NBA Live 96 was the game that finally made me feel like I was watching real basketball on my Genesis. The players moved smoother than in earlier versions, and the animations—especially the dunks—actually looked like something you'd see on TV. I remember booting it up for the first time and immediately noticing the little details, like how players would tug at their jerseys or wipe sweat during free throws.

The roster was stacked with mid-90s legends—Jordan, Shaq, Hakeem—and the gameplay had just enough arcade flair to keep things exciting without feeling unrealistic. My first match was Bulls vs. Magic, and I spent half the time just experimenting with alley-oops (which, by the way, were way harder to pull off than I expected). The commentary was repetitive after a while, but hearing "He's on fire!" never got old.

It wasn't perfect—the defense could feel a bit stiff—but for 1996, this was as close as you got to NBA action at home. Still holds up if you're into retro sports games.