Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five basketball games that I’d love to add to my retro rotation in 2026.

With such a large collection of basketball video games and a predisposition for retro gaming, I’m not too bothered by my disinterest in more recent releases. Moreover, between a MyCAREER and historical matchups in NBA 2K14, a co-op NBA 2K9 Bulls Association with Dee, and a Bulls Dynasty in NBA Live 16, my retro basketball gaming rotation already has some enjoyable fixtures. There are also a handful of other retro favourites that frequently find their way back into my rotation, including NBA 2K17, NBA 2K6, and NBA Live 10.

Of course, there’s always room for other favourites! Furthermore, as fun as it is to have a retro kick begin unexpectedly and on a whim, there are some games that I’d like to make an effort to bring back into my rotation and enjoy anew. There was a time when I felt that certain games were getting too old to enjoy, but suffice it to say that I’ve changed my mind about that! Indeed, between unfinished business, playing different modes, and adding new content with mods, those old favourites can offer many fresh experiences. It remains to be seen how many of these titles re-enter my retro rotation, but they’re at the top of the list of games I’d love to revisit more often.

1. NBA Live 2004

The first retro favourite that I’d love to bring back into my rotation is NBA Live 2004, more specifically the PC version. Between the debuting Class of 2003, the stacked Los Angeles Lakers, and a weird mix of past and present in Chicago, the 2003-2004 campaign is undoubtedly a noteworthy one. I’d definitely be interested in revisiting it, especially after polishing up the rosters for an optimal retro experience. However, I’d like to use NBA Live 2004 to go even further back, by using my 1996 season mod. I didn’t get to spend enough time with the rosters to truly enjoy the fruits of my labour back in 2004, so I’m eager to revisit NBA Live 2004 and play with them in 2026.

That may or may not include starting a Dynasty with the Chicago Bulls in an effort to replicate their iconic 72-10 season that ended with title number four. At the very least, I’d play a series of exhibition games featuring star-studded matchups from that season. The only thing holding me back at present is the fact that NBA Live 2004 PC has a choppy frame rate on modern systems; an issue that I’m still troubleshooting. While I could possibly bear it, I’d also like to share highlights from those sessions, so I would prefer to get the game running as smoothly as possible first. Retro PC gaming will present challenges like this from time to time, but the classics are worth the effort.

2. NBA Live 06

Considering that NBA Live 06 PC is my all-time favourite basketball video game, it’s no surprise that I’m enthusiastic about bringing it back into my rotation. As always, my Chicago Bulls Dynasty is one of the main incentives to do so. I actually haven’t played that Dynasty in over a decade – a sign of how I finally came around to NBA 2K in the mid 2010s – but dusting it off again is always on the table. However, I’m also interested in freshening up the game with some new mods. Setting up historical scenarios has been a blast in other retro titles, and that can be done with even more depth and accuracy in NBA Live 06 PC given the mods and resources in the archives.

Funnily enough, it was tinkering with the rosters in the Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06 that planted the idea of playing and modding the PC release again. Seeing all of the veteran players that could facilitate a number of retro season and classic team rosters inspired some ideas that were more logical to attempt in a version that supports modding. And of course, while I do feel that the Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06 is slightly underrated on the virtual hardwood, the PC version is ultimately the superior release, and the one I’d prefer to play. In any case, my all-time favourite has been on the bench for too long, so I’d like to make 2026 the year it re-enters my retro rotation.

3. NBA 2K13

It isn’t reflected in my Steam library because I was originally playing the DVD-ROM release, but I’ve spent hundreds of hours with NBA 2K13 PC. That was the year that I finally got into NBA 2K, thanks to the addition of right stick dribbling. It’s also the game that got me hooked on MyCAREER. It remains one of my favourite basketball gaming experiences, and with the save file still on hand, I’ll eagerly revisit it. In fact, not too long ago I played another game in my second season, just on a whim. There’s a lot that you miss out on when you stick to just one mode, though. I don’t regret my decision to play MyCAREER in NBA 2K13, but there’s more to the game to enjoy.

As someone who got into a bit of a rut with MyCAREER, I can attest to it being very refreshing to revisit games and play other modes. To that point, although I have no doubt that I’ll return to my NBA 2K13 MyCAREER every now and again, it won’t necessarily be my first choice. Despite the classic teams being identical to the ones I’ve enjoyed playing with in NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 4, they can obviously be enhanced with mods. Speaking of which, I’m also interested in giving PatTheHead’s rosters a look, as a ton of fantastic work has gone into that project. There’s often new fun to be had with old favourites, and for me, NBA 2K13 PC is a prime candidate.

4. NBA Live 96

I’ll admit that my nostalgia for 1996 is extremely high right now; sorry, not sorry to everyone bleating “we’re done with the 90s”! There’s a reason for it, of course. 1996 was the year that my casual interest in basketball turned into hardcore fandom, which in turn led to getting into basketball gaming. 2026 therefore marks 30 years since I became a passionate hoop head, and big round numbers for anniversaries make one reflective (well, they do for me, anyway). I’ve already reminisced about buying NBA Jam Tournament Edition for PC way back in 1996, but it wasn’t the only basketball title that I picked up that year. It was soon joined by the PC version of NBA Live 96.

Beyond how much I enjoyed NBA Live 96 from the very beginning, it’s also nostalgic to me because it’s the game that led me to discover the NLSC when my family first got online in August 1997. To that end, it ended up being my gateway to modding, and obviously ultimately running the NLSC myself. When I’ve revisited it recently, I’ve really enjoyed it. There was a time that I felt I had to put it down because it had aged too much, and it’s certainly primitive in many respects. I’ve been impressed with how it holds up though, especially when played more realistically. I’d love to polish up some of my early rosters and put them to good use replaying an all-time favourite.

5. One of the College Basketball Games

Because they weren’t released worldwide, I didn’t grow up playing any of the college basketball video games. After being gifted a PlayStation 3 and picking up a Universal Adapter for Super Nintendo, I managed to get my hands on a small array of collegiate hoops titles around five years ago. As such, they’re still a novelty to me. With that in mind though, while I’ve explored those games in-depth to cover them in my Wayback Wednesday retrospectives, and also had some fun exhibitions with the classic teams, I haven’t really done anything of significance in them. That is to say, I haven’t played through a season or tournament, or made them a priority in my retro gaming rotation.

I’d like to change that, though I haven’t decided on which college basketball game as yet. I know that College Hoops 2K8 is a popular choice, but I just can’t get into it, for the same reasons NBA 2K8 leaves me cold. I do enjoy College Hoops 2K7 a bit more, and it has the same complement of classic teams, should I end up preferring to play historical showdowns with squads edited for accuracy. I wouldn’t mind that, but as a long-time franchise gamer, I’m intrigued by the collegiate approach to multi-season play. EA’s NCAA games are in the running here, too. The NBA games will always be my priority, but I’d like to find a favourite college title for when I feel like a change.

What are some of the retro basketball games that you’d like to spend more time with in 2026? Which ones are in your rotation right now? Let me know in the comments, and as always, feel free to take the discussion to the NLSC Forum! That’s all for this week, so thanks for checking in, have a great weekend, and please join me again next Friday for another Five.

The post The Friday Five: 5 Games To Add To My Retro Rotation in 2026 appeared first on NLSC.