Powered by Cheez-It®, Pulse Check is a series that dives into basketball's rich history and enduring impact. In the final installment, we’ll recount the history of hoop-themed video games and their effect on the sport’s cultural reach.

Basketball, like all sports, is about competition. At its highest level, world-class talent battles head-to-head in a grudge match of elite physical prowess. On a more relatable tier—where commoners like you and I reside—we use pixelated versions of our favorite superstar hoopers to satisfy our competitive urges.

Since the invention of the two-player console, some of history’s greatest minds have settled their differences on the digital court—using 3D avatars to dunk all over an opponent in a display of dominance. More than just an avenue to gain trivial bragging rights over your buddies, basketball-inspired video games have helped grow the sport beyond its IRL image. After generations of updates and advancements, digitized hoops have become a cultural connector of sorts, bridging different demographics across the globe through a shared admiration for online gameplay. 

The history of hoop-themed video games dates back to the 1970s, when the industry, as a whole, was still in its beta stage. The Maganox Odyssey, a foundational piece in the gaming tech timeline, helped launch basketball’s foray into the cyber sphere. Debuting in 1972, the Odyssey hit the market as the first commercial home video game console, opening Pandora’s box in a way that surely no one could’ve imagined.

One year later, the public would receive Basketball! as part of a specialty add-on pack created to service the mounting demand for the pioneering in-home system. Complete with a plastic TV-screen overlay to give the game that “authentic” hoops feel—or as close as possible for the time—the cutting-edge entry release marked the genesis of a worldwide craze, developing in lockstep with basketball’s rising presence.  

Through the ‘80s, arcade classics sustained the sports electronic footprint among the masses. Famed titles like Double Dribble, One-on-One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird, and Team USA Basketball introduced more dynamic formats that tried to emulate real life. Yet, it was 1993’s NBA Jam that arrived as the next milestone in binary-coded ball. The iconic arcade game was among the first to include several historical franchises and celebrated NBA athletes of the era, giving fans a new way to engage with some of their favorite players outside of primetime TV matchups. Offering in-game features that masterfully blend reality and fantasy, this 16-bit simulation resides in the pantheon of virtual basketball greats. 

By the turn of the century, the NBA was a solidified part of the cultural conversation, thanks, in part, to the inroads made in gaming. During the dawn of the console era, NBA Live gave the sport a reliable title that delivered updated iterations year after year. However, the franchise’s run at the top was short-lived. In 1999, the inaugural entry in the NBA 2K catalog was released on Sega Dreamcast, forever shifting the balance of serialized basketball video games. 

Taking the concept of the cover athlete to a new level, 2K arrived as an immediate competitor to other already established games. Focused on separating itself from the field, the influential series has developed dynamic features that revolutionized how fans interacted with the virtual space.

From comprehensive career modes to immersive pickup-style gameplay in the ever-evolving MyPark hub,  2K is more than just a video game—it's a universe of its own. Enjoyed by average gamers and diehard hoop heads alike, the acclaim for NBA 2K has helped basketball maintain its influence even as a new video game epoch rapidly approaches. 

Whether, in a few years, we’re still using controllers or getting plugged directly into the action, there’s no doubt basketball will be one of the first to adapt its game to whatever the latest format looks like—it’s getting real “Ready Player One” out here these days.