Since NBA Playgrounds was revealed last month, everyone’s been hyped about the resurgence of the NBA Jam-type, arcade basketball game. So, color us surprised when 6 minutes of footage from a PS4 beta of the game shows up on YouTube and makes this look like a walk around the mall, rather than the chaotic, fun game we were hoping for.
https://youtu.be/zII2BpVlvLM
In the video, you’ll see the player unlock some characters through the in-game card system and play a quick, six-minute match. The match itself goes along at a snail’s pace, with both players trying to dunk in the opening minutes before seemingly giving up to attempt three-pointers. The action picks up once one team gets their special meter filled and activates the mid-match lottery system. This randomly chooses a buff for the fortunate player. In this case, their feet catch fire, giving them a boost in speed. Despite this boost, it never really feels like anything’s going on.
The action picks up once one team gets their special meter filled and activates the mid-match lottery system. This randomly chooses a buff for the fortunate player. In this case, their feet catch fire, giving them a boost in speed. Despite this boost, it never really feels like anything’s going on. Maybe that’s because there doesn’t appear to be an energetic announcer yelling out catchphrases or players executing larger-than-life dunks.
Whatever the case may be, this is just a beta video, so it’s not representative of the final product. We’ll have more on that when NBA Playgrounds launches digitally on the Nintendo Switch eShop next Tuesday for $19.99.
