The series of sports simulation video games known as NBA 2K is commonly seen as the premier basketball game franchise, but there is no doubt that some of the games in the series have been stronger than others. While it has received annual updates since its original release in 1999, helping to keep the title relevant for every basketball season, not every game has felt like a slam dunk. The best NBA 2K Games have robust features, sophisticated systems, and dynamic gameplay that make them evergreen.
Appropriately debuting with NBA 2Kthe franchise became an instant threat to EA Sports NBA livethe basketball title that was at the top of the food chain at the time. Over the decades, 2K so routinely beat Live that competing publisher, EA, canceled games and restarted its series. With over two decades of entries, it’s interesting to look back and see which of the NBA 2K titles are the best. Ranking the best NBA 2K games helps showcase the franchise’s peak, and weighing the pros and cons of each can help future players know which game is worth their time in the large catalog of games. 2K titles.
20
NBA 2K22 (Released September 2021)
Metacritic Score 76
In Screen Rant’s analysis of NBA 2K22Rumor has it this edition of the game shines on the courtwhich is obviously the most important part of a basketball simulation game. There are some areas where the series was trying to balance things out, like the format of the MyCareer mode, but there are still enough engaging things to do in the virtual basketball game that it makes up for a lot of the growing pains that NBA 2K was experiencing at this moment in its history.
At the time when NBA 2K22 was released, the 2K the series had been adding many non-basketball elements with things to do in the city. This included everything from getting a cup of coffee to skateboarding, but with so many different things they were focusing on, some fans said it started to be a little too much. His updates to MyTeam, MyCareer and other areas that emphasize a basketball focus were well done and a positive step.
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NBA 2K20 (Released September 2019)
Metacritic Score 78
NBA 2K20 is far from being a franchise, looking like just another NBA 2K installment in many ways. These problems were compounded by monetization that alienated many fans and critics from the game. A 78 in Metacritic It’s a solid score, but it represents rather low marks for a generally acclaimed series overall, and unfortunately, the series only suffered a further decline with the next year’s entry only achieving a score of 68.
NBA 2K20 was criticized mainly for lack of innovation or change of the previous year.
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NBA 2K23 (Released September 2022)
Metacritic score 78, User score 4.4
Although the strong emphasis on microtransactions considerably harms NBA 2K23 on your review scores. The pay-to-win aspect of its microtransactions makes MyCareer’s online modes nearly impossible to win without spending a significant amount of money. However, for those who don’t play online, the game offers some of the best mechanics for balanced gameplay with smarter AI players than previous years.
NBA 2K23 also introduced several retro nostalgic modes that touch on the history of basketball, as well as several other modes that can keep players interested for countless hours. Overall, it’s not even close to being the best in the series, but it still offers many exciting hours of gameplay with a realistic feel.
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NBA 2K25 (Released September 2024)
Metacritic Score 79, User Score 5.8
NBA 2K25 came in the wake of poorly evaluated NBA 2K24and we certainly learned from the mistakes of the previous year. NBA 2K25 significantly updated the game engine to make it more realistic, improved players’ offensive and defensive strategies, and added over 9,000 moves and animations. The series’ ProPLAY system has also been greatly improved to translate the real-life movements of basketball players into the video game, even adding unique shots for each player.
As if that wasn’t enough, NBA 2K25 revised its dribbling engine for the first time in 15 yearsproviding much more precise movements and immersive qualities. Additionally, the popular MyCAREER and MyPLAYER modes have received significant updates, even allowing MyPLAYER characters to have their stats compared to greats like Michael Jordan.
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NBA 2K19 (Released September 2018)
Metacritic score 82, user score 2.9
When a game series has been around for so long, it’s bound to fall into traps of sameness and even obsolescence at points. NBA 2K19 is a clear representation of that. The reviews certainly weren’t bad, with an 82 out of Metacriticbut it missed the mark compared to some previous entries and fell victim to some criticism from users who were disappointed with it, bringing its user score to 2.9.
The game nailed everything it had in the past, but at this point, it was much of what fans expected and knew. I needed something to rejuvenate things, which didn’t happen.
