The Friday Five: 5 Reasons NBA Playgrounds Fell Short Of NBA Jam

[Andrew]

The Friday Five

The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to basketball video games, the real NBA or another area of interest to our community, either as a list of five items or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This is a central discussion thread for the feature, in which I invite you to post any feedback along with your responses to each column's topic. A link to the latest article can always be found here in the first post, along with a link to the complete archive.

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The Friday Five: 5 Reasons NBA Playgrounds Fell Short Of NBA Jam

When Saber Interactive announced NBA Playgrounds back in 2017, we were excited and intrigued. EA Sports had allowed the NBA Jam series to fall dormant once again following the masterpiece that was NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, so NBA Playgrounds appeared poised to be a worthy spiritual successor. Both it and NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 reportedly sold quite well, though critical reception was mixed. I did have some fun with both NBA Playgrounds games, but I was definitely somewhat underwhelmed by them. To that point, I'm on record as calling them a poor man's NBA Jam.

That was once impossible to say without receiving pushback, and accusations of being an NBA Jam fanboy blinded by nostalgia. However, there's no denying that NBA Jam pioneered the genre of arcade basketball games, setting the bar with success that speaks for itself. There are a few lacklustre releases in its lineage - primarily the ones developed by Acclaim - but the best NBA Jam titles remain the gold standard. NBA Playgrounds had good intentions, but in terms of becoming the NBA Jam of a new generation, both the original and the sequel came up short. Here are five reasons why NBA Playgrounds ultimately failed to equal or surpass the best NBA Jam games.

[Andrew]

As with the NLSC Podcast, I'm going with a central discussion thread for The Friday Five. A link to the latest feature can always be found in the first post, along with a link to the full archive. For those who missed last week's feature, I listed my five biggest pet peeves in basketball video games.

November 1st, 2013: 5 Biggest Basketball Video Game Pet Peeves

As you can probably guess, I’m a big fan of basketball video games. You’d certainly hope that I would be, given that I’m a running a website dedicated to basketball video gaming. While they’re not the only titles that I play, basketball games are certainly among my favourites and whether it’s the more realistic approach of NBA Live and NBA 2K, or the arcade style of NBA Jam, I’ve had a lot of fun with them over the years. However, as we all know too well, basketball games definitely have their frustrating and annoying moments.

There are plenty of major, gamebreaking issues that cause us frustration – cumbersome controls, disappointing AI and so on – but that’s not what I’m talking about today. I’m talking about some of the little things that don’t necessarily ruin basketball games or render them completely unenjoyable, but at the very least take something away from the experience. These are my five biggest basketball video game pet peeves…or at least the ones that spring immediately to mind.

[Andrew]

November 8th, 2013: 5 Bad (Yet Entertaining) Basketball Games

All genres of video games have their bad releases. Basketball games, be they arcade or simulation oriented, are definitely not exempt from that. However, just as some bad films or television shows are guilty pleasures, so too are certain subpar video games. This week, I’m taking a look at some basketball games that are far from classics, yet are still interesting and even enjoyable in their own way.

I’d like to stress that while I’m calling these games “bad” due to their various shortcomings or the fact that they’re inferior imitations of better basketball titles, most of them do have some redeeming factors, which is what makes them entertaining. These are certainly subjective opinions, so you may not share my view on all of the games and indeed some of them have received positive reviews here and there. With that said, this is my list of five basketball games that are bad, yet still entertaining.

[Andrew]

November 15th, 2013: 5 Things I'm Doing While Waiting For The PS4

As many of you may already be aware, I'm Australian and do currently reside in the Land Down Under. There's a lot of things I love about my country, but the later release dates for DVDs, video games and consoles isn't one of them. I'm getting a PlayStation 4 on launch day along with NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14, but for my fellow Aussies and I, launch day is November 29th. If you live in North America and are getting your hands on the PS4 today, the rest of us around the world are certainly envious right about now.

