Play NBA Jam (rev 3.01 04/07/93) Online

Throw elbows, catch fire mid-dunk, and yell along with the commentator when you pull off a last-second block—this arcade classic’s physics are gloriously broken, especially with a buddy on the couch.

Developer: Midway Games

Genre: Sports

Released: 1993

File size: 6.06 MB

Game Overview

NBA Jam on MAME is pure arcade chaos—two-on-two basketball where players leap 10 feet in the air for ridiculous dunks, the ball catches fire mid-slam, and the commentator loses his mind yelling "BOOMSHAKALAKA!" The controls are simple (pass, shoot, turbo), but timing alley-oops just right or blocking a dunk at the last second feels way more satisfying than it should.

Playing the 1993 arcade version means no watered-down ports—just pixel-perfect elbows, impossible physics, and that weird glitch where your player sometimes gets stuck in the net after a dunk. Grab a friend for couch multiplayer, because the AI’s either too easy or suddenly turns into Michael Jordan on steroids. It’s the kind of game where you’ll argue about fouls that don’t technically exist in the rules.

Still holds up as the best "basketball but not really basketball" game ever made.