NBA Hang Time

For the unrelated Mega-CD game, see ESPN NBA Hangtime '95. For the unreleased Sega Saturn version, see NBA Hang Time (Saturn).

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NBA Hang Time
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Midway Home Entertainment
Developer: Midway Games, Funcom
Distributor: T-HQ International (Europe), Tec Toy (BR)
Licensor: NBA Properties
Sound driver: GEMS
Peripherals supported: Team Player
Genre: Sports (basketball)
Number of players: 1-4
Release Date RRP Code US 1996-11-06 T-97136 EU 1997-02 T-97136-50 PT 1997 MDJPR1052 UK 1997-02-21 £39.99 T-97136-50 BR 1997-07 051160
Non-Sega versions Arcade Nintendo 64 PlayStation Super NES Windows PC

NBA Hang Time is an arcade basketball game which was ported to the Sega Mega Drive.

The game is a direct descendant of NBA Jam: Tournament Edition. However, it was forced to change its name after Acclaim Entertainment bought the rights to the NBA Jam moniker. It would be followed by NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC some years later.

Gameplay

Like NBA Jam, the game is a fast-paced, two-on-two basketball game. All of the NBA teams at the time are represented, and the player chooses a line-up of two players out of five players from each team. Each match-up is four quarters of three minutes each. The goal is to outscore the other team; baskets from within the three-point line are worth two points, and shots from outside of it are worth three points. There are no fouls, free throws, or violations except goaltending and a 24-second shot clock. Teams can substitute players at halftime.

Players are moved around the court with the D-Pad. Players have a turbo meter that increases their running speed by holding . The turbo meter is depleted as it is used, but it quickly recharges when it is not used.

The game supports up to four players simultaneously with the Team Player. Additional players can join the game while it is in progress by pressing  START . In one- and two-player games, players control one member of their respective teams and have AI-controlled teammates. The game also has a Computer Assistance feature enabled by default that increases the precision of the losing team's shots to ensure a more competitive game.

If players enter their initials before starting a game, the game keeps track of their progress using a battery backup on the cartridge. If a player defeats all 29 NBA teams, the game plays an ending with credits.

	Tip-Off
	Each game starts with a tip-off, where a player from each team leaps with and for possession of the ball. Possession of the ball goes to the home team (team two) at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters and to the visiting team (team one) at the beginning of the third quarter, regardless of who wins the tip-off or who had possession of the ball at the end of the last quarter.
	Defense
	When the player's team does not have possession of the ball, the player can jump to block the opposing team's shots with . If the player has turbo, the player can perform a high jump with +. If the ball is on the downward trajectory of its arc when it is blocked, the player is charged with goaltending and the other team receives points for a successful basket. However, if the ball touches the rim of the basket, any player on either team can grab it. When near an opposing player, the player can try to steal the ball with . The ball flashes white when the other team touches it. If the player has turbo, the player can also shove another player with +. Shoving can cause the other player to drop the ball or move another player out of the way to clear a shot for a teammate.
	Offense
	When the player's team has possession of the ball, the player can perform a jump shot by holding . The ball is released when the button is released; releasing the button at the apex of the leap leads to a more accurate shot but increases the risk of a defender blocking or stealing the ball. The player can perform a jump pass by pressing while in the air. Players can do an alley oop by passing to a teammate while he is flashing in the air near the hoop. The player can do a head fake by tapping , but since this discontinues the player's dribble, the player can no longer move with the ball and must pass or shoot. The player can perform a lay-up or a dunk by pressing while running near the basket with turbo. If a player makes three baskets in a row, the player becomes "on fire" and has unlimited turbo, no goaltending, and increased shooting precision. The "on fire" mode continues until the other team scores or until the player who is "on fire" scores four additional consecutive baskets while "on fire." The player can pass the ball with . When playing with an AI teammate, pressing forces the AI to pass the ball. Opponents can intercept the ball as it is being passed. The player can protect the ball by tapping , which can prevent opponents from trying to steal it.

Roster

Team selection

The game adds the two 1995 expansion teams, the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies.

