Play NBA Maximum Hangtime Online Free for Arcade.
NBA Maximum Hangtime hits different when it boots instantly in your browser. Released in 1996 on the Arcade, this retro classic from Midway is ready the second you press start — no downloads, no setup.
NBA Hangtime is a 1996 basketball video game developed and published by Midway for arcades. Home versions were released for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Microsoft Windows.
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| Action | Keyboard | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| D-Pad Up | ↑ | D-Pad up |
| D-Pad Down | ↓ | D-Pad down |
| D-Pad Left | ← | D-Pad left |
| D-Pad Right | → | D-Pad right |
| B (bottom) | X | Bottom face |
| A (right) | Z | Right face |
| Y (left) | S | Left face |
| X (top) | A | Top face |
| L | Q | Left shoulder |
| R | E | Right shoulder |
| Start | Enter | Start |
| Insert Coin | V | Select |
⭐ Premium members can click any key below to remap this game's controls. Go Premium
| Action | Keyboard | Arcade input |
|---|---|---|
| Move | · · · · | Joystick (8-way) |
| Turbo | · | Button 1 |
| Shoot / Block | · | Button 2 |
| Pass / Steal | · | Button 3 |
| Start | · | Start |
| Insert Coin | · | Select |
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The Story Behind NBA Maximum Hangtime
"Maximum" also has some additional secret codes and hidden players. Acclaim's NBA Jam Extreme was released the same year as Hangtime. In 2020, Tastemakers LLC, under its Arcade1Up brand, released a 3/4 scale arcade cabinet that included Hangtime, alongside its precursors NBA Jam and NBA Jam: Tournament Edition.
Otherwise, the gameplay is essentially the same except for the addition of a hidden "hot spot" on the court for each player where they shoot more accurately. A sequel, NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC, was released in 1999. Midway released home versions of the game for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64, as well as for the previous generation's consoles, the Sega Genesis and Super NES.
How NBA Maximum Hangtime Plays
After beating all 29 teams, the player faces off against a number of secret characters. Created players can be made more powerful as players earn additional attribute points by winning games. Answering enough trivia questions correctly in the arcade game originally qualified players for a prize drawing, while on home versions it gives players more attribute points for their created players.
Optionally, the player can load their created player. New to the game is a three-digit "combination lock" feature. Alley-oops and double dunks can trigger the new "team fire" mode in which both team members are on fire.
Why Players Still Load It Up
Despite this, he scored it only 3 out of 5 stars. Reviewing the Nintendo 64 version, GamePro concluded that "Jam-style hoops is nothing new, but Hangtime does it with enough flash and freshness to keep you happily dunkin' like a fool." They cited the selection of players, numerous secrets, smooth graphics, multiplayer matches, and create-a-player mode. Joe Rybicki, similarly to Gerstmann and Next Generation, said the game "offers basically nothing new, except updated players and bigger character sprites." Co-reviewer Todd Mowatt, while criticizing that the AI tends towards goal-tending, felt the game was an overall improvement over the 16-bit basketball games.
The graphics improvements were lauded, as were the new features, moves and the created player feature. In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly listed NBA Hangtime as the 5th best arcade game of all time. The two sports reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly had a more middling response.
NBA Maximum Hangtime — Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play NBA Maximum Hangtime online for free?
Absolutely. The full game loads in the player at the top of this page and runs right in your browser — no installs, no plugins, no waiting.
Do I need a controller to play NBA Maximum Hangtime?
No. Keyboard controls work out of the box (see the controls panel), and any USB or Bluetooth gamepad is detected automatically.
Who developed NBA Maximum Hangtime?
Development was handled by Midway, with Midway publishing the release.
Where can I buy the original NBA Maximum Hangtime?
See the "Other Places You Can Get This Game" section below the article for legitimate places to buy real-world versions.