Tag Archives: Indie Gaming

It’s always cool to see people in our community trying their hand at game design, in addition to tinkering with Triple-A and indie releases! SexCurryBeats has been doing some excellent work with NBA 2K26 mods, but he’s also been developing a basketball game of his own: Alley Hoops. The game is currently in pre-alpha, and he’s uploaded it to our database so that the community can check it out and provide some feedback.

You can download Alley Hoops at the link below! If you have any feedback, be sure to post it in this Forum topic. A reminder that in addition to NBA Live and NBA 2K, our Downloads database is open to mods and modding tools for other basketball video games, as well as game releases and demos such as this. And so, to any developers out there, please feel free to use our facilities and share your games in our Forum!

SexCurryBeats
Alley Hoops Pre-Alpha

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #631 of the NLSC Podcast!

The second closed beta for NBA The Run took place last weekend, and we both had a chance to participate! To that end, this week we’re providing more detailed hands-on impressions of the upcoming arcade streetball game from Play By Play Studios, as well as discussing whether or not it’s worth the newly-announced price tag. We also clear up some misconceptions about the game in regards to solo play, and react to some of the toxic positivity that’s sadly stifling constructive feedback. Our fellow basketball gamers also have some strong thoughts on NBA The Run coming out of the second closed beta, which they shared in response to this week’s community question.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:08:07 — 47.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #625 of the NLSC Podcast!

Namo Gamo – now partnered with the newly-revived Acclaim – has announced Super Basketball Classics, a follow-up to the original Basketball Classics that was released back in 2019. Whereas the first game paid tribute to the 8-bit era of hoops, the new game will be a throwback to the 16-bit era of basketball gaming. Among other enhancements, the game also will star the Harlem Globetrotters. This week, we share our thoughts on what we know about Super Basketball Classics so far, and also make some suggestions regarding what we’d like to see in terms of gameplay, modes, and features. Suffice it to say, we’re keen to see what Josh and Dave have cooked up with this sequel to a fantastic release.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 43:57 — 30.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on the attainability of the NBA license for video game developers and publishers.

As Dee and I discussed on last week’s NLSC Podcast, we have some concerns when it comes to NBA The Run. While we’re happy to see another basketball video game in the space – one that has the NBA license, no less – we’re not so thrilled about it being an exclusively online PvP title. The snippets of gameplay that we’ve seen so far have also left us feeling sceptical. Irrespective of how successful NBA The Run turns out to be – and again, we absolutely want to see alternatives to NBA 2K – it may not be the game for us. That’s just the way it goes, sometimes.

However, in a way, NBA The Run has already enjoyed a measure of success. What began as an unlicensed streetball game comprised solely of fictional characters now has the NBA license. More to the point, the NBA reached out to Play By Play Studios to discuss a partnership. Obviously that was great news for the game that started life as The Run: Got Next, but it also bodes well for other developers, and ultimately us as gamers. It demonstrates that the NBA isn’t interested in an exclusive deal with 2K or any other developer, and that they’re willing to work with smaller studios. In short, if you’re developing a basketball video game, the NBA license appears to be attainable.

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We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some suggestions for indie developers who may be interested in making a basketball game.

Even as someone who grew up with video games, I never really dreamed of working in the industry. Way back in 2008, I did receive an offer to join the NBA Live team, an opportunity that I ultimately turned down for personal reasons. Of course, given what was on the horizon with NBA Elite 11, there’s a very good chance that I’d have been back in Australia and running the NLSC again within a couple of years anyway! In any case, even though I remain passionate about video games, creating one isn’t my calling. It’s a fanciful thought, but it is indeed a fantasy more than a dream.

If nothing else, I simply don’t have the skills and knowhow to create a game, and I somehow doubt that a major studio will randomly offer me creative control over a project of my choosing! When it comes to video games, I’m a consumer, critic, and content creator, and that’s absolutely fine by me. With that being said, I still have some ideas about games that I’d like to see, in particular basketball titles. Obviously that includes new NBA Live, NBA Jam, and NBA Street releases, but the indie scene also has a ton of potential. To that end, I’d like to throw out a few ideas! If you’re an indie developer who is considering creating a basketball video game, may I suggest…

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #586 of the NLSC Podcast!

Although we generally focus on the Triple-A scene, there’s definitely untapped potential for the virtual hardwood and blacktop in the indie gaming space. To that end, this week we discuss The Dunkers, a 2D indie basketball title that’s currently available in Early Access on Steam. Following a competitive session with the game, we’re hoping that it will continue to be updated and ultimately fulfil its potential! We also once again touch on the possibility of EA Sports returning to basketball gaming with NBA Live or a college basketball game. Little did we know that a big announcement was on the horizon, so we’ll undoubtedly be coming back to this topic in the very near future!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 47:37 — 33.1MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

Episode #357 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this week’s show.

This week we’re interviewing Andy Hull, the creator of Dunk Lords and programmer on Spelunky! Andy talks about his background in programming and breaking into the industry, which included a stint making wooden toys. He also provides us with several insights into the development of Dunk Lords, which began life as a prototype called Buckets of Blood. We also talk about NBA Jam and Andy’s other video gaming influences, how working on Spelunky helped him to go on to create his own game, and ask a few listener questions that were sent in for this week’s special edition of the mailbag.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:53:56 — 78.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

What’s your take on this week’s conversation? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Episode #346 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this week’s show.

Controversy strikes as an unskippable ad has made its way into NBA 2K21 Current Gen. It isn’t the first time this generation, but the backlash has prompted a statement from 2K, one that we find questionable. This prompts us to recall other controversies, and the tendency for some gamers to make excuses for them time after time. We also talk about the logistics of an indie developer making a fully 3D 5v5 basketball title. With the release of the third gameplay blog for NBA 2K21 Next Gen, we have our first look at MyPLAYER builds and AI improvements. Once again, the included clips seem to tell a different story to what’s been written in the blog. The changes to builds, Badges, and the Takeover system leads to a discussion of stories and RPG mechanics in MyCAREER. After summing up our thoughts on the gameplay blogs, we dive into a fun topic: the amazing fictional NBA team names in Super Dunk Shot!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:21:55 — 97.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

What’s your take on this week’s conversation? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as suggestions for topics that you’d like to hear us discuss in future episodes. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Episode #306 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! It’s an episode of returns as Arcane joins the show for the first time since August last year, and Josh and Dave from Namo Gamo are our guests for the second time. Dee4Three is also along for the ride as we talk about Basketball Classics, retro gaming, and the NBA.

Version 1.0 of Basketball Classics launched on Steam last year, so we’re glad to welcome Josh and Dave from Namo Gamo back to the show! We chat about the journey from Early Access to full launch, and how the game has grown since it first became available to the public. The game will be supported for some time to come, as the guys have some great plans for future updates, and are also looking at feedback from the community. To that end, we even managed to workshop a few ideas while we were recording! We also compare indie and AAA gaming, reminisce about old favourites, and talk a little about the real NBA.

Tune in below!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:31:55 — 87.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

What are your thoughts on Basketball Classics and indie gaming? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as suggestions for topics that you’d like to hear us discuss in future episodes. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.