NBA games have been popular for a long time, as many gamers also enjoy basketball—contrary to popular belief. However, there have been occasions where someone wouldn't be able to watch a game. This is because some basketball matches can often take a while to schedule, and this has been especially true over the last few months. Thankfully, the NBA 2K video games allow any fan to play basketball at any time whenever they please, as it tries to simulate the real-life experience as closely as possible.

RELATED: NBA 2K: Ridiculously Big Rating Drops Between Games

With so many of them having been released over the years, however, it's only natural that there are some 2K NBA games that are better than others. With that in mind, here are all of the NBA games of the twenty-tens, ranked from worst to best by their Metacritic ratings.

Updated July 4, 2021 by Tom Bowen: When it comes to basketball games, few can compete with 2K Sports' NBA 2K series. It's been a dominant force in the genre for more than two decades now and is responsible for much of the innovation found in modern basketball games. It does have a darker side too, however, with aggressive microtransactions having stained the series' reputation in recent years while also contributing to some of the worst Metacritic user scores of all time. This all started in the twenty-tens, although if some of the more recent NBA 2K games are anything to go by, looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.

13 NBA 2K Playgrounds

NBA Playgrounds

Developer:

Saber Interactive

Publisher:

Mad Dog Games

Platform(s):

PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch & PC

Release Date:

May 9, 2017

Metacritic Rating:

68

User Rating:

6.5

Cover Athlete(s):

Allen Iverson

Originally created with similarities to games like the NBA Jam or NBA Streets, NBA Playgrounds is designed to primarily be an arcade basketball game, holding a roster from both active as well as former NBA stars.

The player has to fill up a roster of these stars through different packs within the game, which come from game modes throughout NBA Playgrounds. The game released with mixed reception, and it was criticized for the slow pace of the single-player mode, as well as poor drops from the card packs.

12 NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2

Developer:

Saber Interactive

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch & PC

Release Date:

October 15, 2018

Metacritic Rating:

73

User Rating:

5.3

Cover Athlete(s):

Karl-Anthony Towns & Kevin Garnett

After gradually garnering enough sales, NBA Playgrounds eventually received a sequel. Released back in 2018 following a rather lengthy delay, it played very similarly to the previous title, while also making various adjustments and improvements.

Among these improvements were better online matchmaking, new playground options, and more. Despite the additions and improvements, however, the game was heavily criticized heavily for its aggressive microtransactions; something that is fast becoming synonymous with modern sports games.

11 NBA 2K20

NBA 2K20

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC & Mobile

Release Date:

September 6, 2019

Metacritic Rating:

80

User Rating:

1.5

Cover Athlete(s):

Anthony Davis & Dwyane Wade

One of the more recent entries in the NBA 2K lineup, NBA 2K20 offers a variety of new customizable settings to the game modes. For example, the game offers players the opportunity to create six expansion teams in the game modes: MyLeague and MyGM.

RELATED: NBA 2K21: The Biggest Player Rating Boosts Since Launch

These teams can also be relocated whenever the player desires. It is also the first time that the games have the WNBA teams appear in the series. However, NBA 2K20 was also heavily criticized for its excessive use of microtransactions in the MyTeam game mode.

10 NBA 2K19

NBA 2K19

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC & Mobile

Release Date:

September 11, 2018

Metacritic Rating:

83

User Rating:

2.9

Cover Athlete(s):

Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James & Ben Simmons

NBA 2K19 is the first game in the series that wasn't released for Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3. NBA 2K19 is also the first game in the franchise in which there is a CBA Mandarin Chinese option for the commentary of career mode.

In spite of it offering numerous gameplay improvements when compared to its predecessor, the game received a lot of criticism from players. As would be the case with its successor, its microtransaction practices left a sour taste in the mouths of many of those who purchased the game and led to widespread condemnation by players.

9 NBA 2K10

nba-2k10

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii & PC

Release Date:

October 6, 2009

Metacritic Rating:

85

User Rating:

7.5

Cover Athlete(s):

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant was the cover star for the series' eleventh installment, which was also the first of many to release for the PSP. NBA 2K10 introduced the hugely popular MyPlayer and Association modes, both of which would go on to feature in many of the franchise's future entries.

Though the game performed reasonably well with critics, many players were left disappointed with the game's online offerings as well as a number of bugs and technical issues which could sometimes lead to an incredibly choppy framerate. Some also criticized the game's A.I., with opposition teams and players occasionally behaving a little strangely leading to some pretty laughable moments.

8 NBA 2K18

NBA 2K18

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC & Mobile

Release Date:

September 19, 2017

Metacritic Rating:

87

User Rating:

1.6

Cover Athlete(s):

Kyrie Irving & Shaquille O'Neal

NBA 2K18 is the last game in the series to be released on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It is also the first game in the series to include the Neighbourhoods mode, which allows open-world game design and has fans meet star players.