15
NBA 2K10 (released October 2009)
Metacritic Score 82
It could be argued that the greatest player to ever appear on the cover of these games was Kobe Bryant, the cover athlete of the NBA 2K10 and who made a return appearance to NBA 2K21. NBA 2K10 was a very important entry in the series for one main reason: was the installment that marked the debut of the MyPlayer modewhich remains a favorite more than a decade later.
Of course, the mode had some kinks to work out, but it was still a well-received addition to the franchise. The game had some technical issues, especially at launch, but not enough to stop it from achieving a score of 82 on Metacritic.
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NBA 2K15 (released October 2014)
Metacritic Score 83
In many ways, the mid-2010s was a golden age for the franchise, as NBA 2K continued adding new features to keep things fresh and spice up an already excellent game. With NBA 2K15MyCareer is better than ever and has added a coaching advice feature. That’s it new innovative scanning feature has also been introducedallowing players to scan their faces and have them appear in the game. This allowed NBA players to be customized to look like the person behind the controller and was a fun and engaging feature that helped the game earn 83 points. Metacritic.
13
NBA 2K7 (released September 2006)
Metacritic Score 84
NBA 2K7 was a satisfying entry into the series, only let down by disappointing character models and poor animation. While these issues were very clear and detracted from the game’s overall presentation, the game shined in almost every other area. The gameplay was once again a success, but also had well-received aspects, such as Association mode and Street modewho helped earn 84 in Metacritic. An interesting but small addition came as a great PlayStation exclusive feature where players could shoot free throws by mimicking the real motion of a shot.
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NBA 2K9 (released October 2008)
Metacritic Score 84
By this time, it was quite clear that the NBA 2K franchise was light years ahead of NBA live. Although the 2009 version of the EA Sports game was solid NBA 2K9 continued to add something to an already impressive legacyputting NBA champion Kevin Garnett on the cover. The main reason for the positive reception and 84 in Metacritic it was how realistic the experience was. Not only was the gameplay up to par, but things like the halftime shows and commentary were fantastic, while the HD visuals were easily the best up to that point. The only negative was that it didn’t add many new modes.
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NBA 2K14 (released October 2013)
Metacritic Score 84
NBA 2K14 scored a solid 84 on Metacriticwhich showed some consistency for the franchise with most games arriving in the mid-80s. 2K14 it brought the LeBron James: Path to Greatness mode, Euroleague teams and a stellar soundtrack. In fact, James did more than simply pose for the cover and was also part of the curation of the game’s soundtrack and worked as an unofficial producer for game developers. This helped make it feel more like a realistic NBA experience.
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ESPN NBA 2K5 (released September 2004)
Metacritic Score 85
The ESPN license was added to the series in a big way with ESPN NBA Basketball before ESPNNBA 2K5 arrived. ESPN’s presentation was arguably the one that stole the show, but it ended after this edition. That was a historic entry as it was the last NBA game released by Sega before the company’s history was changed by a sale to a larger corporation. The game featured Ben Wallace on the cover, making him the first player other than Allen Iverson to do so. It featured modes such as 24/7 and Membership, and although both features received mixed responses, the game earned a score of 85 on Metacritic.
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NBA 2K16 (released September 2015)
Metacritic Score 87
NBA 2K16 it was another NBA 2K edition with a great cover athlete, Stephen Curry, at the forefront and a game that more than lived up to his legacy. One year after the success of NBA 2K15, 2K Sports I tried to increase the bet once again, and most of the time I was right. The coolest new feature this time was the ability to relocate a team while playing MyGM or MyLeague. This meant that players could bring back iconic franchises like the Seattle SuperSonics and show off their creativity when designing their unique teams in the game. The game earned 87 in Metacritic and remains a fan favorite.
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NBA 2K13 (released September 2012)
Metacritic Score 88
Although NBA 2K13 did not surpass the two previous installments, justifying its Metacritic score of 88, maintaining the momentum of the sports gaming renaissance that was happening in the gaming community around it. Although it highlighted promising athletes on its cover; Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin, the game maintained its movement of including more classic teams. In NBA 2K13, the 1992 and 2013 US Olympic basketball teams were added. ​​​​​​​
The game also featured a Shoe Creator mode with legitimate brands and an All-Star Weekend mode.
