I never liked the 2K series, but this one has converted me to a believer. Here's the best sports game this year.
Alright, I always loved the presentation of the 2K sports games, not to mention the features of it. But the gameplay was stiff and not a whole lot a fun, no finesse or generally flow you would get out of watching a real game. But I gotta hand it to Visual Concepts, because unlike EA, they overhauled their game to fit into that perfect balance of sim and a touch of fluent arcadey style. Sim in the way of having that need to not only be open, but to ensure your player is cool headed enough to properly make the shot. Arcadey in the way that the control is so perfectly at your fingertips. Lets dive into the best and most immersive aspect of it all, the enhanced Isomotion3.
The genre got a real kick after NBA Live '04's Freestyle Stick came out. Allowing you to juke, fake, crossover, and generally make the fool out of the defense. But as time wore on, the novelty and originality began to fade out, and letting the flaws, like the "gliding player" movements to show. Isomotion is now something entirely different. Rather than having the moves being put to the right stick (more on that in a moment), they're mapped naturally to your players movements, with L and R being the modifiers. L can have you either post up, or dribble the ball low and between the legs. R, however, is known as the "Aggression" modifier, or, y'know, the Turbo button. It adds everything from the force of your dunks to your movements. Say, you tap the button and move left, but right after, you tap the button and move right. It cause like a natural crossover. Same as a behind the back dribble to your opposite hand. Tap R trigger, and swirl the stick to the hand down and opposite of the ball hand. It's fluid, useful, and more intuitive than Freestyle.
And the right stick? Now used creatively for shooting, dunks, and lay ups. Shooting is pretty straightfoward. Hold down to start your jump shot, releasing at the peak for best accuracy. It just feels RIGHT, and I can't imagine going back to button pressing. Dunks sadly don't allow you to truly go nuts with all kinds a crazy swirly stick crap, but still much better than mapping to a button, as you can choose the type of dunk now. Left is "Flashy", right is "Power", and up and down are much more universal types of dunks. A big guy will probably screw up a flashy dunk, but will do great with a hard power dunk, so more strategy there. Lay up include basic, reverse (to fake out some defenders), and going left and right with your lay ups, around defenders. And to add pressure, you even use it for free throws, so no more prissy timed button presses. And the controller shakes HARD, especially when you've got those damn fans of the opposing team waving that crap all around (yeah, they actually do that). It also controls how you swipe the ball, and putting pressure on the defense. The only thing that gives you more control is having the ball in your hands.
And with that goes the usual controls- icon passing, posting up, pump faking, the lot. Everything is so solid, it's hard to find much fault in the gameplay department, save for the fact it will take some practice for newbies to get accustomed to the Isomotion3. 2K6 don't mess around, punishing you for passing across the court with an easy pick for the defense. Not only that, but trying to shoot with 2 defenders guarding you is likely to send the ball bouncing off the rim, because your player was too much under pressure to shoot properly. Stealing with abandon-out (reach in fouls). As is running to the basket for the dunk with defenders all around (charging foul). This isn't just a game for sports nuts, but for people who really appreciate some strategy.
Sound is superb here, commentating is fast and interesting, as is the between quarter reports. Not to mention the crowds sound great, like a real NBA audience. Then there's all the little sounds, like the ball careening off the rim, or swishing in the net. Even the squeal of player's shoes on the floor! Add in custom soundtracks, and you got something pleasing to the ears.
The presentation is the best of any sports game, period. While ESPN might be out the door, they've made their own "sponsor", and have really made it convincing. All the courts have been faitfully recreated, as is the little shots of each city before the games. The game's frontend menus have been cleaned up, making management a breeze. I also like that while sim junkies can appreciate th stats and organization of the players, there are also some helpful little icons to give you an idea of what type of player each guy is that appears under them during the game. A star indicates him as an all around, the "Star" player. A shoe represents speed, and target represents a precise jumpshot, and hand shows good handles and defense, and a "3" represents a three point shooter. Once the player starts going on a roll, the icon under him starts to turn red, indicating he's getting pumped up, giving him more confidence and therefore better ability. Not to mention...the pacing is just perfect. It feels like an NBA game, and that's really what makes it so enjoyable. And I know it adds realism, but did we need to see "Power Bar: Triple Threat!" replay after each play? Damn you, advertising!
The Assosciation mode encourages all the seasonal management. It lets you manage rosters, trades, practices (which can range from light, normal, to intense, with bonuses and downsides for each). Also, you can do personal drills for each player, permanently increasing their skills, but you only have so much time per month for it.
Not to mention the features, which I haven't even touched on yet! The 24/7 mode returns, with some pretty crazy game alterations in some cases (like one where the ball is gigantic, making jumpshots harder). Or take the maddening one where the controls are reversed. Wrap your head around that one. The mode adds an assortment of collectibles, mostly cosmetic, but some, like shoes from NBA all stars, give stat boosts. A fun diversion to all the rules-based rigidness of the NBA.
Let's not forget the crib, where you collect hundreds of penants, trophies, game balls, and standees with points gotten from achieving certain things in game (like 10 steals in a game). It's amazingly fun to walk around your humble, uh, penthouse in first person, seeing your collections grow. You can even buy a dart mini-game! Not to mention...2 player air hockey. Does it get any sweeter?
Phew...what a game. With all this, this can keep you playing for months. Even if you're not a real basketball afficiando, pick this up. You just might become a fan.