NBA The Run! The Arcade Basketball Game We Dreamed Of

NBA The Run is a new arcade basketball game that draws heavy inspiration from NBA Street.

Before we get started, I want to make one thing clear: this game is developed by Play By Play Studios, an indie studio founded in 2021 by industry veterans from EA Sports, Visceral Games, and Sony. Even though the team has experience working on some huge franchises, NBA The Run is its own thing.

Yes, it takes inspiration from NBA Street, but this is not a remaster or remake. Personally, I consider it more of a spiritual successor. If you’re going into this expecting EA to have secretly revived NBA Street, you’re probably going to be disappointed. That said, I’ve been following this game for quite a while and have played all of the betas leading up to launch. For this review, I received a copy on steam, although I also played on my PS5 during one of the beta tests.

Game Modes

Starting out, the game is pretty straightforward. There are three main modes:

• Knockout Solos
• Knockout Squads
• Private Matches

Both Knockout modes are essentially 3v3, four-round tournaments. Every time you win a tournament, you’re rewarded with a trophy. If you’re playing Squads, you control one character while your teammates control the other two. In Solos, you control all three players yourself. I enjoy both modes, but I have to be honest, playing Squads with random teammates was rough. On the other hand, when I played with friends, we went undefeated during one of the betas with a ridiculous 44-0 record.

Every Round Feels Different

One of the things I love most about NBA The Run is how every round in a tournament has its own unique ruleset. One match might make every shot worth one point, while the next round could make dunks worth three points. These changing rules keep every tournament feeling fresh and force players to think strategically when building their squad. This feature adds a surprising amount of depth because you can’t simply rely on one playstyle throughout an entire tournament.

Roster and Character Abilities

The game currently features around 30 players, with roughly one representative from most NBA teams. Unfortunately, I did notice my Atlanta Hawks didn’t have anyone in the game. Every player has unique strengths, weaknesses, and an “In The Zone” ability.

“In The Zone” serves as The Run’s version of Gamebreaker and functions similarly to Takeover in the NBA 2K series. As players perform well during games, their meter fills up. Once activated, they receive a powerful boost tailored to their playstyle.

For example:

• Steph Curry’s ability is Deep Threat, allowing him to hit shots from virtually anywhere.
• Victor Wembanyama‘s ability is Paint Protector, turning him into a shot-blocking machine.

The developers did an excellent job making each character feel unique. There’s enough variety to keep the roster interesting, and I’m definitely hoping they continue adding more players over time. In fact, they’ve already started. Kyrie Irving wasn’t available initially and was added just four days before launch.

Gameplay: Easy to Learn, Hard to Master

Every player starts with a core moveset that includes:

• Spin left
• Spin right
• Stepback
• Push off

After community feedback during the betas, the developers expanded the move system. Holding L1 now unlocks modified stepbacks and faster spins. They also added trick moves and combos. By pressing Circle on PlayStation or B on Xbox, players can perform flashy streetball moves like:

• Slip N Slide
• Shamgod
• Skip To My Lou

And several others.

However, there’s a catch. If you attempt these moves with players who have low ball-handling ratings, you can literally lose your footing and turn the ball over. Shooting is timing-based, so you’ll need to learn individual jump shot animations. Perfect releases result in a green shot, and the basketball literally catches on fire. This adds another layer to the gameplay, but honestly, shooting isn’t overly difficult, and that’s perfectly fine with me. I like the arcade feel. The developers also made shot contests much stronger. If defenders properly challenge a shot and the shooter doesn’t green the release, there’s a very good chance they’ll miss. Big men like Wemby can also goaltend, but timing is important. Spamming jump won’t work. You have to read the play correctly. What I appreciate most is that the game follows a simple philosophy:

Everything is overpowered, but everything has a counter.

If Steph Curry is lighting you up from deep, you need to be patient and time your contests. If Wembanyama is camping in the paint, use pump fakes to get him off his feet. Nothing feels completely broken because every strategy has an answer.

Strategy Actually Matters

This is where those rotating tournament rules become even more important. You need a balanced squad. One game might reward outside shooting. The next game could heavily favor dunking. If your entire strategy revolves around shooting threes, you’re going to struggle. If all you do is rim run, you’ll run into problems too. You need to adapt and build balanced lineups. But most importantly, you actually need to play basketball. The result is a gameplay loop that feels incredibly fast and addictive. Matches move quickly, and there were times I got into such a rhythm that I completely lost track of time. This game is genuinely fun.

The Cons

As much as I’ve enjoyed NBA The Run, it’s not perfect.

No True Offline Mode

My biggest issue is the lack of an offline mode. At launch, you must be connected online just to start the game. You can technically play against AI opponents in private knockout matches, but that’s not really the same thing. I would’ve preferred a dedicated offline tournament mode with its own progression system, especially for portable play. I tested the game on the Steam Deck, and it runs great on the go. The problem is that I still need access to Wi-Fi.

Content Can Feel Barebones

The second concern is content. During the Beta I played 11 tournaments in a row and started feeling some burnout from the gameplay loop. Playing with friends definitely helps keep things fresh, but I do wonder what the long-term content roadmap looks like.

Progression and Unlockables

One thing that can be viewed as either a pro or a con depending on your perspective: There are NO microtransactions. Everything must be earned through gameplay. Winning matches rewards Cred, with victories typically earning around 50 Cred per match and tournament wins rewarding roughly 3-400 Cred.

Cred can be spent on:

• Taunts
• Dunks
• Jerseys
• Character Variations

Character Variations are especially interesting. At launch, players can unlock alternate versions of 5 stars:

• LeBron James (Rookie Cleveland)
• Kevin Durant (Rookie Seattle Supersonics)
• Luka Dončić (Rookie Mavericks)
• Stephen Curry (Rookie Version)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Rookie Clippers)

These aren’t just cosmetic skins. Each variation has unique stats and abilities. For example, standard Lakers LeBron is a well-rounded player with the “Going Off” ability, which boosts speed, strength, and jumping. His Rookie Cleveland variation has maxed out dunking and aura ratings, along with the “Posterizer” ability. These versions are absolutely worth checking out. The downside?

Each variation costs 5,000 Cred. That’s a serious grind. The standard edition costs $30, while the Deluxe Edition costs $40 and includes Rookie KD, Rookie Luka, and 1,000 Cred. Because progression is fairly grind heavy and there are no microtransactions to speed things up, some players may find the Deluxe Edition worth considering.

Future Wishlist

My final criticism is the roster size. I understand the game is still new, and the developers have already stated they plan to add more players. So rather than a complaint, this is more of a suggestion. I’d love to see two or three players representing every NBA team. I’d also love to see NBA Legends eventually make their way into the game. I’m sure licensing costs would make that challenging, but a Legends update would be a huge draw and could bring a lot of players back. Personally, I’d love a progression system where players unlock legends by completing single-player or co-op tournaments across different courts. Imagine traveling from court to court, defeating legendary teams, and earning classic NBA icons as rewards. Not only would that add replay ability, but it would also create a natural opportunity to introduce offline content. But that’s just my two cents.

Final Verdict

In conclusion, NBA The Run is a fantastic arcade basketball game that delivers a ton of fun from start to finish. While it isn’t perfect, it represents a major step in the right direction and helps fill a long-standing void in the arcade sports genre. At just $30, it’s an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a fast-paced, entertaining basketball experience. I’ll definitely be supporting this game because I want to see more from Play By Play Studios in the future. Hopefully, NBA The Run also serves as inspiration for the gaming industry as a whole to revisit and invest in the often overlooked world of arcade sports. This genre has been missing for far too long, and games like this prove there’s still plenty of demand for it.