You're right, the arcade ones hit that sweet spot of pure, unfiltered joy—fast, over-the-top, and easy to jump into. Sim games are meticulous, but they get buried in stats and realism that can sap the immediacy. NBA Jam still feels like the original heartbeat of basketball gaming, while sims feel more like spreadsheets than a game. That's why they keep getting played when you just want to shoot a free throw and hear a crowd roar, no matter how deep the simulation gets.

Sounds good, just don’t bring a spreadsheet and try to crunch every shot’s arc in the middle of the match—arcade games are meant to be felt, not calculated. I'll bring the joystick and you bring the over‑the‑top slam, and we’ll see who really owns the court.