With so many games to choose from, you might wonder how to find the best NBA2K game from the long-running basketball franchise.
There have been more than 20 releases so far, going back to 1999, and while some have introduced only minor tweaks others have added significantly to the gameplay on previous versions. The following are some of the most popular titles you might like to try.
NBA 2K16
This 2015 release cranked up the series a notch by getting famed director Spike Lee to work on the MyCareer mode and by including 50 great songs on the soundtrack. This was the 17th installment of the basketball game and by now many parts of the format had become firm favorites among fans.
Playoff games, the Summer League, and Euroleague, competitions you can find in any online betting site that has a basketball section, are all included. Plus, there are enough customization options to keep anyone tinkering away from creating the ultimate player.
Lee’s involvement saw him work with real-life basketball players through high school and college to create a more story-focused, realistic career mode. A companion app and special edition helped boost sales to more than four million copies in the first week, meaning that it became the fastest-selling title in the series.
NBA 2K2
Despite being one of the earliest games in the successful series, this 2001 release is still fondly remembered by many players for moving the gameplay onto a new level. Among the major changes it introduced, we can see more street courts, a selection of legends teams, more defensive control, and a better range of moves.
NBA 2K2 was well received by fans, who felt that the improved controls made it far more realistic than the games that came before it. The fact that it was brought out for a variety of consoles also helped to broaden the appeal of the NBA2K series. This was also the first time that you had to make sure that certain players took shots from certain parts of the court.
NBA 2K11
The franchise entered the 2010s with a bang thanks to this 2010 release. It saw the return of several big-name NBA stars to the game, with Michael Jordan the most important of them. After a long time missing from the series, Jordan returned here with a series of challenges based on his iconic performances that let you unlock different shoes worn by the player.
NBA 2K11 also gave us the chance to play with historic NBA teams and the most legendary players from the past on our screen. It was popular with players right from the start and sold 5.5 million units in the first year after its release.
NBA 2K17
This 2016 game gave the NBA2K series some fresh changes, particularly in terms of customizing the leagues using the MyLeague mode. With this option, you got to make changes such as relocate franchises and add new expansion teams to the league. This meant that players could now make a completely unique league with their own teams and rules.
Fans also reacted well to the enhanced gameplay and player controls on this version. 50 songs are included on the excellent soundtrack, with Imagine Dragons, Grimes and Noah Shebib providing them. With seven million copies sold in just the first few months, there’s no doubt that NBA 2K17 is one of the biggest success stories of the entire series.
NBA 2K1
If we go all the way back to 2000, we can find one of the most loved NBA 2K games of all time. While it doesn’t have some of the advanced features found in later versions, NBA 2K1 introduced a few of the elements that made this series so popular over the last couple of decades.
For example, this is the first game in the series to allow online multiplayer games, giving it an added edge. It also brought us the concept of street basketball rather than sticking only to arenas. The street courts included in this game range from Goat Park to The Cage and Rucker Park, adding a new edge and a new way of playing.
NBA 2K14
2013 saw the NBA2K series take another leap forward, with better production values and a focus on LeBron James, who picked the songs on the soundtrack. James also appeared on the Path to Greatness mode, where players could control him during some of the most iconic moments in his career. It’s like the Jordan Challenge on NBA 2K11 but not as extensive.
The Park was also added in this version, allowing players to take their bespoke player to street games across the different street courts. This was also the debut of EuroLeague teams and fans loved the changes that made it better than ever. The addition of new signature skills with training camp and training drills means that games were even more varied than before.
