Fans of the early arcade-style basketball video games (remember NBA Jam and the NBA Street series), will be excited to know that a new version is set to hit consoles everywhere next month. No, this is not going to be a sequel to either of those aforementioned games (or any others). Instead, it will give players the opportunity to square off the legends of the past with the superstars of the modern world. It is simply entitled NBA Playgrounds.
The CEO of Saber Interactive (the brains behind this upcoming digital download), Matt Karch, informed fans that this will be more than a trip down nostalgia lane. While he does mention it is perfect for any style of gamer to pick up and play, he also mentions that it has a lot of depth in it for hardcore gaming enthusiasts.
In the announcement trailer that was shown, Allen Iverson was duking it out against Steph Curry. However, every single NBA team has been announced for NBA Playgrounds. Each team will have a roster that includes legends and current superstars. While sticking to the arcade formula, players will be able to level up each star (which goes in line with the depth factor). If for no other reason, though, it will be fun to match up childhood heroes with modern day legends in a cartoon-type atmosphere.
As with old-school games that have followed this formula, hundreds of crazy dunks and moves can be expected. In addition, three game modes will be available for play (single player, multi-player and online). As this is a low-key game that will only attract a niche audience, it is being released as a digital download. However, it will be available for all major consoles. At only $20 USD, it will be available sometime next month for the Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC.