced the "hot spots," where a player could rack up extra points by hovering over special markers that popped up on the court.
NBA Hangtime (1997) Platforms: Arcade, Nintendo 64, Playstation, SNES
When Acclaim won the exclusive licensing rights to the NBA Jam franchise, Midway continued its original formula under the name NBA Hangtime. The game underwent a slight graphical improvement and added "Team Fire," where performing alley-oops or double dunks led to both men on the squad powering up. While the hot spots and wacky elements from Jam's Tournament Edition were scrapped, NBA Hangtime made up for it by introducing create-a-player. Like other elements in the series, the characters could get pretty crazy, from monster heads to medieval outfits. You could customize your player based on height, weight, power, shooting, and defensive skills.
NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC (1999) Platforms: Arcade, Playstation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast
NBA Showtime took the best of Jam and Hangtime and made the jump to the 3-D realm. Teamwork was at a premium, but the commentary was significantly better than Hangtime thanks to the NFL Blitz commentator taking over the emcee duties. The game also added the NBA on NBC presentation, which makes for a warm, fuzzy feeling when you play it now. The game's release was quite limited on consoles, but it's easily one of the best games in the series produced by Midway.
The 411
Midway struck gold with NBA Jam early in the last decade of the 20th century and subsequently made a fortune off its sequels. Until Midway came onto the scene, sports games were pretty lame. Sure, you had titles like Tecmo Bowl, but Midway set the standard for the modern, arcadey style of its day. I'd also argue that it produced a lot NBA fans that otherwise might not have paid attention to sports.
Midway's NBA titles don't possess the depth of today's titles produced by EA or Sega Sports, but they're exceptional games in their own right. They're simple yet intuitive, fast and entertaining. They capture your imagination like no other sports franchise out there, save for EA Big's Street series. All you need is a will to have fun.
You can still find these games – especially the NBA Jam line – at independent video game resellers and on eBay. If you can track any one these titles down (especially NBA Showtime) for under $20, I definitely recommend picking them up. They're a one-of-a-kind experience you're not going to get anywhere else..
