Basketball (1979 video game)

Basketball is an early sports arcade game developed and published by Atari, Inc. in 1979. It simulates a one-on-one basketball match. The game is played using two joysticks, one for each player, controlling the movement and jumping of the on-screen characters.

The objective is to score more points than the opponent before the game timer expires. Players can move their characters around the court, jump to attempt shots, and try to steal the ball. Successful shots award two points. The game features simple graphics and sound effects representative of arcade games of the late 1970s. Basketball was part of a wave of early sports-themed video games that helped popularize the arcade gaming industry. Its simplistic gameplay provided a basic representation of basketball, focusing on head-to-head competition and quick reactions. It should not be confused with later basketball games that offer more realistic and complex gameplay mechanics.