NBA Playgrounds (Nintendo Switch) Review

NBA Playgrounds

 Platform(s): Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC

Developer: Saber Interactive

Publisher: Mad Dog Games

Genre: Sports, Arcade Basketball

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Back to the Playgrounds

NBA Playgrounds brings back the fun, arcade like feel of a basketball game to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and the PC. It's two on two fun with big names, big heads, big animated dunks and big time plays.

We were given a review copy for the Nintendo Switch by the NBA Playgrounds Developer, Saber Interactive, and we couldn't have been happier as we have been looking forward to playing a new NBA arcade game for quite some time.

Features

NBA Playgrounds is missing a massive component that is already featured on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC versions of the game and that's the online play. The online play was only supposed to be delayed a month or so but looks like it will be delayed for quite some time. There is light at the end of the tunnel though as Saber Interactive is giving out free Shaq Fu DLC when that is released in the fall of this year to those that downloaded the game prior to the online update.

Besides missing the online features, NBA Playgrounds has Exhibition and Career/Story Modes to play with which is still good for couch co-op with your friends or if you don't have any friends over you can just try your skills at single player and try to progress through the Career Mode in the game.

Audio/Visuals

Audio in the arcade title is average at best. You do get the incredible sound of the crowd cheering and the ball smashing through the net on a charged shot or dunk and the commentators provide a fun factor to every shot made. With every dribble made and down to the shots missed, you hear some funny comments made by the commentators to ensure the game is not only a great place to play some ball but also to crack a smile or two.

Visuals in NBA Playgrounds are great with the NBA players big heads, detailed facial features, detailed team jerseys and the backgrounds of the cities or countries your NBA court is in. The visual aspect is perfect for what this game really is supposed to be and that's an NBA Arcade style player. Saber Interactive provide the fun visuals to keep the gamer entertained and wanting more fun play to be had.

Controls

NBA Playgrounds is extremely interesting on the Nintendo Switch which this Review Copy was provided for. There are multiple ways to play and that's the mantra of the Nintendo Switch, to be able to play in a vast amount of ways.

First off, we have TV Mode. Placing the Nintendo Switch in the TV Adapter and popping off the Joy Con Controllers will give you two players to play in Couch Co-op. Whether you face each other or team up you are sure to be dunking and ally-ooping over each other.

Next up we have TV Mode again but this time with the Joy Con Controllers set in the Power Grip or you can even play this way using a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. This way of handling business is the most easy way a hardcore gamer or sports gamer is used to.

The next ways are Table Top Mode and this way can be used with the Joy Con Controllers in two player mode or the same as TV Mode and utilize both Joy Con as one controller to play single player. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller can also be used in this sense with Table Top Mode.

Finally, the last way to enjoy NBA Playgrounds is once again outside of the TV Mode and this time its using handheld mode. Utilizing the Joy Con Controllers on the Nintendo Switch Tablet Screen you can play single player this way.

Each of the mentioned ways to play is great and easy to do. It definitely adds another incredible aspect to these kinds of sports games that don't have too much of a story mode going for them.

The controls themselves can be a bit tricky as you must learn button combinations for dunking, stealing, ally-oops, and more but if you play a few times around in exhibition mode you can nab the feel for your future in the NBA.

Conclusion

NBA Playgrounds is great game with some great omissions with the loss of the online features. Once the online component is added we can revisit a re-review and NBA Playgrounds will score higher. For now it is receiving an overall score of 70 as we had loads of fun with what components were in the game.

NBA Playgrounds  : Overall Score

• 60% Story/Features
  
• 75% Visuals
  
• 65% Audio
• 80% Fun Factor
  
• Total - 70% OVERALL RATING