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- This page is for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version. For other games in the series, see NBA Jam.
NBA Jam is a popular arcade basketball video game developed Iguana UK and published by Midway in 1993. The game stood out for its fast-paced gameplay and emphasis on action and fun rather than a realistic basketball simulation. It was a major success in arcades and was later released on a variety of console platforms, including the SNES.
NBA Jam in Japanese (NBA ジャム) is a port of the arcade version, a very similar and nostalgic version that was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, licensed by Midway Games, ported by Iguana UK, and published by Acclaim Entertainment in America, Europe-Oceania, and Japan, and by Playtronic Industrial in Brazil in 1994.
The game stood out for its fast-paced gameplay and emphasis on action and fun rather than a realistic basketball simulation. It was a major success in arcades and was later released on a variety of console platforms. In SNES, it was developed within the console's limitations but was launched simultaneously with versions for Game Gear and Sega Genesis.
NBA Jam allows players to choose from various NBA teams, each with two players. Unlike traditional basketball games, "NBA Jam" features high-speed action, spectacular shots, and the ability to perform exaggerated dunks. It also includes a "fire" mechanic that allows players to become invulnerable for a limited time after scoring multiple consecutive baskets.
While the graphics of the SNES were not as advanced as those of the arcade machines of the time, the game managed to replicate the look of the players and the NBA atmosphere impressively for the console. The game also included commentators who added excitement to the gameplay.
Later a new port called "NBA Jam: Tournament Edition" would be a new port that would launch new changes such as graphics, sounds, animations, controls and fluidity, this version if it was available in a variety of systems known at the time and even the laptops of Sega and Nintendo.
Screenshots
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Title-Menu screen.
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Question.
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Select Team.
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Gameplay 1.
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Gameplay 2.
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Gameplay 3.
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Music
VGMPF Album Art
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The music for "NBA Jam" was originally composed by Jon Hey. The game's soundtrack is famous for its lively style and ability to energize players as they play. It includes a mix of electronic and rock music that adapts well to the fast pace of the game.
Rick Fox is in charge of the development of porting in the music, through the arcade version which is cut to 4 tracks for the entire game. That's very little for a Super Nintendo game. This would serve for the port of Sega Genesis and Game Gear in 1994 by the same development team but transformed by Sega
The music in "NBA Jam" adds an extra element of fun and excitement to the game, and many of the tracks are fondly remembered by fans. The combination of fast gameplay and catchy music contributed to the lasting success of this video game classic.
The next port would change this soundtrack a little but there would be no technical changes until "NBA Jam T.E" arrived, The music was adapted to the SNES hardware which greatly limited the quality of the sounds and the voices would very gradually lower the original quality of the original arcade version.
Recording
Credits
(Sources: Arcade, verification from Rick Fox; Game lacks credits.)
Though the game features a staff roll after beating the game, it only lists the staff at Acclaim, rather than the developers at Iguana. We have received verification from Rick Fox that he arranged the SNES version's music. The original arcade game's staff list appeared after waiting through several title demos. While the arcade version does not assign roles to the developers, Jon Hey confirmed that he was the composer. He is also the only person among the staff credited as a composer in other games.
These recordings were made by GatoVerde95 using Retroarch (version Ubuntu MATE GNU/Linux) to dump it with GHex (GNU/Linux), VLC media player and foobar2000 (WINE) to convert SPC formats to FLAC and then to OGG (Vorbis). As additional tool Make List (Windows) was used to encode the recordings in list mode.
Game Rip
Audio Devices
Sony SPC700 and S-DSP to synthesize the music at almost semi-CD quality but with the difference that it uses spectrograms to reproduce the melody, thus achieving that if the game wants it to repeat the same track it can indefinitely (the Genesis can but it is different).
This game uses the console's built-in S-SMP chip.
Releases
America
British Area
South Europe
North/Central Europe
Asia & Oceania
Links
Template:Series - NBA Jam