Tag Archives: Arcade

Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five ways that I’d like to mod the PC version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition, aka NBA Jam TE.

NBA Jam TE for PC was the very first basketball video game that I bought, 30 years ago this past January. As such, it’s one of my all-time favourite hoops titles, and it’s not just a case of nostalgia goggles! Much like the original NBA Jam, it still holds up superbly. Unfortunately, it’s a game that I’ve never been able to mod. Whereas the Super Nintendo and arcade versions have seen several ROM hacks, there have never been any tools for the PC release. Mind you, that hasn’t stopped me from trying (and failing) to mod it, and pondering the possibilities if I ever find a way to do so.

I won’t say that I’ve made a breakthrough in that regard, or even that I’m a step closer to making it happen, because that’s not the case. However, after all these years, I have discovered how to change players’ names. To that end, I feel that if I keep combing through the files and experimenting with some changes, I may finally be able to mod NBA Jam TE PC, if only in a limited way. Even if I only succeed at renaming Ron Harper to Michael Jordan and changing his ratings, I’d be delighted! With that being said, I do have some more ambitious ideas that I’d love to try. Should it ever become possible to mod NBA Jam TE for PC, here are five ways I’m keen to tinker with it.

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m reflecting on it being 30 years since I first rented the Super Nintendo version of NBA Live 95, shortly after getting my SNES.

Since 1996 was the year that I really got into basketball and basketball gaming, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of several firsts in my hoops fandom. As such, I’ve felt inspired to reflect on those memorable milestones in becoming a hardcore fan of both real basketball and the virtual hardwood. Back in January, I reflected on it being 30 years since I bought the PC version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition. Come June, I reminisced about the 1996 Chicago Bulls, and how seeing my favourite team win an NBA Championship solidified my love of them and the sport.

That brings me to the 30th anniversary of a couple of other memorable moments for me back in 1996: my acquisition of a Super Nintendo, and subsequent rental of the SNES version of NBA Live 95 from my local video store. NBA Jam Tournament Edition had been a great introduction to the virtual hardwood with its pick-up-and-play arcade gameplay, but after playing NBA Live 95 SNES, I fell in love with the simulation style as well. Again, hitting the 30th anniversary of all these milestones definitely has me feeling nostalgic, so let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #640 of the NLSC Podcast!

Although we do tend to take our basketball gaming fairly seriously – especially when it comes to the sim titles – sometimes it’s fun to get a little silly on the virtual hardwood; or indeed, rather looney! To that end, this week we’re reviewing Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports, which not only includes NBA Jam-style basketball, but also soccer, tennis, and golf. Despite being intended for a younger audience, we definitely had a good time with it! We also recap a co-op game of basketball in Tiny Toon Adventures: ACME All-Stars for the Sega Genesis, and join the community in discussing some other cartoon sports games that we’ve enjoyed over the years.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 51:48 — 35.9MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #635 of the NLSC Podcast!

NBA The Run was released last week, and so far it’s certainly drawn a mixed reception from basketball gamers. Having previously taken part in the playtesting sessions, this week we’re reviewing the full version of the new arcade streetball game from Play by Play Studios. This includes a detailed breakdown of the gameplay, a recap of our experiences playing in several tournaments, our views on the game’s depth (or lack thereof), concerns about the Shop, and predictions regarding its longevity and potential. We also read out some impressions that the community has shared with us, and touch once more on the toxicity that NBA The Run has unfortunately been cultivating.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:00:44 — 42.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #632 of the NLSC Podcast!

Although we’ve been playing basketball video games for decades now, the hobby is still capable of surprising us. To that end, what are some of the biggest surprises – both positive and negative – in basketball gaming in 2026? This week we’re sharing and discussing what amazes and astonishes us when it comes to the virtual hardwood, from the quality of the games and modern design philosophies, to the lack of competition and changes in community attitudes. That includes touching on the shift in modding culture, and the general discourse when it comes to basketball gaming issues. Our listeners also weigh in with what surprises them the most – for better or worse – with basketball video games today.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 58:50 — 40.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #631 of the NLSC Podcast!

