NLSC Your source for basketball video games.

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with some thoughts on how basketball video games – particularly NBA 2K – have come to lack heart and soul.

Long-time listeners of the NLSC Podcast have no doubt heard Dee and me lamenting the lack of heart and soul in modern basketball video games, compared to many of our old favourites. Judging by some of the responses we’ve received, and other comments that I’ve seen in our Forum, our Discord, and on social media, we’re not alone in that regard. Of course, it’s impossible to express such opinions without being accused of wearing nostalgia goggles. “You just miss your childhood, and the way those games used to make you feel. It’s not the games that changed; you just got old and jaded!”

Ad hominem arguments from wannabe psychoanalysts aside, there is a sliver of truth here. Recapturing the magic of youth and our first forays into a hobby is like trying to put the proverbial toothpaste back into the tube. To once again reference an astute observation that “Yahtzee” Croshaw made about nostalgia, we can’t truly go back to being twelve years old; an age where we were old enough to appreciate our hobbies, but still young enough to not yet be cynical about them. Of course, we have to look at the reasons why basketball video games inspire cynicism on top of valid criticism. There are undoubtedly aspects of their design nowadays that lack heart and soul.

Read More »

NBA 2K25 has presented a few challenges to the modding community, but so far, it hasn’t stopped us from tinkering with the game! That’s thanks to the efforts of people like Looyh and the talented modders who have been readily sharing advice and resources in the Forum, but there’s also another NBA 2K25 tool that I’ve neglected to mention, namely Sync2K.

Created by doublesync, Sync2K is a mod suite that’s been developed to aid with roster editing and simulation league management. This includes the ability to quickly modify player attributes in real time, as well as apply changes to rosters being used by sim leagues. V1.1.1 of Sync2K has recently been released, providing support for the latest patch for NBA 2K25.

Check out the release and support topic here in the Forum to download the latest version, and keep up to date with future developments. doublesync has also provided a video overview of the mod suite, which you can watch below. Thanks again to doublesync for providing this tool free of charge, and to all of the modders and toolmakers who are freely sharing their fantastic work with the community! A reminder that our Downloads section offers free hosting for files up to 150 MB, and is open to anyone who has an active Forum account. For more information on contributing to the Downloads section, please see this tutorial.

Read More »

Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee! New and old games alike are featured in this celebration of spectacular moments on the virtual hardwood. To submit your clips, post them in this topic, send Dee a message, or hit him up on X.

You don’t need me to tell you that there are some exciting dunks in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays. We love them, the community loves them, so of course they’re going to keep showing up in the countdown! However, you’ll also find a fantastic buzzer beater, and a unique defensive play that showcases some rim physics you may not have been aware of. Eight different games are in the spotlight this week, demonstrating that old favourites such as NBA Live 2004 remain in the rotation along with NBA 2K25 as 2025 gets underway. Let’s get to the action!

What was your favourite highlight this week? Sound off in the comments below, and once again, get in on the fun by sending us your best plays! Remember, as long as it’s a basketball game, it’s eligible for the countdown. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more basketball gaming videos.

Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five things that I should’ve done while making rosters for various games.

Although my modding output has dwindled to sporadic releases over the past decade or so, there was a time when I was extremely active. Current rosters were my bread and butter, and as I’ve recalled in a couple of Wayback Wednesday features, I also created 1996 season mods for NBA Live 2001 and NBA Live 2004. Burnout put an end to my days as a prolific roster modder around 2013, but I did genuinely enjoy the creative satisfaction of modding for many years before that. As such, the lure has always lingered, and I’ve never wanted to completely shut the door on a return.

Indeed, I have released a couple of rosters for NBA Live and NBA 2K games since then. However, I’ve also had a couple of ill-fated attempts at updating NBA 2K11 for the current season, an idea that sadly fell through despite my best intentions. When I reflect upon my burnout, stepping away from roster modding, and my attempts to get back into the hobby, I can identify the mistakes I made, and what I should’ve done instead. From philosophical and strategic approaches to technical procedures, there are definitely things I should’ve done differently, and will certainly strive to do so with any roster projects moving forward. Here are five of the most important ones.