However, my two week wait until the PlayStation 4 and its launch titles arrive in Australia has handed me an obvious topic for this week's Friday Five: five things I'm doing while waiting for the PS4, at least in terms of my gaming habits. What's going to fill the void while I wait to indulge in some next generation gaming? Read on to find out.

[Andrew]

November 22nd, 2013: 5 Reasons I'd Like An Unlicensed Basketball Game

As I mentioned in last week's Friday Five, I've been spending my gaming time occupying myself with this and that as I wait for the Australian release of the PlayStation 4, along with NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14. In addition to the five things I listed in last week's column, I've also had another glance at International Basketball 2009, a title you may remember from the Friday Five a couple of weeks ago when I listed five basketball games that were bad, yet still entertaining. My opinion of the game hasn't changed much since then, though I still find the idea of an unlicensed basketball game very intriguing.

While I'm still more interested in playing NBA sims and the occasional arcade title, I can't help but wonder if there's a market for a quality unlicensed basketball game. Given how much I used to enjoy World League Basketball on the Super Nintendo back in the day, it'd be something that I'd at least have to check out. Therefore, this week I'm listing the five reasons I'd like to see an unlicensed basketball video game, preferably one that plays better than International Basketball 2009.

[Andrew]

November 29th, 2013: 5 Early Impressions of NBA Live 14 & NBA 2K14

I finally got my hands on the PlayStation 4 in the early hours of this morning, thanks to a midnight launch. As such, I’ve finally been able to play NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14 next gen. I intend on spending a lot more time with both games before posting detailed impressions and full reviews but for the moment, I’d like to share some early thoughts on both next gen basketball titles.

Before I go any further, I’d like to stress that I’ve spent less than a day with both games, so I will be going into more detail in the future. I also reserve the right to change my mind as I continue to notice the good and bad things in both games, as well as evaluate the changes and fixes made by patches that will come through in the near future. With that said, here are some of my early impressions of NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14 on PS4, in five points.

[Andrew]

December 6th, 2013: 5 Features Next Gen Basketball Games Need

Having picked up NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14 next gen last Friday, I’ve offered a few initial impressions of each game in both the Friday Five and the latest episode of the NLSC Podcast. I’ll continue to share my impressions of both games in the lead up to writing my full reviews, but this week I wanted to talk a little about some of the features that I believe NBA Live and NBA 2K need as we move forward.

While NBA Live 14 isn’t nearly as bare-bones as NBA Live 06 on the Xbox 360 and a lot of great work has gone into the features of NBA 2K14 next gen, there are a couple of staples of basketball gaming that are missing, as well as some other features that I’d like to see implemented. As such, this week I’m listing five features that I believe both games should add before we get too far into the new generation.

[Andrew]

December 13th, 2013: 5 NLSC Podcast Episodes You Should Check Out

My apologies if this week’s topic comes off as a little cheap, but I really do enjoy doing the NLSC Podcast every week and it’s only natural that we plug our original content from time to time. Quite a few of you are tuning in to the show every week and have sent in questions for our mailbag segments, which definitely encourages us to keep getting together to talk about some of our favourite subjects and recording the conversation so that you can all listen to it. We certainly appreciate the support!

Needless to say, we’re always keen to expand our audience, so for this week’s Friday Five I’m picking five episodes of the NLSC Podcast that I recommend listening to, if you’re wondering what it’s all about and are looking to get into the show. Consider them my “editor’s picks” from the first year and a bit of the NLSC Podcast.

[[Q]]

I personally wouldn't call Looney Tunes B-ball a bad game. I played it when it as a kid when it was new on the SNES and I loved it. I loved playing all kinds of basketball games even if they were bad and there were so many games that were worse than this

[Andrew]

Well, that's kind of what I was getting at in that Five. Even if they are somewhat mediocre, inferior knock-offs of the NBA Jam concept or whatever, they can still be entertaining.

