There are a lot of iconic video games: Super Mario, Zelda and Madden, to name a few. But one could make the argument that none burned as brightly as NBA Jam. With its arcade-style gameplay and one of the most repeated quotes in video game history — “He’s on fire!!!” — the mid-1990s 2-on-2 basketball game probably cost me at least a few hundred dollars in quarters at the Westwood Arcade when I was nine.
Well, did you know that there’s a story behind that extremely iconic quote? A really good story, too. Quinn Myers spoke to the men and women who worked on the game, and let’s just say, Burger King figures prominently.
Must Read
Women of the Manosphere
Rise of the Machines
‘My Dog’s Not Fat, He’s Husky’
Valentine’s Economics
シティーポップ
Can’t Fake This Stuff
Just Dance, Gonna Be Okay, Da Da Doo-Doo-Mmm
Sonic’s Other Leading Man
In Praise of James Marsden, Hollywood’s Perfect Beta-Male Movie Star
MEL@Dusk
Jeff Gross
Jeff Gross is MEL’s senior editor for social media and content marketing. His daily ICYMI column, which chronicles all things meta on the site, is the quickest way to catch up on MEL, and the funniest thing you’ll read all day. Follow him on Twitter.