Read More »

The latest NBA 2K14 mod releases come courtesy of Pep, who has uploaded a pack of 2025 season City jersey updates. Check it out at the link below!

Pep
NBA Nike City Uniforms 24/25

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the iconic call of THREE in early NBA Live games, whenever we splashed a shot from downtown.

Video game nostalgia goes way beyond what we did on the sticks. It’s the fun bonus content, and features that we couldn’t find in any other game; even ones from the same series. It’s the distinctive art styles, leading to menus and an overall aesthetic that’s a definitive time capsule for an era. It’s the catchy main menu themes and in-game music that still pop into your head decades later. And while we’re talking about auditory nostalgia, it’s also the iconic sound effects. Collecting a coin as Super Mario, Scorpion’s spear in Mortal Kombat, obtaining an item in Zelda…the list goes on.

In the early NBA Live games, one of the most memorable sound effects was the PA Announcer’s exclamation of “THREE!” whenever you nailed a three-pointer. Whether it swished home or finally dropped in after rattling around on the rim, a trey was made all the more satisfying by that excited call. Dee brought it up when we were talking about NBA Live 95 on Episode #561 of the NLSC Podcast, and as we reflected on that nostalgic sound from our early days on the virtual hardwood, I knew that I had to cover it for Wayback Wednesday. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #563 of the NLSC Podcast!

With rumours that both EA Sports and Visual Concepts are considering bringing back their respective college basketball video games, which series would we personally prefer to see return? Our answer may surprise you…or then again, perhaps not! We also join the community in naming the players from NBA history and today that we most wish we could play like. It’s probably not a huge spoiler to mention that among others, we wanna be like Mike! Finally, we wrap up with a recap of a fun co-op session of NBA Live 2004 in which we took on the Houston Rockets with the Phoenix Suns, and reflect on it being a transitional year for both of those teams, as well as the NBA Live series.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 56:17 — 39.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

We may be past the heyday of NBA 2K15 mod releases, but NFThaCreator has recently uploaded an offline version of the Rivet City Park court. Check it out at the link below!

NFThaCreator
Rivet City Court

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with a look at the curious journey of Terry Hanson so far in my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER.

There are many reasons why I remain hooked on NBA 2K14 MyCAREER into my sixth season and counting. First and foremost, I love the on-court experience, so it’s fun keeping the game in my rotation. Second, it’s been satisfying to see my career stats accumulate, motivating me to shoot for all-time records as I assemble a truly Hall of Fame resume. And then, there’s Terry Hanson, the generated rookie that came along in my third season and soon became a Virtual Hardwood Legend. At this point, I’m as invested in his career as much as my own!

So far, it’s been a curious journey for Terry Hanson. Generated players invite us to use our imagination, which usually involves comparisons to real NBA players. With that in mind, Terry Hanson is a crafty scorer with modest defensive numbers; kind of like Mark Aguirre, only a far superior athlete, and a better and more prolific three-point shooter. To that point though, it’d be more accurate to compare aspects of his game to multiple players. The same goes for his career path, which has certainly had a few unusual twists and turns. As such, I’m trying – and indeed, struggling – to name a single player whose career closely resembles the curious journey of Terry Hanson.

Read More »

The latest NBA 2K25 mod releases include three more Magic-Bird era courts from Bassman58, and an All-Star socks update from slbmangas. Check them all out at the links below!

Bassman58
New Jersey Nets Magic-Bird Era Court
New York Knicks Magic-Bird Era Court
Phoenix Suns Magic-Bird Era Court

slbmangas
All-Star Socks

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

Get ready for more fantastic highlights from the basketball gaming community in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week, curated by Dee4Three! New and old games alike are featured in this celebration of spectacular moments on the virtual hardwood. To submit your clips, post them in this topic, or hit up Dee on Twitter.

