Whether playing a game of “horse” in the driveway, or showing off for a date at the local carnival, enthusiasts of the great game of basketball, young and old alike, have always enjoyed engaging in a little hoop-shooting competition. But opponents could be in short supply around the family driveway and most carnival games were stacked, thanks to undersized and misshapen hoops that almost always guaranteed defeat. Still, since the 1920s, arcade versions of basketball shooting were a common sight.

Then, around the late 70s, basketball began to surge in popularity with the nation’s youth, thanks in no small part to such iconic players as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. And then came Michael Jordan, who seemingly single-handedly turned the game of basketball into a phenomenon of epic proportions. Suddenly every kid in America wanted to be just like Mike. And as a result, the arcade industry realized a little special attention to the sport might be warranted.

And soon, lane-based hoops, similar in appearance to Skee-Ball, were installed in numerous arcades around the country, allowing players to show off their shooting skills for their peers and win some redemption coupons in the process, which could be turned in later for some fine arcade-quality gifts. Inserting quarters unlocked a number of basketballs and players were given a time limit to sink as many free throws as possible before the clock ran out and the machine once again locked down the balls. Strategic netting in between lanes kept the balls out of other player’s lanes, as well as from careening off of the nearby Pac-Man machine –which wasn’t a great way to make new friends. And thanks to the angled slope of the playing surface, balls always managed to roll right back to their rightful owner (or renter, as it were.)

That was the game in its simplest form, but soon manufacturers were looking for ways to increase the competitive draw. One such innovation involved placing a pair of baskets side-by-side, which allowed two players to square off against each other in a fast-paced duel for points. Another version put the actual hoop in motion, making for a much more challenging game.

These games found enormous popularity and are still present in such places as Dave and Busters and Gameworks, proving that a little one-on-one never goes out of style. And since arcades seem to bring out the competitive streak in everyone, the two have always been a perfect match.