[[Q]]

ah gotcha. perhaps the next step would be 5 bad bball games that werent entertaining

[Andrew]

I'm definitely looking at doing something like that, or my least favourite basketball games.

[Andrew]

December 20th, 2013: My 5 Favourite Friday Fives (2013 Edition)

As 2013 swiftly draws to a close, there are just a couple of Fridays left in the year and thus only a couple of editions of The Friday Five before we find ourselves in 2014. I’ve definitely enjoyed using this column to express my opinions throughout the year and hopefully, it’s given you all something fun and interesting to read every Friday. I’m looking forward to bringing you more editorials and Top 5 countdowns in the new year.

This week, I thought I’d take a look back at some of my favourite editions of The Friday Five so far. These aren’t in any particular order, but they’re all features that were either fun to write or stand out as some of my favourite topics to discuss. If you can forgive the shameless plug, read on to find out my five favourite Friday Fives from 2013.

[Andrew]

December 27th, 2013: 5 Things I’m Looking Forward To In 2014

We’ve come to the final edition of The Friday Five for 2013, as we find ourselves a mere four days away from a brand new year. Last week, I took a look back as I picked my five favourite Friday Fives from the first year of the column. This week, I’m looking ahead to the future, listing five things that I’m looking forward to in the coming year.

2013 was certainly an interesting year for our community, with several large modding projects, the launch of a new generation of consoles, the return of NBA Live after four years on the sideline and a very memorable NBA Finals series between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Having said that, I believe that 2014 will have its fair share of interesting events, great games, highlights and moments from the NBA and of course, fun times with basketball video games. So, without any further ado and in no particular order, here are 5 Things I’m Looking Forward To In 2014.

[Andrew]

January 3rd, 2014: 5 Pitfalls Future Basketball Games Must Avoid

As I continue to play NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14 next gen, I’m naturally noticing aspects of the games that really impress me, as well as elements that I feel still need some work but certainly have a lot of potential. Needless to say, I’m also noticing a few things that I really hope both developers can avoid in the future.

I do actually want to start talking about some of the more positive aspects of both games in upcoming Friday Fives but this week, I’m focusing on that last category: the things I want EA Sports and 2K Sports to avoid. These include ongoing and re-emerging problems in basketball video games, as well as a few newer issues that I believe need to be nipped in the bud.

[Andrew]

January 10th, 2014: 5 Best Things in NBA Live 14

In last week’s Friday Five, I mentioned that I’d like to talk a little more about the positive things in NBA Live 14 and NBA 2K14 next gen, so that’s exactly what I’m doing starting this week. I was originally going to compile a list that covered both games, but I found that I couldn’t narrow my selections down to five. Therefore, this week I’ll be covering NBA Live 14, to be followed by a list for NBA 2K14 next Friday.

It’s been said many times before, but it’s been a rough comeback so far for NBA Live, with NBA Live 14 receiving some scathing reviews from the gaming media and basketball gamers alike. However, the game has also shown potential and some minor improvements following the first title update, with more fixes on the way. While there’s still a long road ahead, I’ve recently been enjoying spending some time with the game and as such, I’ve compiled a list of what I feel are the five best things in NBA Live 14.

[[Q]]

What kind of settings does the accelerated clock have? I like how they do it in Fifa where you can simply choose how many real-time minutes you want each half to be

[Andrew]

On and off.

[JaoSming]

and the last minute of the quarter is always real-time, never accelerated.

[Patr1ck]

What kind of settings does the accelerated clock have? I like how they do it in Fifa where you can simply choose how many real-time minutes you want each half to be

And that's what I want in Live.

[Andrew]

January 17th, 2014: 5 Best Things in NBA 2K14

Last week, I listed what I feel are the five best things in NBA Live 14. I’m continuing the trend of focusing on the positive in this week’s Friday Five, as I take a look at the next gen version of NBA 2K14 and some of my favourite elements of the game so far.

