NBA 2K6 hits the hardwood with all the ingredients necessary to continue its reign as the #1 rated pro basketball game.

User Rating: 8.3 | NBA 2K6 XBOX
This year’s entry from Visual Concepts is completely devoid of the ESPN license that was credited with breathing new life into the only company to stand up to the gaming giant known as Electronic Arts, but that doesn’t mean that this year’s game isn’t one of the strongest yet in its own right. The proverbial meat and potatoes of the game is its ability to provide a street ball and franchise experience that are almost completely independent of one another.“The Association” is this year’s acting franchise mode which has gone through a few changes since last year. First and foremost is the addition of specifically designed practices that can focus on certain attributes or certain players, or both for that matter. Players need to be mindful of the level of stress that they put on their superstars or they could sustain an unneeded injury. Likewise if players take it easy on their prized possessions then certain attributes may not be up to par for a pivotal match up. Unlike other games players do actually show signs of improving as different skills are targeted so low-post players can make the turn to outside shooter without too much trouble.Both The Association and the 24/7 modes are well crafted and perform nicely even if they both suffer from the same lack of difficulty. A great basketball simulation with a few hiccups that keep it from being as good as it was in year’s past.