Midway arcade hoops, two-on-two, impossible dunks and a roaring atmosphere. NBA Hangtime is best savoured with friends in short sessions, where the shouted commentary and alley-oop chains carry the day. Solo is limited, but in party mode the formula stays a classic.
Your verdict
Category
Sports4 players3+
Description
Arcade basketball from Midway with spectacular dunks and supercharged 2-on-2 action. Published by Midway, released in 1996 in Europe and North America. Licensed NBA players, exaggerated alley-oops and dunks, immediately accessible gameplay, player customization, and versus mode.
NBA Hangtime review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Basketball boiled down to two-on-two, no fouls and no half-measures: superhuman dunks, a ball on fire after three baskets and unapologetic shoves make all the flavour. Arcade excess takes over from realism, for instant, explosive fun. Snappy, funny and supercharged, it turns the court into an unbridled playground, ideal with several players.
Midway's two-on-two arcade basketball, among the earliest N64 titles in December 1996. A direct descendant of NBA Jam, NBA Hangtime keeps a following fond of its party frenzy and impossible dunks. Common loose, its collecting interest comes mainly from the scarcity of sealed copies of an early console launch title rather than from sustained demand.
Is NBA Hangtime still worth playing in 2026?
A direct heir to NBA Jam, Midway's NBA Hangtime pushes arcade basketball into a riot of impossible dunks, flames and spectacular shots, in hyped up two on two. The turbo, the exaggerated stats and the create a player option energise a formula built for pure fun and multiplayer. The presentation has aged and the depth stays thin, but the immediate multiplayer pleasure remains lethal. For a fan of unashamed arcade sport or someone nostalgic for the Midway school, the title keeps an intact festive appeal.
