NBA All-Star Challenge on SNES is one of those early basketball games that somehow makes pixelated players feel like they’ve got real swagger. You pick from legends like Jordan or Barkley—I always went with Stockton because his three-pointers were weirdly unstoppable—and jump straight into either one-on-one matches or the classic dunk contests.

The controls are simple, but timing matters. You’ll miss a dunk if you hit the button too early, and the crowd groans at you. The three-point shootout is brutal until you get the rhythm down, and the announcer’s voice clips are hilariously over-the-top. It’s not deep, but there’s something satisfying about nailing a perfect run in the skills challenge or finally beating your friend with a last-second shot.

Graphics are pure 16-bit charm, with big-headed players and courts that glow in that early ‘90s neon way. If you’ve got nostalgia for this era, it’s a solid time capsule—just don’t expect modern mechanics. The soundtrack’s got that SNES bass thump too, which somehow makes everything feel more intense.