Saber Interactive’s NBA Playgrounds will arrive in May and deliver a 2-on-2 playground basketball game title reminiscent of old-school games like NBA Jam and NBA Street. Upon its announcement, names like Stephen Curry and Allen Iverson were seen in its reveal trailer, but we weren’t told what other stars are expected to appear in the NBA licensed game.
This week, Saber Interactive released a new image along with a new gameplay trailer that showed some of the active NBA players that will be available to play as in NBA Playgrounds. What’s more, a full list of players was released via Gamespot too. That said, Saber Interactive announced more names are slated to arrive “soon after,” hinting towards possible DLC support.
The official roster list of #NBAPlaygrounds, with hundreds more to arrive soon after! https://t.co/NFoyqnXnZD pic.twitter.com/mEzP0XpjyD
— NBA 2K Playgrounds (@2KPlaygrounds) April 20, 2017
The list of active players, just to name a few, are as follows:
- James Harden
- Dirk Nowitzki
- LeBron James
- Russell Westbrook
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Carmelo Anthony
- Chris Paul
- John Wall
- Kevin Durant
- Stephen Curry
- Kawhi Leonard
- Anthony Davis
- Kyrie Irving
- DeMar DeRozan
- Damian Lillard
While those 15 names would be enough to intrigue any NBA fan, the biggest mystery concerning NBA Playgrounds was about which NBA legends would appear in the game as well. Seeing Allen Iverson in the initial trailer and artwork for the game was a sight for sore eyes as Iverson had one of the most prolific dazzling NBA careers in NBA history. His ball handling alone made him one of the best players in the league during a career that saw Iverson average 26 points per game over a 14-year career. Iverson in a playground setting, albeit in an arcade-cartoon like game, will create great moments for players.
Many other legendary names have been announced for the NBA Playgrounds and it’s a who’s who of NBA royalty with the exception Michael Jordan, who has a exclusive deal with 2K.
- Magic Johnson
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Chris Webber
- Chris Mullin
- Clyde Drexler
- Alex English
- Spud Webb
- James Worthy
- Dominique Wilkins
- Billy Cunningham
Finally, Saber Interactive recently released a gameplay trailer that explains some of the features in NBA Playgrounds. There were two that looked particularly interesting:
Lottery Pick System
Pour in enough buckets, and your team will get to spin the Lottery Pick wheel for a short term bonus. Bonuses include super speed shoes, 12 inches of extra height on dunks, a glowing blue ball that increases your shot percentage, and a 2x 3-pointer. Another cool aspect of the Lottery Pick system is that it makes you think twice about pushing down your opponent on defense, as you lose your lottery bar momentum. It’s playground rules, but playing a cleaner game can bring you some good karma.
Upgrade your Players
NBA Playgrounds rewards winning by giving the player new card packs that unlock new current and retired players. Sticking with a team for a while and focusing on unlocking their XP by playing through games will give those players new moves. Lots of players also have signature moves, so be sure to keep progressing in the game!
NBA Playgrounds will have a May release date and will be available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and the PC. The cost of the game will be $19.99 and will be a digital download.
What players do you want to play as in NBA Playgrounds? What players do you hope to see in the game? Let us know in our comment section.
