NBA 2K 11 Will Change How You Play The Game

It's a yearly ritual that only sports gamers truly understand: buying a new iteration of their favorite title year after year despite only minimal upgrades. It seemed like a necessary evil because of the quick one-year development cycle. Well, 2K Sports and Visual Concepts have crushed that myth with their feature-rich, polished and expansive NBA 2K11, a title that not only improves on its already solid gameplay but adds so much more to the package that it's almost impossible to understand how all of this was accomplished in one year.

With 2K's biggest rival, EA's rebranded basketball title NBA Elite, postponing its release eight days before launch, basketball fans might have felt this would be an off-year on the virtual hardcourt. NBA 2K11 has filled the void - and then some, adding more modes and content than any installment in this series' history.

The biggest addition is easily 2K's cover athlete: Michael Jordan. Just having arguably the greatest player ever on the cover will draw hardcore and casual basketball fans, but 2K didn't limit MJ's appearance to a mere cameo. The development team went through the painstaking task of providing historic teams from the '80's and '90's, including Jordan's Bulls from '85-86, '89-90, '90-91, '91-92, '95-96 and '97-98 seasons. You can pit those legendary squads against the historical teams that stood in Jordan's path, including the '85-86 Celtics, '91-92 Blazers, '89-90 Pistons, '95-96 Sonics, '97-98 Jazz and the '90-91 Lakers to name a few.

Though the starting lineups are intact for these teams, 2K couldn't secure the licenses for some of the bench players. But despite this minor drawback, passionate NBA fans should get hours of enjoyment reliving some of these historical moments.

But when it comes to moments, 2K saved the best for 'his Airness'. The "Jordan Challenge" mode is a compilation of 10 of MJ's most memorable achievements. Players will have to accomplish specific feats while playing as Jordan to complete the challenges. Some achievements will unlock special moments, like when MJ did his infamous shrug after burying six three-pointers in the first half against the Blazers in 1992 to set the Finals record; or when Jordan needed to be helped off the floor during the waning moments of his improbable 38-point effort against the Jazz in the '97 Finals despite having the flu. The developers even added era-specific commentary for each game. So the broadcast crew of Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg and new sideline reporter Doris Burke will discuss Jordan's flu-like symptoms or whatever other information that was pertinent at that time.

Once all 10 of these challenges are tackled, the real fun begins. You can take Jordan and put him on any current team's roster to face off against today's stars (want to team him up with the Big 3 in Miami? Go ahead. What about a duo of Jordan and Kobe in L.A.? It's up to you) - but there's a catch, Jordan's abilities when you first unlock him are what they would have been in his rookie year. So his amazing leaping ability and breathtaking aerial moves are accessible immediately. But that impeccable jump shot he had when he was in his prime or his mesmerizing post moves toward the later stages of his career are not at your disposal early on. But 2K has thought of this too. You gain experience points after each game (similar to last year's "My Player" mode) depending on how well you play and can distribute these points into a number of attributes. As Jordan ages, even his appearance changes, going from a young, thin player with hair, to a bald, more muscular star and then a stockier build toward the end of his career.
2K Sports also thought of your virtual career, too. The developer's first foray into a career mode - last year's popular but rough-around-the-edges "My Player" - gave gamers a chance to create their own virtual player and apply experience points to a number of skills. Though very addictive, the mode felt a bit shallow. 2K Sports addressed this shortcoming in a big way this year.

The first major addition is press conferences, which allow reporters to ask you questions after each game in the NBA. Your answers to these questions will affect how your fans, teammates, owner and the league itself will view you. So if you are a me-first player, your teammates will not pass you the ball as much, the crowd might boo you or the owner might be more inclined to trade you.

The next upgrade is endorsements; if you play well enough, companies will want you to pitch their products. Companies will put you on billboards, and if your popularity reaches a certain height, you can even create your own pair of "Air Jordan's", which you will see other players don in the game. Its little touches like these that add to the immersion this mode had needed.
All this and we still haven't gotten to 2K's bread and butter, the gameplay. The developers rewrote their "Isomotion" dribbling system this year. The controls feel tighter and moves are easier to pull off. Though not perfect, this was a much-needed step in the right direction. Players feel differently; big men will lumber and take more time to change directions while smaller, lighter players are more nimble.

But it's the nuances that 2K nails once again. The signature shots - Kobe's fadeaway shot from the post, Kevin Garnett's shimmy-shake turnaround jumper - that will leave you with wow moment after wow moment. Even player reactions - Dwyane Wade infamously talking to his hand after burying multiple shots against the Celtics in last year's playoffs - are the little touches that go a long way for diehard NBA fans. And there's an added physicality - players jostling for position on the post or battling through screens - that adds another layer of believability.

Teams even behave authentically. The Warriors and Knicks will shoot first and ask questions later, the Lakers will run the triangle and the Heat's Big 3 will take turns picking your defense apart. And because each team's playbook has been expanded, there is a feeling of variety depending on which team you're facing. 2K didn't forget about the casual crowd, adding a default setting that will allow for more dunks and easier scoring while the hardcore will go for the simulation setting that stresses intelligent passing and team play.

The atmosphere of each arena has also received a facelift. The crowd feels more alive and reacts better to the situations on the court. If the home team is losing by a lot, expect the fans to exit the arena early. If it's a matchup of two bottom-tier teams, the crowd will be sparse. Even late-arriving crowds (I'm looking at you Laker fans) authentically file in as the game progresses. Signature sounds are also another piece to this complex puzzle. Miami Heat fans will recognize the dos minutos call from the PA announcer, signifying two minutes left in the quarter. Even the way the crowd chants for the home team varies from city to city.

For those with a penchant to run their own team, 2K has beefed up the "Association mode". The AI (Artificial Intelligence) will not be duped into dumping its stars if you hand over some B-level players and draft picks. Draft-day deals have been added and 2K has gone so far as to add President Obama in the game if your team wins it all and gets the yearly trip to the White House.

In my 17 years of buying NBA games on a yearly basis, I am not afraid to say this is the most complete, authentic representation of the league that has ever graced a console. The depth of modes, gameplay improvements and tweaks make this the total package and easily a new benchmark for basketball games.

NBA 2K11 will be available on October 5, 2010 in North America, for PlayStation®3 (PS3™) and PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment systems, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo Wii™ System, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system, and Windows-based PC.