NBA Hoopz takes an extreme approach to the sport of basketball, in terms of both gameplay and presentation. Just as Midway's NFL Blitz caricatures football with exaggerated personality and arcade-style gameplay, NBA Hoopz presents professional basketball with an emphasis on fast action and amazing plays at the expense of strict rules or an overly sophisticated interface. This game is similar in spirit to Acclaim's NBA Jam series, though NBA Hoopz focuses on 3-on-3 action instead of Acclaim's 2-on-2 format.

Shaquille O'Neal stars in this title, which features over 500 of his motion-captured moves. He is joined by many other NBA greats from both past and present seasons, some of whom will need to be unlocked. Gamers also have the option of creating their own players and picking their own teams. In addition to the 3-on-3 play, NBA Hoopz features several other challenges for both single players and friendly competitors, including versions of 2-Ball, Around-the-World, Twenty-One, and a Three-point Shootout.