2k sports newest entry into the NBA video game market is its best version yet. That being said, NBA 2k12 is not a huge improvement over last year’s installment.
2k sports has successfully dominated the basketball video game market since its release of ESPN basketball in 2005. As a welcome alternative to the more arcade NBA Live franchise, NBA 2k12 pushes the level of realism generally found in the franchise to another level. NBA 2k12 strives to bring the experience of a real NBA broadcast to its players. To further assist in this, live updates, live scoring, fantasy stats, trades, injuries, and breaking news are constantly presented in game through your systems online connection. Tired of playing with real teams? NBA 2k12 allows for full customization of teams letting you easily move players and generally tweak any NBA roster to your liking. One of the new features in this year’s version of the game is the Legends mode. Now you can relieve some of the greatest moments in NBA history playing with legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, or even Michael Jordan. Multiple challenges are presented in these modes and completing these tasks leads to various unlockables in the game like all decade teams, Olympic teams, etc. Game play is a smoother experience than last year with less artificial Intelligence blunders like kicking the ball out of bounds or failing to run plays. Although these issues have been reduced, they are still prevalent enough in the game that you can expect to see at least 2 to 3 mishaps per game. Also, in their attempt to mimic a live broadcast, the game includes multiple cut scenes and replays which are unskippable, become repetitive, and just slow the game down overall. The commentary is largely unchanged from last year’s addition, with role players going largely unnoticed, while superstars are continually talked about. Player interviews after the games are poorly implemented as there are limited options to choose from when selecting what to say. The game is available for all major consoles including Xbox 360, PS3, and the Wii.
Pros:
- Improvements to My Player
- Legends Mode
- Live Updates
- Great NBA simulation
Cons:
- Poor AI
- Repetitive presentation
- Repetitive commentary
NBA 2k12 fine tunes everything from NBA 2k11 but is sorely lacking in new features. The legends mode and updated options in My Player mode provide a splash of originality, but game play remains relatively unchanged. All basketball enthusiasts wishing to take their passion for basketball to the virtual world, this is the best basketball game out this year.