Look, we don’t even have to ask whether you love dunks. The constant submissions of spectacular slams and the reactions to the NLSC Top 10 Plays tell us all we need to know! With that being said, we have another batch of high-flying highlights this week, including a dunk that we’ll undoubtedly reminisce about on the next NLSC Podcast. As always though, it’s not just about the dunk, as an incredible finish tops this week’s countdown. Six games are in the spotlight this week, so without any further ado, let’s get to the action!

What was your favourite highlight this week? Sound off in the comments below, and once again, get in on the fun by sending us your best plays! Remember, as long as it’s a basketball game, it’s eligible for the countdown. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to us on YouTube for more basketball gaming videos.

Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five reasons to mod old games.

I remember a conversation with a long-time member of the community many years ago, when we were reflecting on the earliest NBA Live games fading into obscurity. This was around the turn of the millennium, and modding for titles earlier than NBA Live 99 was definitely slowing down and going out of vogue. With that being said, I did release a 2001 season update for NBA Live 96 PC, which at the time was meant to be a farewell to an old favourite. Little did either of us know that retro gaming would one day see a number of old releases find their way back into people’s rotations!

Granted, it’s not for everyone, but I’ll always advocate for retro gaming, basketball or otherwise. Moreover, I’ll also encourage anyone to mod old games if they’re inclined to do so. I can understand if some gamers balk at that idea. While there are people that turn their nose up at the suggestion of playing anything other than the latest release, they can at least see the nostalgic appeal of quickly throwing on a classic game. A modding project can take a lot of time and effort though, and mods for an old title may not seem worth all that trouble. I understand that point of view, but I strongly disagree! In that spirit, here are five reasons why it’s a great idea to mod old games.

Read More »

Patch 4.0 has come through for NBA 2K25. As of writing, it’s available for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S version of the game, with the PC patch set to drop in time for Season 4 tipping off this Friday. As always, the patch should come through automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console, or checking for updates manually.

In addition to preparing NBA 2K25 for Season 4 in MyCAREER and MyTEAM, Patch 4.0 includes more player likeness updates, cosmetic updates to jerseys and courts, and bug and stability fixes across all of the game modes. A few minor gameplay tweaks have also been included, as “Light Pressure” has been separated into three bands, trailing defenders can no longer force skill dunk attempts into layups with a bump from behind, and rim physics have been adjusted to reduce long rebounds.

Check out the notes for Patch 4.0 below, as well as in the update history for NBA 2K25 here in our Wiki! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the Forum. Also tune in to Episode #562 of the NLSC Podcast, where Dee and I join the community in giving our “final review” of NBA 2K25.

Read More »

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the retro jerseys in NBA Live 16.

Retro jerseys were hardly a new feature by the time NBA Live 16 was released in 2015. Of course, it was a feature that was bewilderingly and frustratingly lost when NBA Live made the jump to the seventh generation, before finally returning in NBA Live 10. Following the series’ extended hiatus in the wake of NBA Elite 11 and NBA Live 13 being cancelled, the eighth generation NBA Live releases all included retro jerseys. Indeed, this was something that they definitely did better than their seventh generation counterparts.

With that being said, NBA Live 16 stands out as having the best array of retro jerseys among its eighth gen NBA Live brethren. Granted, it still fell short of NBA 2K16 and other eighth gen NBA 2K titles in that regard, but upon revisiting the game last year, I was nevertheless surprised and impressed by the inclusion of certain uniforms. They have appeared in other releases, but considering that they weren’t part of designated Hardwood Classics nights during the 2016 campaign, including them went above and beyond what was essential. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #562 of the NLSC Podcast!

Now that 2025 is underway and NBA 2K25 has been out for a few months, what are our ultimate thoughts on this year’s game? This week, we join the community in giving NBA 2K25 a final score, and running down the various pros and cons across the board following ample time on the sticks. We also reflect on the unwritten house rules that we employ to make our multiplayer basketball gaming sessions fair and enjoyable, and ideally civil with minimal fights! Finally, we react to a bewildering story about a former top draft pick being utterly clueless when it comes to basketball history. Of course, given the player in question, we’re not entirely surprised!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:19:31 — 55.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!