RELATED: NBA 2K: Ridiculously Big Rating Jumps Between Games

The game was praised for its gameplay, but the microtransactions, as well as the poorly implemented Neighbourhoods mode, were heavily criticized by both players and critics alike. That said Visual Concepts would at least improve the latter in future entries.

7 NBA 2K14

NBA 2K14

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC & Mobile

Release Date:

October 1, 2013

Metacritic Rating:

87

User Rating:

5.0

Cover Athlete(s):

LeBron James

NBA 2K14 is the 15th installment in the entire series, and this one was also the best-selling sports game of the eighth generation. Boasting plenty of features like training camp mode, new signature skills, and more.

That being said, some critics have criticized the game's design, with a few finding the new dribble and shooting mechanic taking far too much getting used to. Others were happy to see a little innovation though; something that's far too often absent from annual sports sim franchises.

6 NBA 2K15

NBA 2K15

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One & PC

Release Date:

October 7, 2014

Metacritic Rating:

87

User Rating:

5.4

Cover Athlete(s):

Kevin Durant

NBA 2K15 introduces a couple of new game modes like the scanning system, an improved MyCareer mode, and a new coach satisfaction system. The coaching system, in particular, is voiced by Doc Rivers, head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, who will critique the player during gameplay.

All of this, combined with refined controls and customization options, help make it one of the best games in the NBA 2K series. However, it did receive some criticism due to numerous issues with the game's servers hampering online play.

5 NBA 2K16

NBA 2K16

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC & Mobile

Release Date:

September 29, 2015

Metacritic Rating:

87

User Rating:

6.7

Cover Athlete(s):

James Harden, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis & Michael Jordan

NBA 2K16 is considered by many to be one of the most ambitious NBA titles to date. The director, Spike Lee, had a heavy influence on the game and wanted the MyCareer mode to be focussed more on telling a story. His ultimate aim was to provide players with a more accurate depiction of the basketball life in general.

RELATED: NBA 2K: Current Stars That Started With Really Low Ratings

The end result was a game with a lot of content, most of which was well-received by players and critics. However, the game was still riddled with problems, such as technical issues and the MyCareer mode being a little too restrictive for some players' liking.

4 NBA 2K11

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii & PC

Release Date:

October 5, 2010

Metacritic Rating:

89

User Rating:

8.0

Cover Athlete(s):

Michael Jordan

NBA 2K11 is the game that kicked off the 2010s. Many game modes that were around before the creation of this game have been implemented here, but it also has a new mode called "Jordan Challenge."

The Jordan Challenge mode allows the player to play as Michael Jordan and go through his many accomplishments. By completing these accomplishments, the player is then rewarded with the shoes Michael Jordan wore throughout his career for use in the game.

3 NBA 2K12

NBA 2K12

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PC & Mobile

Release Date:

October 4, 2011

Metacritic Rating:

90

User Rating:

8.0

Cover Athlete(s):

Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan & Larry Bird

NBA 2K12 brought in a variety of new changes, most of which went down incredibly well with longtime fans of the series. These include a variety of new quality-of-life elements that, in the opinions of most, made it a much better game than NBA 2K11.

Among other things, the game featured new teams, fixed the control mechanics, and made the MyPlayer mode more engaging for both old and new fans alike. NBA 2K12 also offers an "NBA's Greatest" mode, which allows players to reignite past moments with old teams like the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers led by Magic Johnson.

2 NBA 2K13

NBA 2K13

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, PC & Mobile

Release Date:

October 2, 2012

Metacritic Rating:

90

User Rating:

8.0

Cover Athlete(s):

Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant & Derrick Rose

NBA 2K13 allows for all of the dribble mechanics in the game to be mapped within the right analog stick. This allows for everything to be simplified. Not only that, but the shots are now done on the fly to make the gameplay more dynamic.

NBA 2K13 also introduces a brand new physics engine that allows for better collisions in real-time as well as each player character having an ability mechanic, allowing the game to be more dynamic compared to its predecessors

1 NBA 2K17

NBA 2K17

Developer:

Visual Concepts

Publisher:

2K Sports

Platform(s):

PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC & Mobile

Release Date:

September 20, 2016

Metacritic Rating:

90

User Rating:

6.0

Cover Athlete(s):

Paul George, Pau Gasol & Kobe Bryant

NBA 2K17 brings in more quality of life improvements to the basic basketball simulation formula. These include changes to the settings that allow for more customization, as well as brand new presentation qualities.

If that weren't enough already, NBA 2K17 also brings in major improvements towards the MyGM and MyLeague game modes, with the former, in particular, aiming to have a much more realistic focus. The game was widely praised by critics as a result, making it one of the best NBA 2K games not just of the 2010s, but of all time.

NEXT: NBA Playoff Teams Ranked By NBA 2K21 Player Stats