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NBA Playgrounds

Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genre: Sports
Publisher: Mad Dog
Developer: Saber Interactive
Release Date: May 9, 2017

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'NBA Playgrounds' (ALL) Online Switch Woes Gets You Free 'Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn'

by Rainier on June 2, 2017 @ 12:00 a.m. PDT

NBA Playgrounds is an officially NBA licensed arcade-style basketball game featuring both active and retired players.

Classic NBA arcade action is back! Take your “A” game to the playground and beat the best in high-flying 2-on-2 basketball action. Play as NBA superstars and legends from the past, including Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Steph Curry and Shaquille O'Neal.      

All 30 NBA teams are featured in NBA Playgrounds, as well an extensive roster of current and retired NBA players that you can level up over time.  Play solo, with friends in local and online multiplayer, or against the world in online tournaments. There are hundreds of over-the-top dunks and moves to unleash for show-stopping displays of acrobatic skill on lively playgrounds across the globe.

As a heartfelt thanks to the patience of its community, independent developer Saber Interactive has announced that anyone who purchased the recently released NBA Playgrounds on Nintendo Switch™prior to a pending update which will bring online play functionality to the game will receive a free copy of Saber’s Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn on Nintendo Switch when it launches this fall.

“We had every intention of launching online play for NBA Playgrounds on Nintendo Switch within days of release, but, despite our best efforts, it didn’t play out that way,” said Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber. “We sincerely apologize for the delay and want to let everyone know the fix will be coming very soon. But words are cheap, and games are not. So we’re giving everyone that bought NBA Playgrounds on Nintendo Switch before the online play patch hits a free copy of Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn on Switch when it is available this fall to express our gratitude.”

We are still working with our partners to determine exactly how NBA Playgrounds players will receive their free copy of Shaq Fu when it releases this Fall, but if you bought or buy in to NBA Playgrounds before the patch hits, you’re getting a free copy of Shaq Fu.

Saber has been interacting closely with the NBA Playgrounds community to release title updates for all platforms that reflect player interests. The first update is now live for PC and PS4, and will be live for Xbox One and Switch within days. 15 new players have been added, including Isaiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman, and Shaq can now be played with the various teams from his career. Challenge Mode, which allows players to challenge each other to online matches, has been added to the PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC versions, and will be added to the Nintendo Switch version once online play is live. Other additions include a new connection manager, which monitors the connection of players during ranked matches and penalizes disconnections from games that are made to avoid losing. Saber has also tweaked the entire shooting system, reworking the timing and adding a meter while clarifying the UI.

Saber’s focus going forward will be giving players new ways to compete with online tournament functionality, and dozens of new players will be released shortly.

Key Features:

  • Up your Game! Features a progression system to unlock real NBA players. Uncover new moves for each player as you upgrade their experience.
  • Tournaments and Online Play. Play solo, with friends in local and online multiplayer, or against the world in online tournaments.
  • Lottery Pick System. The lottery pick system introduces a new twist to the game by rewarding great play with unique rewards.
  • Massive Roster of NBA Superstars. Current and retired ballers from all the official NBA teams will be available at launch. Hundreds more NBA superstars will be added post-launch.
  • Over-the-top Moves. Timing is key, whether you’re shooting 3-pointers, pulling off major dunks, showing off your finger-roll game, or defying analytics and winning with long 2-pointers.

NBA Playgrounds is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC starting May 9, 2017 for $19.99


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