Love me some NBA Jam.
In the 90s a co-worker and I at a restaurant job in a mall would go down to the arcade and play through the game beating every single team with our save progress in tact. Alas, we learned quickly that some of the games seemed to have some unfair AI in the final moments. It wasn’t just our imagination, confirms the developer, Mark Turmell via https://fansided.com/2023/08/08/nba-jam-rigged-chicago-bulls/:
“That was my only way to make a difference.” Turmell explained, “I was unhappy with what had happened to the Pistons…So if the Bulls take a shot to win or tie the score in the last 5s, I threw up a brick. There’s an actual code in there that prevents them from winning.”
Despite knowing the deck is stacked, programatically, still look fondly on that game and will consider it a tough one to beat as far as basketball sports games go. Now you know if you want to really challenge yourself: pick the Bulls and beat all the teams. Your gaming mission is clear!