To be honest, I still have mixed feelings about NBA 2K14 on PlayStation 4. It’s by no means a terrible game, yet I’ve had trouble really getting into it as I don’t feel myself drawn into any of the game modes as in years past. Having said that, there’s certainly greatness in the game that stands out and deserves to be acknowledged. So, without any further ado, here are my picks for the five best things in NBA 2K14 next gen.

[Andrew]

January 24th, 2014: Top 5 Picks for the 2014 NBA MVP (So Far)

For a while now, I’ve been meaning to do another Top 5 countdown for the Friday Five, as well as share some thoughts on a topic that’s related to the real NBA. Therefore, this week I’m killing two birds with one stone. Since we’re at the halfway mark of the 2013/2014 NBA season and the topic came up during Episode #63 of the NLSC Podcast, I’ve decided to rank the Top 5 candidates for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award…at least so far.

The MVP award can be a controversial subject. After all, not everyone agrees on the criteria for selecting the winner, or even what the honour actually means. To me, it’s an award that gives recognition to a standout player for their performance during the season; a player who, one could argue, had the best overall season when factors such as individual brilliance, noteworthy games and their impact on their team’s success are all taken into account. I don’t think that many of these picks will shock anyone, but here is the MVP race as I see it, halfway through the 2014 campaign.

[Andrew]

January 31st, 2014: 5 Reasons I Want A New Free Throw Shooting Method

In previous Friday Fives, I’ve mentioned that I’m not a big fan of the “hold Shoot” method of shooting free throws that is currently used by both NBA Live and NBA 2K. While I’m still partial to the old T-Meter approach, it’s admittedly outdated and probably a little too old school at this point, so I’d be in favour of both games implementing a new method altogether.

Don’t get me wrong. The current method is serviceable, straightforward and provides the user with enough on-screen feedback to become reasonably proficient from the foul line (at least in NBA 2K). However, it does have its drawbacks and I believe that it’s time for some innovation in this area of the game. So, without any further ado, here are five reasons why I want to see a new method of shooting free throws in NBA Live and NBA 2K.

[Andrew]

February 7th, 2014: 5 Great Things David Stern Did For The NBA

After 30 years, David Stern’s tenure as the commissioner of the NBA came to an end last Saturday, February 1st. For those of us who grew up watching the NBA in the 80s and 90s, he’s the only NBA commissioner we’ve ever known, so it feels a little strange to see someone else in the role. For the first year or so, I’m guessing it’ll be a bit weird to see Adam Silver presenting trophies, not to mention his signature on the basketball.

Last week, Yahoo! NBA posted a slideshow spotlighting five of David Stern’s missteps, a well-chosen selection of some of his most noteworthy blunders on the job. It’s certainly fair to acknowledge failure along with success, but with Stern bashing being such a popular pastime for NBA fans, it’s easy to forget all of the good things that he’s done for the league. Therefore, this week I’m taking a look at five great things that David Stern did during his time as commissioner of the NBA.

[Andrew]

February 14th, 2014: 5 Dunks From NBA Live the Real Dunk Contest Needs

Since the 2014 All-Star Weekend in New Orleans is upon us, I feel it’s only right that this week’s Friday Five covers a topic related to the NBA’s midseason classic. Since I talked about the things that I believe the dunk contest needs as well as my five favourite All-Star Weekends in the lead up to last year’s All-Star Weekend, this year I thought I’d mix things up a bit with a topic that combines video games and real life.

The addition of the All-Star Weekend in NBA Live 2005 was a definite highlight in the NBA Live series, finally bringing an often requested and long awaited mode to the game. The dunk contest that was featured from NBA Live 2005 through NBA Live 09 included some crazy slams; a few of them were a little out there, but others could feasibly be pulled off in real life. This week, I’m listing five dunks from NBA Live’s Slam Dunk Contest that I’d like to see broken out in the real competition.