Niantic has released a new game in its series of augmented reality mobile titles. Following the likes ofPokémon Goand, the now discontinued, Harry Potter: Wizard’s Unite, NBA All-World is an AR game for iOS and Android that tasks players with travelling the real world to discover mini games and in-game items.

Licenced by the NBA, it features star players to collect and use in 1v1 tournaments and other basketball challenges. In addition, you can collect items - such as sneaker drops and other gear - to change the look of your avatar, plus boosts to elevate your stats to take on harder opponents.

Through exploration, you can find NBA players to take on in solo PvE matches. Win those and you get to put that star in your collection, and the higher your team level the better the players you’ll find (in terms of stats).

Also dotted on the real-world map are courts (generally at the sites of real basketball courts, or local landmarks if you don’t live near one). These open up the Rule the Court feature, which is a leaderboard-based game whereby you must take on friends and other players for a spot on the leaderboard. At the end of each week, the leaderboard ranking will determine which rewards you get.

One interesting aspect to NBA All-World, which Pocket-lint learned from Niantic itself, is that gear can be found at real-world equivalent sites. For example, there are plenty of licenced brands in the game, so head to an actual Adidas store and you might find some virtual Adidas basketball shoes to collect. Visit a bank and you might find some virtual currency.

Additional things that make the game a bit different from the studio’s other AR titles include the music, which is provided by some of the great and good in rock and hip-hop. Artists like T-Pain, IDK and Tyga have tracks available to play through the game.

There are also four game modes to compete in - 3-point shoot out, beat the clock, around the world, and first to five. Each use simple swipe mechanics, so it’s as easy to play out on the streets as on the couch at home.

NBA All-World is a free-to-play game, with some in-game purchases for gear and boosts. It’s available to download now on iOS and Android.