NBA Jam

Comprehensive, well sourced, and a fun read, this is a great book for ANYONE who was gaming in the 90s, enjoys sports videogames, or just likes basketball.

Boss Fight Books has come a long way since their half-hearted Earthbound debut. I had given up on them way back then, but then I saw the reviews for their NBA Jam book, and I felt I had to check it out. I'm glad I made that choice. Reyan Ali's treatise on the history of NBA Jam is sure to become a classic in the literature of Video Game History.With a clear, concise, and focused prose that flows smoothly and takes us on a journey through the 90s, Ali's NBA Jam is a pretty near-perfect book. Through the history of NBA Jam, we also learn about the origin of sports video games as a genre, the golden era of the coin-op arcade game, and the rise and fall of Midway and Acclaim. I never knew all these histories were all so closely intertwined, and that is perhaps the most valuable insight that Ali provides in his book. NBA Jam was much more than a hit: it was a juggernaut that launched two companies to unbelievable heights from which they would both come crashing down once the Jam craze came to an end.All the chapters feel focused and none of them are superfluous, which makes for a wonderful read that I ended up binging on once I reached the latter half. The only negative I found is that there are quite a bit of proofreading errors here and there (mostly repeated words, or missing words, or words left over from a previous idea for a sentence that was then changed); they're not enough for me to dock a star off the score, but it's definitely a shame that such an essential book has a notable amount of minor mistakes. One more proofreading would have no doubt solved the issue.If you like reading about video game history and/or if you're interested in documentary-style books on video games, NBA Jam is a must-read volume and a wonderful proof of redemption for Boss Fight Books.

Framed as an expose on the 90s arcade classic, “NBA Jam” accomplishes much more, documenting the rise, height, and fall of the arcade industry. Boom-shakka-lakka!Oddly addictive (and not just because of the nostalgia for this 90s kid), the book paints a vivid picture of the arcade revolution and particularly the Chicago-based creators behind classics like NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat at Midway. A cohesive story centers on the basketball game, while chapters occasionally veer off into stories about other related companies, basketball, arcade culture, and the background of the main characters. It’s all compelling stuff, and each sidetrack just adds to the main narrative.An instant classic in the growing list of video game literature, NBA Jam deserves a place on bookshelves next to Masters of Doom as a snapshot of a key time in gaming history.

So much fun to read, a great nostalgic story for anyone who grew up in the era of nba jam

I don't think I have ever even played NBA Jam and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I heard about it when the author was interviewed on the Game Dev Advice podcast and purchased it right after. I grew up going to the arcardes in downtown Reno, NV with my brothers in the early 90s to play Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter 2. This book goes into much more than just NBA Jam and gives a good background of the whole coin-op industry and more game development stories. I've listened to the audiobook or read almost every book related to video game history and this one is up there with the best of them. It deserves an audiobook version.

This is a great read about the game that took so many of my quarters in college. I always used the Spurs.

200+ pages and all they give you is a couple of initials and birthdays to unlock a tiny sliver of hidden characters. I saw that cheerleader screenshot in a magazine, I know they're in there somewhere. I guess this Reyan Ali character intends to string us along for a few more books before giving up the goods.

Fantastic book, gives a well told snippet into the history of not only the legendary game but the company and some of the people that created it..

I started my journey into Boss Fight Books' catalog late last year, and of the titles I've read, NBA Jam is up there with the best, if not the best book I've read from Boss Fight. An amazingly crafted tale that spotlights the rise and fall of the North American arcade industry, as well as Midway, without ever losing focus that the text is celebrating one of the most beloved arcade sports games of all time. I said on social media that this should get turned into a mini-series, and I stand by that.

I'm a quarter of the way through the book. It's a very easy read. I'm really enjoying it so far. highly recommended if you'd like to know more about one of the greatest arcade games of all time.

Entretenido libro sobre la creación de un clásico. Buen repaso a lo que supuso el juego, y lo que involucró su creación. Los antecedentes de los creadores y la propia Midway están contados de manera muy amena.

A very fun and entertaining read, with exclusive interviews that talk about the development of the game, a look inside Midway, and most important, nostalgia. I dislike reading, but I couldn’t put this one down; the author keeps it interesting throughout!