NBA Hangtime - NTNDO64.com

Developer: Director’s Cut International Publisher: Midway

Released: January 16, 1997 Rated: K-A 7/10

While Acclaim made off with the naming rights to the iconic NBA Jam, it was Midway who would continue the series in earnest with their immediate follow-up, NBA Hangtime in 1996. What we have on the N64, as opposed to its 16-bit ports, is pretty close to arcade-perfect. At the very least, it packs in all the features present in the arcade version, including the new character creator to go alongside previous editions’ record keeper. And while it might lose a little bit of graphical definition in the home console transition, the N64 version retains the distinctive big-headed comic book sprite style that Hangtime evolved to cap off the 2D era of the Jam lineage.

And in most ways, NBA Hangtime is about all you can ask for from a new entry in the franchise. While it would be the final 2D installment, the progression of the series paved the way up to Midway’s slew of 3D sports titles, including NFL Blitz and their next basketball title, the glitzy NBA Showtime. The gameplay is fast, flashy, and cartoony. The difficulty is still rubber-band cheap as all hell when playing against the CPU, but I’m sure any different would feel like sacrilege. It may not be as groundbreaking as the original, but it’s tough to argue that having a true representation of the NBA Jam style, especially with so many pretenders on the way, just feels right and is good to know you can rely on.

Continuing Legacy

While the legacy of the Midway sports style and NBA Jam in particular is among the most beloved in the industry, it’s funny to think that the modern equivalents just aren’t there to be had. Aside from a very solid 2010 reboot, NBA Jam has been updated much in an official sense, though its 16-bit iteration receives fan versions in the same vein as Tecmo Bowl. The original titles, meanwhile, are still the gold standard of classic arcade sports titles, and are often packaged together such as on Arcade1Up machines featuring the trilogy of NBA Jam, NBA Jam Tournament Edition, and NBA Hangtime.