“NBA Jam” was a defining video game for many of our childhoods, but its creator is revealing that you may not have known about the game.
© Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bulls could never make a last-second shot against the Detroit Pistons at NBA Jam.
In an interview this week with Ars Technica, Mark Turmell, the designer and lead programmer for “NBA Jam,” admitted to installing a code in the game so that the Chicago Bulls could never make a last-second shot against the Detroit Pistons. . Turmell is a Michigan native and fan of the Pistons.
“Making this game in Chicago during the heyday of the Michael Jordan era, there was a great rivalry between the Pistons and the Bulls,” Turmell said, according to Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “But the only way I could get back to the Bulls once they got past the hump was to affect their skills against the Pistons in NBA Jam.” So I put in a special code so if the Bulls were shooting at the last second against the Pistons, those shots would be lost. And so if you’re ever playing, make sure you pick the Pistons over the Bulls. “
“NBA Jam” was first released in 1993 and became a global sensation, so it is still considered a classic today. While Turmell mentions it was made at the peak of the Michael Jordan era, Jordan’s image didn’t actually appear in the game, as he decided to opt out of the NBPA license agreement.
As for the rivalry between the Bulls and the Pistons, he recently made headlines again, and Turmell’s revelation adds another layer.
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