The system of alphanumeric sequences inside the authentic 1993 and 1994 variations of the favored basketball online game enabled gamers to unlock hidden characters, providing gameplay past the usual roster. Coming into these sequences, typically present in gaming magazines or shared amongst gamers, on the applicable display screen activated particular participant profiles. For instance, typing in a selected code may unlock caricatures of then-President Invoice Clinton or members of the event workforce.
This performance fostered a way of neighborhood and discovery amongst players. The sharing of those secrets and techniques expanded the replay worth of the title considerably, encouraging continued engagement lengthy after preliminary buy. It additionally added a layer of customization and personalization that was uncommon for arcade video games of the period, providing a style of the emergent tradition of player-created content material.