NBA Playgrounds Reviews
If you want a good couch co op game that you can have a couple of quick games with it’s perfect.
NBA Playgrounds is the definition of a game that's a mixed bag.
NBA Playgrounds goes all in on the arcade style, the charisma and the fame power of the NBA stars, and it almost hits the jackpot. Some minor problems prevent the game from reaching its full potential, but if there's a sequel planned, there's a solid groundwork to begin with.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If I had to compare this game to current NBA teams, it would be Minnesota Timberwolves. They've got bright future and promising players, they showed what they can do in last season, but... it wasn't good enough.
Review in Polish | Read full review
My one gripe with the game is that every now and then, the controls would feel off. I'd be playing and doing great, and then the opposing team would steal the ball and my player was way out there off screen and wouldn't run fast enough to defend. The blocking is also another issue since it didn't trigger properly even after I followed the instructions perfectly. Hopefully the game is patched soon to improve these two things.
NBA Playgrounds has potential, but it just leaves too much in the locker room to be considered anything more than unpolished. At least there's no micro-transactions in this one.
NBA Playgrounds will absolutely fill the void left behind by NBA Jam in regards to a strict 2-on-2 basketball experience. However, there isn't enough here to really keep gamers coming back for more after the initial newness period wears off. It can be fun in extremely short bursts, but the boredom kicks in quick.
NBA Playgrounds gets so much of the setup right, often reawakening the spirit of the NBA Jam series, but it fumbles some of the finer details with needless complications and lacklustre AI. As a solo experience there are much better ways to spend your money, but when it comes to multiplayer NBA Playgrounds is so very nearly shooting nothing but net.
Overall, NBA Playgrounds could’ve been the next NBA Jam. It nails everything from the look of the characters, to the lighthearted commentary. While it’s fun at first for a few rounds, as time goes on the cracks start to show and you realize that this game is more of an attempted layup than an actual slam dunk. If you’ve never played an NBA Jam game before, you can give this game a shot. Otherwise, for a true arcade basketball experience, stick to the classics.
NBA Playgrounds takes inspired elements from its predecessors and re-purposes them for the current generation. While it's far from perfect, the game's mechanical inconsistencies are easily outshined by its simplicity and precision. Not as beginner-friendly as expected, but addicting fun for the dedicated player.
A bit more demanding than usual, NBA Playgrounds fits in the right line of NBA Jam and NBA Street, without a constant comparison. The game may be arcade in looks and gameplay, but it tries to compensate for a slightly more demanding timed control schemes, which might not be fun for all. Too bad that the solo as the multiplayer part have been shipped almost half-baked at launch, and I really hope that the updates and patch will be coming fast to keep the momentum.
There is a fun game here in NBA Playgrounds, but this is by no means the best version of the game. The other issue is that the game is a little on the shallow side. It is a shame really, because there is a fun title to be had here, but issues hold it back and the end result is a merely average sports outing.
Saber Interactive plays homage to NBA Jam and even a little bit of NBA Street with NBA Playgrounds, and does so with enough changes to the formula to make it interesting, even if the attitude and enthusiasm is a bit subdued. NBA Playgrounds has some erratic difficulty swings during exhibition and tournament modes, but the arcade basketball is fun and easy to pick-up-and-play solo, local, or even online.
NBA Playgrounds scratches an itch I didn't know I had. Growing up in arcades I spent many a quarter on games like NBA Jam. Outside of the failed attempt by EA a few years back to resurrect the franchise, we really haven't had a good alternative. Playgrounds fills that void nicely, even with its shortcomings. Anyone wondering if it had to be the shoes would do well to check it out.
NBA Playgrounds feels like an experiment to bring the arcade basketball style back into action. It might have an enjoyable gameplay system that is casual friendly but it lacks in content and gameplay modes, not to mention it is simply not fun to play against the dull A.I controlled opponents.
While it may not have the finesse of other NBA licensed games, it manages to be a structurally solid pick-up and play street basketball game with a lot of licensed players to choose from.
NBA Playgrounds were quite good game which will be able to tighten as the fans of serious simulation, and people who have never played virtual basketball at all. If you are not indifferent to arcade basketball, then this game is definitely worth your attention, but if you are an owner of Nintendo Switch, in the best case, you will have to wait for the next patches and fixes the above problems.
Review in Russian | Read full review
NBA Playgrounds doesn't try to hide its NBA Jams influences in the least, and that's just fine, because this arcade basketball title is one Jam fans and newcomers will both appreciate.
NBA Playgrounds scratches that arcade basketball itch we've had since NBA Jam. The gameplay and progression are simple and fun to mess around with but unbalanced power-ups and a shallow online multiplayer offering keep it from being as consistently fun as the classics.