NBA Jam (SNES)

NBA Jam
Developer: Iguana Entertainment Publishers: Acclaim Entertainment (US/EU), Acclaim Japan (JP) Platform: SNES Released in JP: April 29, 1994 Released in US: March 1994 Released in EU: March 10, 1996 Released in AU: 1994 This game has unused graphics. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prototype article

The version of NBA Jam that's rather notorious for not having any music during gameplay unlike other versions of the game. It does have more colorful graphics than the Sega Genesis version released at the same time, however.

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Prototype Info

Unused Graphics

Unused instructions describing controls rendered in the same green typeface as the flashing "PRESS" and "START" sprites used in the team selection screen. Since the "PRESS" sprite exists separately from "START" in the ROM, it can be inferred that these unused graphics would combine with the former sprite to form the complete phrases "PRESS A B X Y TO CHOOSE" and "PRESS SELECT to SWAP". The arcade version has similar instructions overlaid on the blue bar at the top of the screen, which is likely their intended use. These graphics also exist in the prototype and in all SNES versions of the sequel, where they are still unused.

Three head types are not used by any player in the game. The first, a bald head with dark skin and goggles, closely resembles Horace Grant, but the same head used by James Worthy (basically this head with hair) is used by him instead. The other two are smaller versions of the heads used by Rony Seikaly and Clyde Drexler, which have no obvious use--unless they were intended to be used when the players were further away from the camera in a failed attempt to mimic the scaling seen in the arcade version...

Interestingly, after remaining unused in all Super NES versions of NBA Jam and NBA Jam T.E., all three would go on to be used in the console's version of College Slam.

Proto (Used)	Final (Unused)

Despite not carrying over to the final version, updated versions of 80% of the cheerleader body sprites from the prototype exist here. Her outfit has changed from a plain white skirt to white shorts with a blue stripe down both sides, and the crop top was made slightly more revealing. To see her in action, use the Pro Action Replay code 7E16831B in the (U) (V1.0) version and press B until you see the attract mode demo. The cheerleader's head and the upward diagonal body sprites do not exist, so she will be visibly corrupted in-game.

Revisional Changes

Original	Later

When the SNES and Genesis versions were originally released, the Phoenix Suns roster consisted of Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson. After Acclaim lost the rights to Barkley's name and likeness to Accolade (who made Barkley Shut Up and Jam!), later copies replaced Barkley with Dan Majerle. Also, Johnson's original stats were given to Majerle in exchange for Barkley's stats (though with a slightly weaker dunk and slightly better defense).