The second closed beta for NBA The Run took place last weekend, and we both had a chance to participate! To that end, this week we’re providing more detailed hands-on impressions of the upcoming arcade streetball game from Play By Play Studios, as well as discussing whether or not it’s worth the newly-announced price tag. We also clear up some misconceptions about the game in regards to solo play, and react to some of the toxic positivity that’s sadly stifling constructive feedback. Our fellow basketball gamers also have some strong thoughts on NBA The Run coming out of the second closed beta, which they shared in response to this week’s community question.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:08:07 — 47.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #629 of the NLSC Podcast!

Last week, Play By Play Studios held a closed beta for NBA The Run, their upcoming arcade streetball game set for release in June 2026. Derek had the opportunity to take part in the closed beta, and so this week, he’s sharing his detailed hands-on impressions of the game, breaking down the key positives and negatives while also making some recommendations for how it could improve. We also read out the community’s thoughts on what they’ve seen of NBA The Run so far. While there’s definitely excitement for the game, not everyone has been impressed by the latest gameplay footage. We also once again touch on the importance of not letting hype get in the way of constructive feedback.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:01:30 — 42.6MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #625 of the NLSC Podcast!

Namo Gamo – now partnered with the newly-revived Acclaim – has announced Super Basketball Classics, a follow-up to the original Basketball Classics that was released back in 2019. Whereas the first game paid tribute to the 8-bit era of hoops, the new game will be a throwback to the 16-bit era of basketball gaming. Among other enhancements, the game also will star the Harlem Globetrotters. This week, we share our thoughts on what we know about Super Basketball Classics so far, and also make some suggestions regarding what we’d like to see in terms of gameplay, modes, and features. Suffice it to say, we’re keen to see what Josh and Dave have cooked up with this sequel to a fantastic release.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 43:57 — 30.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #624 of the NLSC Podcast!

A new mixtape trailer featuring three former NBA MVPs has been posted for NBA The Run, Play By Play Studios’ 3-on-3 online PvP streetball game scheduled for release in 2026. This week we’re reacting to the trailer, and also break down some information that was provided in a recently re-posted Q&A that Play By Play held on X back in December. The community also weighs in with their thoughts on the latest previews, including their current level of excitement and how much they’d be willing to pay for a basketball video game that’s online-only; a drawback that apparently not everyone is aware of! Unsurprisingly, there are some common concerns and criticisms that we certainly share.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:11:07 — 49.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on how the fate of NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 was predictable.

In late February, 2K announced that online support for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 will end on August 20th, 2026. While server shutdowns are always unfortunate, it should be noted that by then, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 will have been supported for close to eight years; far longer than the 27 months that 2K guarantees for all of its titles. The game’s popularity has also been waning for years, with the Steam version currently averaging less than 20 players per day. As is the case with all games as their userbase dwindles, at a certain point it’s basically impossible to justify ongoing support.

To that end, I can’t fault 2K for deciding to pull the plug on Playgrounds 2 come August. I’m actually surprised that it took this long, and not just because of their 27-month guaranteed support policy. Enthusiasm for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 began to evaporate around 2020, when it became clear that it wouldn’t receive any further updates in terms of content or significant patches. As a result, it ultimately failed to achieve any enduring popularity, making the continued online support unusually generous. Of course, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 being something of a flop that reduced the chances of any more Playgrounds games was sadly a rather predictable fate.

Read More »

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on finding basketball gaming’s answer to Tecmo Super Bowl.

Tecmo Super Bowl is undoubtedly an iconic video game. Fully-licensed NFL teams and players, well-designed gameplay, stat tracking, and the dominance of virtual Bo Jackson, all helped cement it as a legendary release. That legend has only grown over time, thanks to emulation facilitating a modding scene that has kept the game dutifully updated and enthusiastically played right through to today. When it comes to a cult following in the retro gaming and modding scene, Tecmo Super Bowl is right up there with the original Doom games.

