The Greatest Creation

Would you like to hear about the greatest thing created since SPAM?

Let me reminisce for a few moments to paint a picture for you.

The year was 1994, I was a young 9-year old lad, just coming into blossom into the sports world. I had recently been introduced to the characters descended from Mount Olympus, that donned a Utah Jazz jersey and waltzed the hardwood floor at the Salt Palace; THE Stockton and Malone duo. To pass time, I had created a semi-professional backboard out of cardboard and permanent markers in which I hung from the doorway and would bounce the ball of the wall for hours on end. My sisters got sick of me for this.

While dreaming of glory days of NBA superstars in my basement, a video game was spawned that would keep me zombied for hours on end at the local Nickelcade in Riverdale. That game was called NBA Jam.

Anyone who has held a Sega Genesis in their hands knows about what I'm referring to. The high-flying dunks, the balloon-headed players, the Stay in School logo that would appear before every contest. THE NBA Jam! Three shots and you were on fire. 75-foot game winners if you were lucky, cheats, codes, and back doors given to you by what was called Game Genie, and you had the time of your life. It was the best.

Flash forward 17 years and the greatest game of all games is now reborn. For my iPhone.

This is a dream above all dreams. In the palm of my hand. I came across it yesterday while browsing through the App Store. It was almost as if the Game Genie had granted me one of my favorite wishes. And now its here, on my phone. And I am a junkie. I know this because I was up until 4:30 this morning playing game after game after game. NBA Jam is here to stay, and I will be an addict from here on out.

Somewhere, my sisters are shaking their heads in disgust.