Conference	Team	Players
Western	Dallas Mavericks	Jim Jackson Jason Kidd Jamal Mashburn Eric Montross George McCloud
	Denver Nuggets	Mark Jackson Antonio McDyess Bryant Stith Dale Ellis Šarūnas Marčiulionis
	Golden State Warriors	Mark Price Latrell Sprewell Rony Seikaly Joe Smith Chris Mullin
	Houston Rockets	Hakeem Olajuwon Clyde Drexler Robert Horry Sam Cassell Mario Elie
	L.A. Clippers	Loy Vaught Rodney Rogers Lamond Murray Pooh Richardson Brent Barry
	L.A. Lakers	Nick Van Exel Sedale Threatt Cedric Ceballos Elden Campbell Eddie Jones
	Minnesota Timberwolves	Cherokee Parks Terry Porter James Robinson Tom Gugliotta Kevin Garnett
	Phoenix Suns	Kevin Johnson Wayman Tisdale Danny Manning Wesley Person Michael Finley
	Portland Trail Blazers	Isaiah Rider Clifford Robinson Arvydas Sabonis Kenny Anderson Randolph Childress
	Sacramento Kings	Billy Owens Mitch Richmond Brian Grant Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Tyus Edney
	San Antonio Spurs	Sean Elliott David Robinson Avery Johnson Chuck Person Vinny Del Negro
	Seattle Supersonics	Shawn Kemp Gary Payton Detlef Schrempf Hersey Hawkins Sherell Ford
	Utah Jazz	John Stockton Karl Malone Jeff Hornacek David Benoit Chris Morris
	Vancouver Grizzlies	Greg Anthony Blue Edwards Lee Mayberry Bryant Reeves Anthony Peeler
Eastern	Atlanta Hawks	Dikembe Mutumbo Mookie Blaylock Steve Smith Christian Laettner Ken Norman
	Boston Celtics	Dee Brown Dana Barros Greg Minor Dino Radja Rick Fox
	Charlotte Hornets	Vlade Divac Anthony Mason Glen Rice George Zidek Dell Curry
	Chicago Bulls	Scottie Pippen Dennis Rodman Toni Kukoč Luc Longley Steve Kerr
	Cleveland Cavaliers	Tyrone Hill Chris Mills Bobby Phills Terrell Brandon Danny Ferry
	Detroit Pistons	Joe Dumars Terry Mills Otis Thorpe Stacey Augmon Grant Hill
	Indiana Pacers	Reggie Miller Antonio Davis Rik Smits Derrick McKey Jalen Rose
	Miami Heat	Alonzo Mourning Walt Williams Kurt Thomas Tim Hardaway Sasha Danilović
	Milwaukee Bucks	Vin Baker Glenn Robinson Shawn Respert Andrew Lang Sherman Douglas
	New Jersey Nets	Kendall Gill Shawn Bradley Armon Gilliam Ed O'Bannon Kevin Edwards
	New York Knicks	Patrick Ewing Allan Houston Larry Johnson Charles Oakley John Starks
	Orlando Magic	Anfernee Hardaway Horace Grant Nick Anderson Dennis Scott Jon Koncak
	Philadelphia 76ers	Jerry Stackhouse Derrick Coleman Clarence Weatherspoon Don MacLean Rex Walters
	Toronto Raptors	Carlos Rogers Damon Stoudamire Alvin Robertson Popeye Jones Sharone Wright
	Washington Bullets	Juwan Howard Chris Webber Calbert Cheaney Rod Strickland Gheorghe Mureșan

Player creator

Create Player

The game has a "Create Player" feature for creating custom players, which are saved to the cartridge with a battery backup. The player can be given a name and a four-digit PIN that must be entered to unlock the player. There are 13 different heads and multiple uniform colors (home and away colors for every NBA team, a default color scheme with home and away variants, and 10 custom colors) that can be chosen to customize the appearance of the player.

The player starts with 40 attribute points, but more are earned by winning games with the player. A player can allocate between 0 and 10 points on each of the following attributes:

• Height (minimum of 5'7" and maximum of 7'6")
• Weight (minimum of 160 lbs. and maximum of 240 lbs.)
• Speed
• Power
• Shoot
• Dunks
• Steal
• Block

Each player can also select two of the following privileges:

• No Tag Arrow: Removes the arrow above the player's head that indicates possession to make it harder for the opponent to track the player.
• Stealth Turbo: Removes the player's turbo gauge and does not change the color of the player's shoes when turbo is active, to hide whether the player is using turbo from opponents.
• Hide Attributes: Hides the player's distribution of attribute points from the opponent when selecting a team.
• Super Rebound: Gives the player an increased chance of catching rebounds.
• Smarter Drone: Makes the player "smarter" when controlled by the computer. The player must have earned at least 62 attribute points to select this privilege.

Production credits

Main article: NBA Hang Time/Production credits.

Magazine articles

Main article: NBA Hang Time/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

PDF

Print advert in EGM² (US) #29: "November 1996" (1996-xx-xx)

PDF

Print advert in Ultra Game Players (US) #93: "January 1997" (1996-12-31)

PDF

Print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #184: "March 1997" (1997-02-12)

PDF

Print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #185: "April 1997" (1997-03-12)
also published in:

• Computer & Video Games (UK) #186: "May 1997" (1997-04-11)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source GamesMaster (UK) 81

	81
Based on 1 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score GamePro (US) NTSC-U 73 Mean Machines Sega (UK) PAL 85 Sega Power (UK) PAL 81 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 82

	80
Based on 4 reviews

NBA Hang Time

Mega Drive, US
Box
Cart Manual Poster

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, PT
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

Main article: NBA Hang Time/Technical information.