Basketball is my sport however, so I’m left wondering: is there an equivalent retro hoops title to Tecmo Super Bowl? For that matter, could there be? Obviously, there are a handful of old favourites still being updated, but these days those titles rarely approach the same vintage as Tecmo Super Bowl. It stands to reason. It could be argued that sim basketball games that hold up decades later didn’t come along until the mid 90s, or even the mid 2000s. Once they evolved to that point, we ended up with several great releases that remained moddable and playable years later. With that in mind, which titles could potentially be basketball gaming’s Tecmo Super Bowl?

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m reflecting on it being 30 years since I bought the PC version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition, aka NBA Jam TE.

These days, I have a sizeable collection of basketball video games – I’m overdue to take a new photo with the additions that I’ve made since 2022 – but it all had to start somewhere! As it happens, I purchased my very first basketball video game 30 years ago yesterday. That game was of course NBA Jam Tournament Edition, or NBA Jam TE as it’s also commonly known. A minor technical issue prevented me from playing it on January 27th 1996, but a day later that was all sorted, so today marks 30 years since I hit the virtual hardwood in NBA Jam Tournament Edition for the first time.

Needless to say, as one of the earliest titles that turned my interest in basketball and basketball gaming into full-blown fandom – some might say obsession – NBA Jam Tournament Edition is an all-time nostalgic favourite. It certainly helps that just like the original NBA Jam, it still holds up superbly three decades later. Of course, even if I wasn’t able to enjoy it today, it’d still be a special part of my history with the virtual hardwood and real hoops alike. As such, I’ll never pass up the opportunity to reflect on it, especially on a milestone anniversary! Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five realistic moments that are difficult to satisfactorily represent in basketball video games.

It’s stating the obvious, but we want to see realism in sim basketball games. Or do we? For many years, gamers enjoyed seeing NBA Live and later NBA 2K becoming deeper and more realistic virtual basketball experiences, but there has been some backlash in recent years. A vocal contingent of gamers – especially those in the online scene – have expressed a desire to see NBA 2K implement mechanics that are more about reflexes and competitive stick skills than realism. The word “arcade” is often used here, though I’d suggest it’s really more about a casual approach to sim.

Of course, it’s not just competitive online gamers and more casual hoops gamers who have quibbles with realistic moments in sim titles. Even dedicated simheads that are keen on seeing as much realism as possible have come to realise that this also means results that aren’t necessarily desirable. I speak from experience here! From outcomes that defy our expectations as gamers, to the concept of reality at times being stranger than fiction, it can be difficult for sim games to represent realistic moments in a way that’s satisfying and enjoyable. It’s a challenge for developers, and as these examples demonstrate, sometimes a few understandable breaks from reality may be in order.

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at NBA Jam 99.

After Acclaim snatched the NBA Jam moniker away from Midway, they attempted to continue the series with NBA Jam Extreme. Although losing the iconic brand was naturally a blow, Midway nevertheless released their own superb follow-up to NBA Jam Tournament Edition in NBA Hangtime. To that point, while Acclaim had the name, Midway boasted the superior game. With that in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that Acclaim sought to change up the formula with NBA Jam 99, moving away from an arcade style and adopting more of a sim or sim-arcade hybrid approach.

Of course, while that differentiated it from previous NBA Jam titles and Midway’s new arcade hoops games, it also placed NBA Jam 99 in direct competition with the NBA Live series. However, Acclaim didn’t completely abandon the series’ roots with NBA Jam 99, as it included an arcade mode. While true sim-arcade hybrid basketball games have their place and I’ve come to appreciate them, NBA Jam 99 wasn’t a good take on the concept. Indeed, it was proof that Midway deserved the name that they coined far more than Acclaim did. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #604 of the NLSC Podcast!

Big news last week as Play by Play Studios announced that they have acquired the NBA license. As such, their planned 3v3 online PvP arcade basketball video game The Run: Got Next is now titled NBA The Run, and is slated for release some time in 2026. To that end, this week we’re joining the community in reacting to what we know so far about NBA The Run – including breaking down an illuminating and in-depth developer interview with Ballislife.com – as well as the latest teaser trailer. Although the game is aiming to be a worthy successor to the NBA Street series and we’d like to see it turn out well, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t have some concerns at this point in time.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:16:52 — 53.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!