13 Best NBA 2K Games That You Should Know Update 03/2024

NBA 2K19

Every year, the NBA 2K series seems to take the basketball world by storm, and fans from all over the world buy the game in droves. NBA 2K is the most popular basketball game, just like FIFA is the most popular soccer game. This franchise is the best way for NBA fans to imagine being a professional basketball player because the roster is always being updated, the gameplay is always getting better, and there are an infinite number of game modes.

NBA 2K22 just came out, and most fans like it. Next-gen is here for real, and it’s been really cool to see how the graphics and game play have changed this year. But where does NBA 2K22 fall on the list of the best 2K games of all time? Here are the rankings for all 2K games, from the first one to the newest one coming out on September 10, 2021.

NBA 2K8

NBA 2K8

In some ways, NBA 2K8 didn’t live up to expectations. For example, there were a lot of lies about how players moved. Large centres could play lockdown defence on the perimeter, and finishing at the rim was a bit annoying because the animations were slow and jerky. If 2K had fixed these problems, 2K8 might have been a better game, but it’s still not as good as the other games that came out.

NBA 2K6

2K6 was not a bad game at all. Shaquille O’Neal was on the cover for the first of two years in a row. The graphics, sound, and gameplay were praised, and NBA 2K started to stand out from all the other basketball games. The main problem was that it didn’t get better than NBA 2K5, which upset some basketball fans.

NBA 2K19

NBA 2K19

There were some good things about NBA 2K19, like guest commentators and very good player faces, but 2K made better games. Since 2K19 wouldn’t change much from 2K18, it seemed like a game with updated rosters and small changes to how players moved. Most fans would agree that the game was still light years ahead of NBA Live.

NBA 2K18

When NBA 2K18 came out with Kyrie Irving on the cover, it promised a lot, and it did some of that. The gameplay was good, as expected from a 2K game, but “All-time Teams,” which had the best players from each NBA team’s history, was the big addition. The gameplay was a little better than in 2K17, but the game’s artificial intelligence (A.I.) was sometimes hard to understand.

NBA 2K20

When it came out, NBA 2K20 got mixed reviews, but it turned out to be a good game for NBA fans. After all, there’s no other game that comes close to NBA Live in terms of simulation gameplay and the number of features it has. Fans could also have fun playing 2K20 online, and making a player in “MyCareer” get better might have been the best part.

NBA 2K4

NBA 2K4

ESPN NBA BASKETBALL was a lot like NBA 2K4, but it didn’t have the “2K” part. Allen Iverson was on the cover, as he has been for the past few years. Some of the things ESPN NBA BASKETBALL changed the game forever were the improved passing, presentation, graphics, and streetball-style features. This game was really cool back then.

NBA 2K17

NBA 2K17 promised a lot of new game features with Paul George on the cover, and it delivered. For new players to the series, the practise facility was fun, and players liked being able to move and grow the NBA in player mode. The way the game was played also changed, becoming more focused on 3-point shots. This showed that simulation basketball was the main focus of the game.

NBA 2K21

NBA 2K21 added some great features to next-generation systems, such as different vibrations in the controllers and gameplay that reflects the NBA today. The only problem was the bad shot metre, which made a lot of fans angry when the game came out. Even though the shooting animations were bad, 2K21 was a good game because of its graphics, presentation, and large number of game modes.

NBA 2K3

NBA 2K3

Allen Iverson, a 2K legend, was on the cover of NBA 2K3, which was a sign that this would be a great game when it came out. Which was it? When 2K started working with ESPN for the first time, the game looked completely different and the presentation was rock solid. The gameplay was the same as in 2K2, but the graphics and how the player moved were much better.

ESPN NBA 2K5

This was the first NBA 2K game that didn’t have Allen Iverson on the cover. Instead, Ben Wallace, who had a big afro, was on the cover. Wallace was a fan favourite and might have been the best defender in the league, so he was a good choice. Still, 2K5 had good gameplay, and when it came out, fans could buy it for a low price.

NBA 2K1

NBA 2K1

Even though this game didn’t have graphics or a lot of game modes, it changed the way basketball games were made when it came out. NBA 2K1 took the first game and completely changed the gameplay and added real-world landmarks like Rucker Park. Of course, 2K1 was the first game in the basketball series to have online multiplayer.

NBA 2K7

NBA 2K7 was a lot of fun for NBA fans who still had a Playstation 2 or even a Playstation 3. As usual, it was a great game to play, and each player’s style was well reflected in the game. Fans also liked “Association Mode” and “Street Mode,” and it was hard to get bored with this, one of the best video games of the 2000s.

NBA 2K9 (84)

NBA 2K9 (84)

At this point, it was clear that the NBA 2K series was much better than NBA Live. Even though the EA Sports game from 2009 was good, NBA 2K9 just added to an already impressive history. Kevin Garnett, the NBA champion, was on the cover of this one.

The most important thing that made people like the experience was how real it was. Not only was the gameplay good, but the halftime shows and commentary were also great, and the HD graphics were by far the best up to that point. The only bad thing about it was that it didn’t add a lot of new modes.