If the Switch is short of prominent games in one particular genre, it's sports. We have quite a lot of spin-offs, retro or Indie takes on different athletic pursuits, but various big-time retail sport games pass the system by, or we get 'legacy' versions that are rather rubbish and out-of-touch with the proper version – yes, FIFA.
2K has been a bit better in this regard, at least with its basketball entries. Each year they arrive and typically serve up all of the same modes and content as other versions, even if we have to endure some technical issues in cutscenes, for example. It's no surprise, then, that NBA 2K22 is confirmed to be continuing this trend, arriving on 10th September.
Once again there are no distinctions made in terms of Switch features at this stage – Nintendo's system is getting both main retail options, so that means it'll also have the story mode and those microtransactions. The only distinction is that the more expensive 'Anniversary Edition' will be digital only in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The standard edition will be $59.99USD, while the Anniversary Edition (featuring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant on the cover) will be $99.99USD.
As is the norm, the anniversary edition justifies the additional cost with a special cover and a variety of virtual currency / MyTeam extras.
- 100K Virtual Currency (VC)
- 10K MyTeam Points
- 10 MyTeam Tokens
- 22 MyTeam Promo Packs (Receive 10 at launch, then 3 per week for 4 weeks)
- Sapphire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant MyTeam Cards
- Diamond Jordan Shoe MyTeam card
- Coach Card MyTeam pack
- 10 Boosts for each MyCAREER Skill Boost type
- 10 Boosts for each Gatorade Boost type
- 4 Cover Athlete T-Shirts for your MyPLAYER
- MyPLAYER backpack and arm sleeve.
- Custom-design skateboard for MyPLAYER
In North America there will also be special versions that, for the first time, features a WNBA star, while there'll also be an alternative cover in Japan:
In North America, players can purchase a special version of the Standard Edition featuring six-time WNBA All Star and WNBA Champion, Candace Parker, on the cover and available exclusively through GameStop and EB Games. Parker’s appearance is a milestone for NBA 2K: the first female cover athlete in the history of the franchise. The Chicago Sky star’s cover feature is the latest step in NBA 2K’s ongoing initiatives to feature women prominently in the game. In Japan, players can also purchase a special version of the Standard Edition that features Washington Wizards Rui Hachimura, a rising star who was the first Japanese player to be drafted in the first round in 2019 and first Japanese player to reach the NBA Playoffs.
As an annual franchise this is a series that, naturally, tends to have small incremental changes in each new entry. Nevertheless we were still impressed by the last release in our NBA 2K21 review, once we figured out how its new shooting mechanic worked.
Are you planning to pick up this new version on Switch?
