Switch ports of other major sports franchises like FIFA and WWE have not been great. The problems range from missing features, dated physics and animations in FIFA to sluggishness and slowdowns in WWE. So I was extremely sceptical when I booted up NBA 2K19 on the Nintendo Switch. To my surprise, it turned out to be extremely solid basketball game you can take anywhere with you.
Naturally, the game will look worse than other platforms and it runs at 30 fps as opposed to 60 fps. If you’re used to the console/PC version, the Switch edition will immediately feel like a downgrade. But that doesn’t stop it from being a good game on its own. The action on the field hasn’t been changed that much but the Switch is noticeably better than last year’s thanks to the character models, animations and more stable frame rate. Everything else is pretty much the same.
You will have access to the complete NBA 2K19 experience, which is the same content as the console versions. Whether you want to play the story mode, take control as a general manager, play some hoops in the streets or go online; its all there. The presentation remains a highlight of the series. From the panel hosts to the commentary, its top of the line.
The story in MyCareer is called The Way Back, and it follows the journey of a player created character who apparently isn’t good enough for the NBA. He then goes to China in order to find success. The silly story, filled with drama and cameos, is mostly entertaining.
NBA 2K19 on the Nintendo Switch is a good version of a great game. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles present on other platforms, and the reduced frame rate does affect the responsiveness. But it holds up way better than other third party games on the Switch because of the lack of compromises when it comes to features or gameplay.
