NBA Playgrounds is a really fun and quirky title. The lack of online play at launch is a big omission and although the game lacks replayability, the arcade aesthetics, easy to use controls and whirlwind gameplay make this game extremely enjoyable in short bursts. I found the game better on handheld rather than playing off a TV, due to its ‘on the move’ vibe, and in that respect, it's undoubtedly a nice game to just unwind with and enjoy for what it is.
Una manera divertida y desenfadada de jugar partidas de basket 2 contra 2. Buenos gráficos, variedad de jugadores, modo online, etc. Sin duda un juego que le viene como anillo al dedo a Nintendo Switch.
NBA Playgrounds is a game that is instantly playable - but the more you chip away at it, the more you're disappointed by the lack of content at release. It can be fantastic to pick up and play when you’re with a group of friends, but the lack of online multiplayer at launch means you’ll find yourself enjoying Playgrounds less and less very quickly.
If there’s never another arcade-style hoops title for Switch, then Playgrounds certainly meets my bare-minimum needs. It could have been so much more though, and as such I’m hoping Saber Interactive comes back with a fleshed-out second attempt (maybe another sport?) sometime down the road. In the meantime, Playgrounds delivers the outrageous exhibitions you’re looking for - just don’t expect it to provide much else.
A new NBA arcade game will always be something to get excited about. Many of us have fond memories of dropping coins into those arcade cabinets back in the day. A game that can capture that raw sense of fun, while modernising the more archaic elements would instantly become one of the most entertaining games of the year. I’m sure the developers went into NBA Playgrounds with the most noble of intentions, but this game is not the NBA I remembered. This game is one that young me would never have considered to be worth my allowance.
This is the first arcade basketball game for a Nintendo system since 2010's NBA Jam for the Wii. I understand that many people have nostalgic feelings for NBA Jam, but I'd rather play NBA Playgrounds to NBA Jam on the Wii any day. I've only got a Wii and a Switch, so NBA Playgrounds was surprisingly good after reading reviews to the contrary. That being said, here are the pluses and minuses when compared just to that game from my perspective as a Wii and Switch owner:
+ (compared to NBA Jam on Wii)
> It's more fun! Yes, the single player is longer on the Wii, but you have to play as the same team the whole time and can't mix players from different teams. That makes the Wii version very boring to play alone and you also can't play online. The NBA Playgrounds online feature adds endless play over NBA Jam. Yes, both are fun if you have someone to play with, but if you don't NBA Playgrounds is much better if you play on line.
> User control is better. NBA Playgrounds lets you choose between dunking and other close up shots by holding ZR or not. NBA Jam feels like the sports equivalent of a "rail shooter." You can't control when you dunk vs. layup, etc.
> Graphics (the graphics, at least in the newest update that added online) are crisper and clearer than the non-HD graphics on the Wii. The players are not as consistent as NBA Jam, but the backgrounds and animations are much better. I observed this both in console mode and in handheld mode. The issues with handheld mode seem to be fixed since the update.
> It includes players from 2017 and many different eras of basketball rather than just 2010 and the 90s.
> I actual prefer the music/sound/commentary overall to NBA Jam. NBA Jam had constant goal tending and shot clock violations with very annoying. NBA Playgrounds keeps the game moving with a 12 second shot clock (or faster if you get the lotto pick that speeds it up), but it doesn't seem to let you goal tend (somehow your player just misses the ball if you're too close to the hoop) and when the shot clock runs out there isn't an annoying buzzer or annoying commentary. Yes, the commentators are quite as iconic, but I like the fresh approach being tired of "boomchacalaka" after years of hearing it.
> I prefer the Nintendo Switch controllers (all variations) to Wii controls (all variations). The Classic Controller Pro for the Wii was best, but it doesn't compare to the Pro Controller for the Switch.
- (compared to NBA Jam on the Wii)
> There are a lot more game modes in NBA Jam (though not all of them all that fun or an add to the main game -- Example: the one where you play until someone breaks a backboard isn't fun).
> Consistency of how the players look and play is better on NBA Jam.
> The overall polish of the menus is better on NBA Jam.
All in all, I'm glad I sold NBA Jam for Wii and bought this because overall it was an upgrade.
NBA Playgrounds' biggest flaw is that it isn't NBA Jam. It's slower and closer to "real" basketball. But it's a perfectly decent arcade-style NBA game on Nintendo Switch, and unless EA revives the Jam series again, it's all Switch players have for now.
NBA Playgrounds is by no means a bad game and the re-release of the special addition was a very nice treat for Saber Interactive to do for Switch owners considering how poorly optimized the original Switch version was. Now I have not played the original NBA Playgrounds but from the rumors, the special edition improves on a fair amount. The gameplay is generally fun and quite reminiscent of the classic NBA Jam, though definitely not better than it. Gameplay is entertaining although AI responses to perform actions like the alley-oop could definitely use some work because the AI is very unresponsive. Frame rates are fairly smooth with slightly noticeable slowdowns occasionally in handheld mode though they did not take away from the experience. The handheld graphics are definitely blurrier then when the Switch is docked, however, they seem to still be fairly nice which I assume is an upgrade from the original edition. The concept of unlocking every character is a hit or miss to some people. To me, it's enjoyable because I always look forward to unlocking something new when I'm playing a game. With the large character roster and numerous tournament stages, you will definitely get your money's worth of gameplay out of NBA Playgrounds if you like playing some unconventional basketball. As of now, I have not tried out the online mode, so I will edit this review including my opinion of it once I have. The general level up system of the game feels a little too grind heavy, unfortunately, and character progression feels like a wasted addition to attempt to consume more of the players time. NBA Playground does a fairly good job at being a spiritual successor to NBA Jam with some minor technical and gameplay flaws. If you really like basketball or are looking for a fun game with a lot of content you will like NBA Playground, it's a great game that is held back by a few significant flaws.
Cons
AI needs some work
Upgrade system for characters and levels is to grind heavy and feels shallow
Slight framerate issues in handheld mode
Its a good game but the Switch version ****, they need to add the DLC and the online play. Other then that it's mostly a good game. But the Steals challenge in Las Vegas is way too hard
Too many frustrating issues and weird gameplay decisions in NBA Playgrounds.
Lets begin with the switch issues. The load times are extreme for such a simple game (loading times are similar to that of Zelda BotW), and I experience the FPS dropping well below 30 all the time. The game looks HORRIBLE, it looks like it was made for the Nintendo 3DS. Lastly, the rumble feature is turned up to 110%, so it sounds like it wants to rip the controller apart. It's a horrible port.
Now the gameplay. The way you have to "time" your shots in this game make absolutely no sense. There are no visual cues during the shot whatsoever, or indication of how late/early a shot was. Makes it very frustrating to learn. Unlocking all the characters is an unbelievable grind... and once you unlock them you have to level them up to unlock all their "moves" (which they don't tell you what are). You unlock balls in the game too, but I seriously can't figure out how to use the different types. The music... oh god the music... and you actually can't shoot a buzzer beater in this game. Can you believe it?! If someone told me the devs found it too difficult to code, I wouldn't be surprised.
This game does not have a polish to it by any stretch of the imagination, I'm surprised it has received the amount of positive reviews it has.
SummaryPlay with up to three other players locally on your Xbox One or hop online and defeat your opponents with your awesome, acrobatic displays of skill.