As fall rolls around, so do the new edition of console basketball games. This week, 2K sports released their newest basketball title, NBA 2K8. How does this year’s version of the NBA game stack up to last year’s?

Visuals:

One aspect of the 2K series that seems to fall behind EA’s NBA Live is the graphics. I can’t comment on this year’s version of NBA Live as I have not played it but NBA 2K8 is a very good looking game. The hardwood courts often appear to be a mirror as the arena lights tend to reflect a little too much off of them. If you are just a casual NBA fan you might not recognize many of the players as the visuals are far from photorealistic. However, the game is not ugly and is definitely “next-gen.”

The crowds and stands are where the visuals in this game shine. Although upon closer inspection, the crowds appear to be 2D models, they are very well done. Their interaction with their environment is almost lifelike. There are fans walking up and down the aisles, cheering, standing up and of course sitting.

Sound:

The in-game sounds are typical of a television style NBA broadcast. The commentators call the play by play and add some color when needed. The in-game ambient sounds include the arena PA announcer who happens to be barely audible over the other sounds. The crowds tend to react well to the in game action. After a couple of opposing baskets, they will quiet down. When the home team shoots, the crowd cheers. After a made basket they get louder. After a home team miss, the crowd often lets out a sigh. There are no glaring issues in the audio.

Game play:

When you first play the game, you will notice it is built on the same 2K Sports basketball engine that has been used for years. There have been some major tweaks in the game play for this year. No longer can you run up and down the court with a player like Josh Smith and dunk at will. The defense seems to “bump” the players and create a lot of physical contact. This slows down the game and prevents easy baskets like lay-ups and dunks. This does not mean there are no dunks in the game as there are. However, many of the dunks this year seem to come in traffic instead of semi-open space. When driving to the basket, don’t be surprised if you miss a lay-up or get your shot blocked. Out of the box, these two features (sliders) need to be tweaked.

The biggest addition to NBA 2K8 game play wise has to be the in-game play books. No longer do you have to memorize a play when you want to run it. Plays are now diagramed out on the court as you run them. To start a play off, run to the blue area. From there you might see a dotted green line which indicates you should pass the ball to a certain player. If you see a blue line, this means you should dribble or drive to that point. It makes running plays simple while making the game feel more simulation like. The game almost requires you to use and run plays this year. Trying to just play street ball and run around will lead to frustration and another loss.

Game Modes:

The street type game modes this year are in an area called NBA Blacktop. In this area there are five modes. The first mode is dunk contest which is not exactly what it might seem from first glance. This is not like the dunk contest that takes place during the NBA All Star Game. This is more of a street style dunk contest with a Las Vegas twist.

The next game type is pick up game. This consists of any size teams from one to five. The game is played like a normal basketball game but it takes place on an outdoor court. Teams can be mixed up just like a normal pick up game.

The third game mode is 21. This mode is exactly like the 21 many players grew up playing. Make a basket and you get to shoot a free throw. If you make three free throws in a row, you get to take the ball at the top of the key. If you miss, it is a free ball. First one to twenty one wins.

The next game mode is an outdoor rendition of the NBA All Star Game three point contest. In this mode, there are 4 players who try to well, make three pointers. As in the real three point contest the last ball in a group is the money ball.

The final game mode is slam dunk practice. In this mode you do exactly what it sounds like, you just keep dunking until you get tired or your battery dies in your controller.

Online:

To this point I have not had a chance to venture online except to download a roster update when I first got the game. If I get a chance, I will update this part of the review at a later time.

Summary:

NBA 2K8 tries to build on the success of the previous year’s game. This year’s game takes a step even closer into the category of a true simulation. At times this causes the game to be frustrating as the casual gamer might not understand the ins and outs of the NBA game. However, for avid professional basketball fans this might be the most realistic professional basketball game ever made.

You can talk about it here.

8/10