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NBA 2K17 (released September 2016)
Metacritic Score 88
NBA 2K17 won your Metacritic score of 88 when using the MyLeague mode that was introduced in NBA 2K16 and expand it to allow all 30 existing teams to be relocated and expansion teams to be added. That made it so players could create a unique league with their own teams, cities and more and could even control and change the rules within the league. This was unprecedented and allowed for more creativity and customization in the game. The gameplay, presentation, and other usual aspects were also highly praised, with All-Star basketball player Paul George gracing the cover.
6
ESPN NBA Basketball (launched October 2003)
Metacritic Score 89
For the 2004 basketball season, things changed a bit as the NBA 2K series tried to rename itself. Although it confused some players looking for their NBA 2K4 game, was titled ESPN NBA Basketball. This was the only year the series released a game without the iconic 2K in the title, and despite fans not liking the new name, it was still a popular game with a Metacritic score of 89 and was the penultimate title before the official formation of 2K Sports. ESPN NBA Basketball presented unique facial designs for each player, improved the passing system, focused on 24/7 mode, included many aspects of streetballand was highly praised for its gameplay, graphics and presentation.
5
NBA 2K3 (released October 2002)
Metacritic Score 89
NBA 2K3 comes from the early days of the basketball simulation series and was really a part of when the game was at its peak. The developers are off to a good start, with the first three years being some of the highest-rated entries of all time. There wasn’t much innovation during these early years, keeping many of the game mechanics that were working, although some major updates were made to 2K3particularly the updates made to Franchise Mode that helped it feel more in-depth. ​​​​​​​
NBA 2K3 it also marked the beginning of a partnership with ESPN, making the game feel more real than any other game to date and gained a Metacritic score of 89.
4
NBA 2K2 (released October 2001)
Metacritic Score 89
In the first days of NBA 2K games, the series was made by Sega and therefore the first two games were made and released exclusively for the Sega Dreamcast. This changed with NBA 2K2as it was made more widely available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube consoles. This entry was also important to the series for being the first to introduce realistic abilities to players. This meant that shooting from the right place on the court was important for specific playersand laid the groundwork for things like player personalities in later episodes. This game also added modes, improved the defensive side of things, added legends, and received a Metacritic score of 89.
3
NBA 2K11 (released September 2010)
Metacritic Score 89
NBA 2K11 it was a marked improvement over the series’ titles released in previous years, which began to feel like the series was in slow decline. With NBA 2K11the NBA 2K line was rejuvenated, earning a score of 89 in Metacritic. Although there were many reasons for this, the most exciting thing was having Michael Jordan on the cover, who hadn’t played in several years. Its new Jordan Challenge mode was highly praised, as players were given the chance to recreate its most iconic moments. A good soundtrack and features like D-League in Association mode combined with excellent core gameplay to position NBA 2K11 at the height of the franchise.
2
NBA 2K12 (released October 2011)
Metacritic Score 90
Instead of just sitting back and letting NBA 2K11 do all the work, developers at 2K Sports took the concepts he introduced and improved them to NBA 2K12 adding Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as the new cover athletes and embracing the idea of ​​paying homage to past stars and classic teams. The improved realism compared to previous games helped this game on its way to 90 onwards. Metacritic. THE NBA 2K MyPlayer mode has received a major update, helping to make it one of the most popular modes in any sports game. The use of updated rosters was welcomed, as rookies were not initially included due to the NBA lockout that year.
1
NBA 2K1 (released November 2000)
Metacritic Score 93
It’s incredible to realize that the highest-rated games in the series’ history came so early, with 2K1 earning 93 in Metacritic. NBA 2K1 Could still be a solid throwback for nostalgic fanseven if it is no longer the highlight it used to be. This shows that these games helped change things, although these entries didn’t have the customizable options or in-depth features that future ones had. The initial NBA 2K had solid reviews, but NBA 2K1 took things up a notch with improved gameplay and was the first to feature online multiplayer.
Sources: Metacritic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)