BasketBros — Play Free Online

What BasketBros is

BasketBros is a one-on-one arcade basketball game from Blue Wizard Digital, the studio behind the basketbros.io site. It is not a simulation. Two players with oversized heads bounce around a single court, dunk, block, and are allowed to punch each other. The announcer sets the tone before tip-off: "We have a spectacular matchup tonight! First to 15 points wins!" A regular game plays to 15, with calls for halftime, game point and overtime along the way.

Controls

On a keyboard in single-player you can use either the arrow keys or WASD:

• Move: Left/Right arrows or A/D
• Jump: Up arrow or W
• Punch / steal: G, Space or X

To shoot, jump and then jump again in the air; the game's own hint for new players is "DOUBLE JUMP to shoot!". In the local two-player mode the keyboard is split: the left player moves with A/D, jumps with W and punches with G, while the right player uses the arrow keys and punches with L. On a phone the hint changes to "Tap fist to shoot!" and the controls appear on screen. A gamepad also works.

Modes

• Practice – a quick game against the computer.
• Tournament – a bracket of computer opponents. You play through the rounds to the Finals, and a win at the end brings up a congratulations screen.
• Two-player – two people on one keyboard.
• Online – play against other people on servers in regions such as US California, US Chicago, US Atlanta, EU Frankfurt, AS Seoul and AU Sydney, or enter a game code to set up a private match with a friend.

The bros

The "Choose your baller" screen shows each character's strengths, weaknesses and ratings for Shooting, Height, Hops, Speed, Handles and Defense. The roster is full of joke names: Mike Goat, Kyle Irking, LeBling Jams, Shackton Diesel, Luke Magic, Colby Mamba, Jay Tater, Jammy Butter and more. The flavour text is part of the fun; Shackton, for example, "overpowers other centers with ease" but finds free throws almost impossible. Some players start locked, and the game's message is simple: win games, unlock more bros. Unlockables include Big Nick, Kay Sniper, Geo Freako, Andy DeVris, Jamie Hardhat and even a Veloci Raptor.

Winning also unlocks moves. There are many dunks to collect, including the Windmill, Tomahawk, Flip, Soar, Statue, Splits, Superdude, Upside Down and Double Windmill dunks, plus a Karate Kick attack and a Point Taunt.

Tips

• Pick a bro whose ratings suit you. High Hops and Shooting make long shots easier; high Defense helps against players who drive to the rim.
• A punch can knock the ball loose, so keep your distance when your opponent is winding up.
• Shots from far out earn bigger announcer calls such as "From way down town!", and the three-pointer is worth more than a dunk, so a good shooter can catch up quickly.