[Nbkrooney]

The NBA 2K series originally started as an exclusive game for the Sega Dreamcast in 1999, and was originally published by Sega. In 2005 Sega sold the NBA 2K series to Take-Two Interactive and now the series is currently published by 2K Sports.

The most significant thing 2K Sports are well known for are great game play and their online leagues on Xbox Live. Like 2k7, 2k8 has carried on the legacy, providing a mixed but exciting selection of single players modes, and having a large online selection for those who are too good for the AI.

Again the controls seem somewhat elusive for those who take it straight out the box, but after time you learn the new controls and features available on the court – including all new defensive moves and off ball handler control, both I'll divulge in to later on in the review.

The menu system this year has changed somewhat, as you load up the game you're not greeted with the usual pick and choose menu system that you are used to, instead you're taking straight in to a quick match – allowing for even faster jump on and play possibility. To get the main menu all you do is flick the right stick, regardless of where you are the main menu will swing out allowing you to choose where you want to go. This new menu even allows you to do it in game, with start bringing up the in match menu, the right stick will trigger the main menu and allow you to go where you want straight from the match, cutting down on loadings as you no longer have to wait for the menu to load after exiting a match!


Reach for the stars!

Once you've got over the excitement of the menu, you got many more choices. Before you had the Association, Season, Playoffs and practice, as well as the choice to go back in to quick game, now there are loads more. 24/7 has been ditched and now comes in the rookie challenge, a somewhat confusing mixture of random matches and answering basketball themed questions that only fanatics could answer (although I still haven't got one wrong).

The season menu has also been simplified, with the user now able to simple click on a day and choose what to do, or you can skip a load of days up to before the playoffs say, and get the computer to sim all the games up to that date – good for getting all the nitty gritty stuff out the way and play some big games. Hoopcast is the most detailed sim that I have ever seen; it has a full up to date list of all the players on both teams with stats such as how many mins they have had, points from in the paint or how many 3 pointers, things going wrong? Take over your team and play the rest of the match out to try and save the day, a map in the corner gives you every shot at either end, with sinkers being circle and misses crossed, a valuable insight to see what sort of player needs to go out to maybe increase your fortune.


You are emersed in to the game

If playing the games your style then good on ya, I mean, you bought a basketball game right not a basketball manager game – course you want to shoot some hoops! Well you have not been forgotten, a vast toolkit of features brings your game to life – eh now where to start?

You have been given loads of control over what your man does right? The rest of your team however run around in a fashion that looks like basketball tactics. This is not be solved, whilst still controlling your man – you can bring up an option list of what you want another team mate to do, these could be actions like lose their man to give you someone to pass, to or create a diversion and even jump for an ally-op. Free throws are still done using the right stick, remember timing is imperative!

Defensive play is also improved, no more standing there swiping for the ball and committing a fowl, or jumping for every shot, looking like a pogo stick in trainers. Now using the right stick you can make sophisticated plays, keep those hands up! Up on the right stick makes it more difficult for the player to shoot and makes him look for the pass, where pushing left or right on the stick comes in to play, as the player passes – your guy jumps in the direction you push looking for the interception, meaning you have to try and predict as to where he is going to go.

Looking at the menu I noticed something different – Blacktop, hmm wonder what that is I thought, and oh boy, what a thing to stumble on to. It offers 4 new games modes that are not just basketball games; they are true games you would find in neighbourhood courts. Consisting of Dunk Contest, Pickup, 3pt Shootout and game of 21, you're bound to find something you love.

The Dunk contest is exactly as it is described on the label – a dunk contest, you pick a player who you use to go up against 3 AI controlled players it a battle of the Dunks. Each player has 3 dunks per round, and can play a maximum or 3 rounds should they progress that far (the lowest scoring player per round is sent home) your soul aim is to do the fanciest most twirly dunk you can muster with use of the right stick, as you go up you have to choose your run-up, dunk and hit the meter correctly for a successful dunk, done so by moving the RS in a direction or twirling it to choose your run-up and dunk, once at the net you use the RT to hit as close to the line as you can for a dunk – on the line equals a perfect dunk, outside the grey line you fail and pick the ball up for a final try that round.


The Slam Dunk Contest - Don't Trip!

Pickup games can be played 1v1 up to 5v5, and are the classic court games of attack and defence, both teams try to score in the same net, while one team it attacking the role of the other team is to stop the score, by stealing or catching the rebound, this is carried out till a score or time limit is hit.

3pt Shootout is a test of your ability to free throw using the right stick, aim of the game is to sink as many of the 30 balls you get from the 3pt line in 60secs, you shoot 5 from each position and the last ball is worth 2 if sunk, the game is played with 4 players and the winner is the person with the most sinks. Game of 21 is simply a game of basketball with the winner being the first to 21, you can take as long or as short as you like as long as you don't let your opponent score 21.

Online wise not much has changed, you can go and play single matches or if you want it to be a bit more substantial then create or join an online league, there's something for everyone!

Graphics wise it has improved a lot, the faces now all look more realistic where as in 2k7 you had some good looking and some terrible ones, colours are as bright and vibrant as ever and the players just look so life like, could be mistaken for a real game! The clothes are a lot freer moving now to really in essence capture the body's movement and add to the effect of realism.


The Facial Realism

Sound is evenly balanced both in game and in the menu, no more blaring music then quiet sound effects. The 2k Beats track lists contain artists such as:

• · SonicTrip
  
• · Baron Zen
  
• · Finley Quaye
  
• · So many more it would take 5 mins to list 'em all!

Ultimately this is the basketball game to have, up to date rosters, cracking game play and an abundance of mini games to keep you amused – go on tickle that inner kid and become a superstar!




Graphics 8.5

Game play 9

Audio 8

Playability 9

Longevity 8

Overall 9.0