Another notable absence from the home versions is Shaquille O'Neal, who was in the arcade version as a member of the Orlando Magic (and who later followed in Jordan's footsteps in buying his name and likeness from the NBA).
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Midway did not secure the license to use Michael Jordan's name or likeness (as Jordan himself owns the rights to his name and likeness and not the NBA), and as such he was not available as a player for the Chicago Bulls or any other team. More up-to-date rosters were available in subsequent ports released for the Sega CD, Game Boy, and Game Gear in 1994. The original arcade version of NBA Jam features team rosters from the 1992–93 NBA season and the console versions use rosters from the 1993–94 NBA season. Just before the court is shown at the start of a game, joysticks 1 and 2 must be moved down and all six of their buttons held down. On the arcade machine, there is also a hidden "tank" game that allows the player to drive a tank and shoot enemy tanks for a minute. Players can also enter special codes to unlock hidden players, ranging from US President Bill Clinton to Hugo, the Charlotte Hornets mascot. This feature causes characters to fall if they run too fast or change direction too quickly. For example, pressing A five times and right five times on any Genesis controller will activate "Super Clean Floors". The game is filled with Easter eggs, special features and players activated by initials or button/joystick combinations. The "on fire" mode continues until the other team scores, or until the player who is "on fire" scores four additional consecutive baskets while "on fire". Additionally, if a player makes three baskets in a row, the character becomes "on fire" and has an unlimited turbo and increased shooting precision. This means the player is able to freely shove or elbow opponents out of the way. There are no fouls, free throws, or violations except goaltending and 24-second violations. NBA Jam, which features two-on-two basketball, is one of the first real playable basketball arcade games and is also one of the first sports games to feature NBA-licensed teams and players, and their real digitized likenesses.Ī key feature of NBA Jam is the exaggerated nature of the play – players can jump extremely high and make slam dunks that defy both human capabilities and the laws of physics. The game employed an exaggerated, over-the-top style, demonstrated by the player dunking from superhuman heights.
The release of NBA Jam gave rise to a new genre of basketball sports games which were based around fast, action-packed gameplay and exaggerated realism, a formula which Midway would also later apply to the sports of football ( NFL Blitz), hockey ( 2 on 2 Open Ice Challenge, later NHL Hitz) and baseball ( MLB Slugfest).
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NBA Jam was the third basketball video game released by Midway, after TV Basketball (1974) and Arch Rivals (1989). However, it was the release of NBA Jam that brought mainstream success to the genre.
The gameplay of NBA Jam is based on Arch Rivals, another 2-on-2 basketball video game. Midway had previously released such sports games as Arch Rivals in 1989, High Impact in 1990, and Super High Impact in 1991. The project leader for this game was Mark Turmell. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series. NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game published and developed by Midway in 1993.