Modern sports games tend to overpromise and underdeliver. There are so many touted features every year in games like Madden, NBA 2K, and MLB The Show, but more often than not, you’re paying a premium price for the same game you played last year. Thankfully, Acclaim’s Basketball Classics makes no mistake about what it wants to be: a true-blue old-school sports game.
I spent way too much time playing the game when traveling to and from PAX East earlier this year. Going in, I wanted a nice, simple, retro game of basketball like I played growing up. What I ended up getting was a surprisingly deep love letter to the “glory days” of basketball.
If you happened to miss out on the game when it launched back in March, good news: it’s currently on sale on several storefronts.
- $7.99 on the PlayStation Store (20% off, PlayStation Plus members can save an extra 5%)
- $7.49 on the Nintendo Store (25% off)
- $3.49 on Steam (65% off)
‘Basketball Classics’ is more than an arcade throwback sports game
From its retro-inspired visuals to the old-school gameplay, Basketball Classics is an excellent throwback to a simpler time.
It’s not as over-the-top as something like NBA Jam, instead blending a sense of realism with a neat premise. You’ll play as various iconic basketball teams through the history of the league before compiling a team of legends as you face off against a super team. It’s a neat wrinkle to add some replayability to the game beyond just, well, you know, playing basketball.
There’s also a clear love letter to the NBA in general, from the Inside the NBA crew, and even a sideline reporter whose likeness is similar to the iconic Craig Sager. It’s a wonderful, nostalgic trip down memory lane for those looking for a simple game of basketball without the microtransaction-laden sports games of the modern era.
The fact that you can pick it up for under $10, or in the case of the Steam price, under $5, is a steal. Add in the fact that it’s a perfect game for something like the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck, and any sports fan owes it to themselves to pick up Basketball Classics.
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