NBA Jam: all version differences
6 documented differences between the releases of NBA Jam, each with a source. Back to the main page for names, releases and where to play.
Category × version
| Category | Arcade | SNES/Genesis/Game Gear (1994) | Sega CD/Game Boy (1994) | home versions | Tournament Edition (arcade test cabinets) | Tournament Edition (home) | Atari Jaguar | Genesis | Game Gear | Game Boy | Sega CD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bug fix | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Graphics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Version differences
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ContentArcadeSNES/Genesis/Game Gear (1994)Sega CD/Game Boy (1994)
The arcade game uses 1992–93 rosters and the first console versions 1993–94 rosters; the later 1994 Sega CD, Game Boy and Game Gear ports have more current rosters.1
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ContentArcadehome versions
Shaquille O'Neal appears only in the arcade version, and Dražen Petrović and Reggie Lewis were removed from the home versions after their deaths. Michael Jordan is absent everywhere because he controls his own likeness rights.1
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ContentTournament Edition (arcade test cabinets)
Early Tournament Edition test cabinets included eight hidden characters, among them Raiden, Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Reptile, which were removed at the NBA's request.1
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ContentTournament Edition (home)Atari Jaguar
The home Tournament Edition versions add Hillary Clinton and Al Gore as hidden characters, and the Jaguar version adds Atari's Leonard Tramiel.1
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Bug fixGenesis
A flaw in the Genesis cartridge's save function was turned into the AutoStat feature after 250,000 cartridges had already shipped.1
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GraphicsGame GearGame BoySega CD
Reviews at the time said the Game Gear version lacked most of the dunks, the Game Boy sprites were too small to tell players apart, and the Sega CD version had weak graphics and long loading times.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13