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Best Basketball Games On PS4 Or Xbox One So Far

Every once in a while, I feel like playing a good basketball video game against a friend locally or online. I enjoy both flip dunking arcade style and realistic NBA simulation basketball games. As long as the experience is fun or intense, I am all game :). This article covers the best basketball games available on PS4 or Xbox One so far. As new games are released, this article will be updated.


6. ACA NeoGeo Street Hoop

#6 ACA NeoGeo Street Hoop
– See It On Marketplaces: PS4 | Xbox One
Street Hoop is a fantastic classic NeoGeo arcade game originally created by Data East in 1994. This is the best NBA Jam knockoff I have ever played. There are 10 playable world country teams to choose from, along with 10 basketball courts to play on. All team players seem to have equal stats, which makes things simple. The gameplay is very similar to the classic NBA Jam, 2 vs 2 basketball, hardly any rules, fast, and fun. After making a number of baskets in a row, your Super Shot meter will fill up. Super Shots allow you to perform special exaggerated dunks and long-range fire shots. This game is most fun played with 2 players locally. If you don’t mind classic 16-Bit graphics, NeoGeo Street Hoop is a great choice for fun stress-free basketball gameplay.
– Gameplay Video


5. 3on3 FreeStyle (PS4 Exclusive, Free To Play)

#5 3on3 Freestyle
– See It On Playstation Marketplace
3on3 Freestyle is a multiplayer only free to play street basketball game. 3on3 Freestyle has colorful cel-shaded graphics, these sort of graphics are rare for a basketball game. However, they work well with the characters and court designs. Each character you choose from has there own unique stats and levels that can be upgraded by winning matches online or paying for boosters. There is also a lot of cool costumes and characters that can be unlocked with currency you earn from winning matches or you can always take the shortcut route and pay for them with real money. The gameplay is half court only, staying true to street ball. It sometimes feels a bit unbalanced and crowded online though. Even with its minor faults, 3on3 Freestyle is a good multiplayer basketball game, that anyone can jump into because it’s free :).
– Gameplay Video




4. NBA Playgrounds

#4 NBA Playgrounds
– See It On Marketplaces: PS4 | Xbox One
NBA Playgrounds is the NBA Jam of this generation. Built from the ground up, this is a worthy arcade-style basketball game. The basketball player animations are colorful, full of life, and have a goofy but pleasant art style. There is a lot of awesome outside courts to play on, all very unique and different from each other. The gameplay is like other basketball arcade classics, but this time shot timing matters. By improving your shot timing you can gain an extra point. There is also a special shot meter. The Shot meter fills up by making baskets and blocking shots. Once the shot meter is full, the computer will randomly pick a special power you can use. I actually thought the meter was a bit unfair because sometimes opponents keep receiving awesome power-ups, while you might be receiving more terrible ones. Playing against a friend locally or online is the highlight of the game because it’s fun and it works pretty well. If you get tired of the meter or certain specials, you can always disable them in the options.

– Gameplay Video


3. NBA Live 18

#3 NBA Live 18
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
After EA skipped out on NBA Live 17. NBA Live 18 was released on September 17th of last year. I am glad EA took a year off from the series to make it better because they made many much-needed improvements to NBA Live 18. The single biggest improvement has to be the graphics to the basketball players. There faces, Jerseys and even shoes look much more detailed in NBA Live 18. The gameplay also feels much more accessible for newcomers to basketball simulators. I would say NBA Live 18 is easier to pick up than NBA 2k18 because it’s not as technically advanced. The gameplay is good, but it kind of reminded me of an outdated NBA 2K12 game from years ago. Which isn’t a bad thing, it just feels a bit more arcadey and less simulation like compared to modern NBA 2k games. I can see gamers that don’t like the ultra-realistic gameplay of NBA 2K18, enjoying NBA Live 18 more. The franchise mode is a bit shallow, but it’s still enjoyable. A new mode called The One is a neat career RPG style mode where you can play street ball and work yourself up the ranks. They have also added a WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) roster, which is cool, but there is no online play with WNBA teams. Speaking of online play, it works really great!
– Gameplay Video


2. NBA JAM: On Fire Edition (Backwards Compatible On Xbox One)

#2 NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
– See It On Xbox Marketplace
NBA JAM: On Fire Edition, in my opinion, is the best game in the NBA Jam series. I wish they would make an upgraded edition of this game for current generation consoles, but I am happy that it’s at least available on Xbox One via Xbox 360 backward compatibility. This is the perfect basketball game to play when you have friends or family over. It’s so easy to pick up, even for the most novice gamer. Years ago me and my son had a blast with this game, playing Co-Op vs the computer, or against each other. It seriously is a load of fun. It plays almost just like the original games, only with more refined controls and movement. The crazy fire dunks and shots feel more satisfying in this version of the game. For being an older Xbox 360 game, the graphics and player animations still hold up well on Xbox One. If you have other people to play with locally and you like arcade style basketball games, NBA JAM: On Fire Edition is among the best.
– Gameplay Video




1. NBA 2K18

#1 NBA 2K18
– See It On Amazon: PS4 | Xbox One
As long as you ignore the microtransactions in NBA 2K18, it is the best game in the 2K series so far. A lot of gamers exaggerated and complained so much about the microtransactions. Instead of focusing on the bigger picture, the actual game and everything it has to offer. I am not a fan of the microtransactions, it’s unfair that 2K games try to influence gamers to spend real money on simple cosmetics and stats for custom made characters. However, you can grind to earn points and buy everything in the game without spending a dime of real money, if you wanted to (That’s an option at least). I am not going to let the microtransactions factor destroy my view of the entire game though. The simulation gameplay is really advanced in 2K18, and above anything else available. Each individual NBA player on offense or defense has there own unique adjusted AI, geared to play more like there real life player counterpart. The player AI is a very noticeable improvement over past versions of the game. The AI will make you think about your play strategy more in certain situations. The online play in all available modes still works flawlessly. Many NBA player models have been improved along with lighting and minor graphic details. The neighborhood is a new online hub that allows you to walk around with your custom player, among other custom players online. In the neighborhood mode, you can build your career in the NBA, play trivia and set up playground street basketball games with other players online. Overall NBA 2K18 is hands down the best NBA simulation game available on PS4 or Xbox One, and it’s a step up in the series from a gameplay and graphics perspective. The faults are annoying, but it’s not a deal breaker. I hope 2K games don’t make the same microtransaction mistakes with NBA 2K19.
– Gameplay Video


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Chris D.
Level Smack founder. I am a long time webmaster. I have been playing video games all my life since the NES days. I am a video games fanatic and a self-proclaimed video games historian. I hope to bring unique & helpful articles as often as I can. We are seeking writers for LevelSmack.com, Please Contact Us.