Basketball Classics Review: A Retro-Inspired Winner | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Also on: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox

Price: $14.99

I’m not the biggest fan of basketball, so when a basketball game is able to capture my attention, it usually means it’s a fantastic experience. That’s exactly what Basketball Classics has done. Its arcade-style gameplay, mixed with stat tracking and presentation, makes for a really fun time, something I haven’t experienced since Tecmo Super NBA Basketball on the SNES.

For starters, the presentation impressed me. The game leans into 8-bit graphics, but the animation is probably the most unsung hero here. It’s one thing to see players dribble the ball, but there’s so much character conveyed with so little. Whether it’s a player raising their hand to call for a pass or jumping to block a shot, I found myself forgetting that it’s all done in 8-bit graphics.

Another thing that stands out is the slam dunks. There are three different animations and two mini-games associated with them. The first is an uncontested dunk, shown from a courtside angle behind the basket, as the player throws down a one-handed slam. If that’s all the game offered, I would have been a bit disappointed. I wouldn’t have faulted it, but after a few of those dunks, the animation would have started to feel repetitive.

Thankfully, the other two animations add a lot more flavor. The first happens when there’s an opponent next to me while I’m going in for a dunk. In this case, there’s a close-up of my player being chased by the defender. I need to mash the B button to outrun the opponent, who is doing the same.

My player’s skills also factor into whether the dunk is successful. If I can’t pull away, or if I’m on defense and manage to catch up to the ballhandler, the dunk gets blocked.

The other slam dunk mini-game is my favorite. This one is triggered when I’m going for a dunk, or blocking one, and the opponent is right next to me, or when I'm close to the basket, but not too close to trigger the first animation I spoke of. Again, there’s a close-up of the action, and I need to hit the up, down, left, and right buttons to perform different tricks. Pressing down brings the ball low, pressing up brings it high, and left or right spins my player.

There are three positions to work with, high, middle, and low, while the opponent tries to predict where I’ll end up with the ball. Player stats also come into play here. If I’m using a player with strong dunk ratings, I can perform more moves before reaching the basket, as my player slowly moves forward with each action. Eventually, I get too close to continue, and it’s time to finish the dunk.

If the opponent doesn’t match my final position, I score. If they do, the dunk is blocked.

Another fun touch is that the game names each successful dunk. For example, moving from high to low results in a “high to low” dunk, while adding a spin might turn it into something like “180 high to low.” I had a blast experimenting with different combinations just to see what names I could trigger.

There are three different game modes: quick play, story, and season. Quick play is exactly what the name implies, a single game. The story mode involves unlocking legendary basketball players. While they aren’t named, I can tell who they are by their portraits. I can also edit any player and rename them, which is one of my favorite aspects of Basketball Classics.

The season mode is where I spent most of my time. Here, I pick a team and play through an entire season. The game tracks season stats, like most points, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, blocks, rebounds, and assists. As I mentioned previously, none of the players are named in the game, but I can edit all of their names, which I did.

During the game, I’m shown the halftime stats. There’s quite a bit of information presented, and it adds to the immersion, making it feel like I’m watching an actual televised game. Speaking of presentation, I love that at halftime there are several different images that appear on the screen, almost like I’m watching a halftime show. Then it cuts to an image of the sports broadcasters. Although they don’t say anything, it’s a nice touch.

At the end of the season, there’s a simulated sports broadcast that displays the top teams in the league, along with the top defensive player and the MVP. Then the playoffs begin, and a champion is crowned.

This is my one complaint. Once the season ends, I have to start all over. I would have loved to see the next season begin, with trades and drafts.

Final Grade: A-

I spent a lot of time with Basketball Classics. The arcade-style gameplay, along with the presentation and attention to detail, makes this game an instant classic for me. Inspired by retro games, the graphics are 8-bit, but the amount of animation and detail made me forget the pixel limitations.

The fact that there’s a season mode with stat tracking, and that I can edit any of the players, really won me over. If you’re a fan of games like Tecmo Super NBA Basketball, you need to check out Basketball Classics.

Review code provided by Acclaim, Inc. and Namo Gamo