NBA Hangtime modding from source code (!!!)

[johnz1]

Exciting things are happening right now with the arcade version(s) of NBA Hangtime. I've been eagerly following this development for years, but I think this is a good time to bring it to the attention of a slightly wider audience. I'll try to explain the whole story as I know it, but please note that I'm a complete outsider on this. I am not currently working on this game or any of these projects, so I've only pieced together this information from reading and following things that are publicly available online.

On April 6, 2021, a new Github account uploaded the SOURCE CODE of several Midway games, including NBA Hangtime: https://github.com/historicalsource/nba-hangtime. I'm a bit fuzzy on this part, but from what I gather, the code either couldn't build or didn't produce a 1:1 build of the production ROMs that were shipped in NBA Hangtime cabinets.

Someone named Asure, who is active on several arcade forums and is quite experienced and talented, immediately forked the source code and started working on fixing it: https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-rebuild/
In late December 2023, he succeeded in fixing the code so that it builds ROMs that match the latest production ROMs - including the original NBA Hangtime (version L1.3) and Maximum Hangtime (version L1.0):
https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... 0139cc2d79
https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... c8f04eadc4

At this point, the world had source code that could successfully build both NBA Hangtime arcade games. This is already incredibly exciting... but it gets better!

By January 2024, Asure was able to add players and sounds to the game. He posted a video of Raiden in the game (presumably with the assets coming from some combination of NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat): https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads ... ser.28401/
And he also added Michael Jordan!
https://x.com/Asure007/status/1744750301851046113
https://x.com/Asure007/status/1793750874856284480

At this point, I reached out to Asure via the Arcade-Projects forum. I have a lost list of uniform, court, logo, and roster problems that I would love to fix. Unfortunately, there was no reply.

Asure's next Hangtime effort is to create a mod project called "Super Maximum Hangtime". He started collaborating with someone named "RetroDriven". In April 2025, the commits started coming in. So far, there have been a lot of fixes and implementing features that were leftover in the original code:

Backboard shatter!: https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... 6713883337
Add Michael Jordan: https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... a1f2de87f8
Add Mortal Kombat Raiden: https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... de0814556d
Add Mortal Kombat Scorpion and Sub Zero: https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... 92f134f36b
Animated bench players: https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... 17e97c312e
Make the ABA ball a CMOS option (so that it doesn't require a "Tonight's Matchup" code?): https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... a7da86fe4d
Cut fence graphic on the rooftop court: https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... 7384ce046f
Storm animation (for the rooftop court?): https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... 58ea057340

Asure and RetroDriven are clearly working hard on this "Super Maximum Hangtime" project right now. There are commits almost every day: https://github.com/Asure/nba-hangtime-r ... mits/main/

I think this is a very exciting for NBA Hangtime fans. As far as I know, this is the first mod project for this game, and it looks like it's going to be spectacular.

Personally, I would love to get involved, but I'm still too busy with NBA JAM: On Fire Edition projects. I'm going to wait and see what these guys come up with and maybe some day I'll dive into Hangtime and create what I've had in my mind for decades.

[johnz1]

aaaaand now I'm getting involved...
They could use the JAM OFE head textures and Kitzrow commentary audio. Sounds like they know how to change the color of uniforms. I'd definitely like to help with that too. Here we go!

[Andrew]

Awesome! I love seeing these developments for older titles, especially as NBA Hangtime is an old favourite as well.

(Keeping my hopes of NBA Jam Tournament Edition for PC modding alive...sort of...)

[CelticsBird33]

Very very Awesome!!