NLSC Your source for basketball video games.

Episode #371 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

We’ve both caught the modding bug, but one of us has been far more motivated and productive than the other. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from making lofty plans for roster projects! A recent Tweet by the EA Playtesting account offers a glimmer of hope for the future of NBA Live, though we’re wary about reading too much into it. Meanwhile, polls on Twitter and Reddit have made it clear how the community feels about the prospect of shot aiming in NBA 2K22…and invited toxic responses from the online elitists. In this week’s mailbag, we’re reminiscing about ESPN NBA 2K5 and NBA Live 2005, and discussing the idea of MyTEAM being released as a standalone game.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:46:34 — 73.3MB)

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Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Our own Dee4Three has been hard at work on faces for a variety of games recently, resulting in today’s file additions for NBA 2K19. Pick up a face for Charles Jones at the link below, and stay tuned for more retro season rosters for NBA 2K19, where this face can be put to use! Also be sure to check out this week’s episode of the NLSC Podcast, hosted by Dee4Three and myself.

Dee4Three
Charles Jones Face by Dee4Three

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 File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

Today’s file additions for NBA 2K14 PC include a retro jersey for the New York Knicks by Pep, and a jersey modding resource by NIKEAIRDRIP. Download them both at the links below!

Pep
1996/1997 New York Knicks HWC Uniforms

NIKEAIRDRIP
Jersey Name Removal Kit

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 File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five old basketball games that have shot up in price on the collectors’ market in recent years.

When it comes to sourcing copies of old NBA Live and NBA 2K releases, you won’t end up paying too much. Got your hands on an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, and feel like taking a trip down memory lane with NBA Live 10? Even on eBay, you’ll likely pay less than ten dollars, Australian or US. Even games from the 90s – such as the Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis/Mega Drive version of NBA Live 95 – are generally cheap, as there are quite a number of copies in circulation. You might pay a little more for complete-in-box, but they’re mostly very affordable to collect.

And then, there are the old basketball games that have shot up in price. Last year I took a look at five old basketball games that are very expensive to collect, and there’s some overlap with this article. However, I’ve been made aware of some other titles that are tough to affordably source, at least through a market like eBay. Old basketball games are somewhat of a niche genre when it comes to video game collecting, and as I noted, many of them are too common to fetch a high price just because of their age. They’re still affected by the same trends as retro game collecting in general though, especially if they’re legitimately rare and highly sought after, as some of these are.

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The latest file additions for NBA 2K20 PC include retro faces by our own Dee4Three, and uniforms for the Harlem Globetrotters and the fictional Flint Tropics (from the movie Semi-Pro) by Bassman58. Check them out at the links below!

Dee4Three
Chris Mihm Face Pack by Dee4Three
Smush Parker Face by Dee4Three

Bassman58
Harlem Globetrotters & Flint Tropics Uniforms

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 File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. This week, I’m taking a look back at some stints that lasted longer than I remembered, and the games that corrected me.

I’ll never claim to be an infallible source of knowledge, whether I’m talking about real basketball or basketball video games. There’s a lot of stuff I remember off the top of my head, but I’ve certainly found that it pays to double-check and look things up. When it comes to the players I grew up watching, I tend to have a good memory as far as who they played for, how long they played for them, and when they moved on to a new team. However, my recall definitely isn’t perfect. As such, when I revisit an old game, I’m sometimes surprised to see a player still on a particular team’s roster.

Yes, this is another example of basketball video games being interactive almanacs. As I’ve said, it’s one of the most appealing parts of dusting off old video games: seeing that snapshot of the NBA at the time they were developed. Just as there’s something really fun about seeing familiar faces in strange places, or back in familiar places for that matter, it’s interesting to be reminded of stints that lasted longer than I recalled. As usual, I’m looking at these examples through the lens of the games that reminded me of these tenures. With that being said, let’s take a look back…way back…

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Here are the latest file additions for NBA 2K21 PC! Today’s new releases include faces from our own Dee4Three, the latest retro faces from mjk2000, and a retro court by Lethanos. Check out all of today’s NBA 2K21 file additions at the links below!

Dee4Three
Cameron Krutwig Face
Reggie Miller Face Pack by Dee4Three
Chris Mihm Face Pack by Dee4Three

Lethanos
Atlanta Hawks ’14-’15 Court 16K by Lethanos

mjk2000
1978 Bobby Jones Face
1978 World B. Free Face
1977 Jack Marin Face
1983 Clyde Drexler Face
1977 Nate Thurmond Face

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 File Additions 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! Start your week here at the NLSC with a feature that’s dedicated to opinions, commentary, and other fun stuff related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games. This week, I’m tipping things off with the story about a mysterious screenshot that I found in my collection.

For a long time – far too long, in fact – I left my weekly articles until the last minute. Not just writing them, but coming up with the topic, too. Even after I devised lists of ideas for future articles, I didn’t always have anything prepared by the time Monday, Wednesday, and Friday rolled around. In recent years, I’ve made a point of building up a buffer of articles based on my list of topic ideas. It’s meant that I’ve always got something ready to go, and if I’ve set aside the time, I’m able to schedule features a week or two in advance.

This prep work has been important for time management, consistency, and quality. Even though I’ve been pleased with certain articles that were actually written at the last minute, I’m far more satisfied with features that I haven’t had to rush. Part of preparing articles in advance is ensuring that I have appropriate screenshots to use, which means taking the time to fire up the necessary games to capture them, and set up any specific scenarios as required. It’s usually obvious why I have a particular screenshot in my archives, but recently I discovered one that left me stumped. This mysterious screenshot was for an article idea that I’ve completely forgotten about.

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Episode #370 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

After last week’s show, we were inspired to spend some more time with NBA Live 2001, and have a few more thoughts to share. A couple of options from the game also bring to mind suggestions for additional roster management functions and MyNBA settings. Our main discussion this week focuses on MyTEAM, specifically issues with overpowered cards. We note how it encourages NBA 2K’s pushy recurrent revenue mechanics, waters down the gameplay with an homogenised experience, and misrepresents NBA history. Notably, the issues also extend beyond MyTEAM into MyCAREER. In this week’s mailbag, we’re talking about Blacktop, as well as the idea of trash talking mechanics.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:53:33 — 78.0MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Patch 1.10 is now available for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of NBA 2K21. As always, the update should come through automatically as long as your PC or console is online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually.

Similar to the recent patch for NBA 2K21 Next Gen, the latest Current Gen patch includes player likeness updates and fixes for various issues in MyTEAM. Although the specific players aren’t mentioned in the notes, it’s a safe bet that they’re the same ones that were updated on Next Gen. It also adds new decorations to 2K Beach in MyCAREER, and prepares the mode for some upcoming events.

The full notes for Patch 1.10 for NBA 2K21 Current Gen can be found below, and a full update history for the game has been documented here in our Wiki. Initially the patch caused some issues with corrupted saves (at least on PC), but it appears that a hotfix has since resolved the issue. If you’re still encountering difficulties, feel free to discuss them and any other impressions of the patch in the comments below, as well as here in the Forum. You may also want to contact 2K Support regarding any issues with corrupted files or missing VC.

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Welcome to this week’s edition of The Friday Five! The Friday Five is a feature that I post every Friday in which I give my thoughts on a topic that’s related to NBA Live, NBA 2K, and other basketball video games, as well as the real NBA, and other areas of interest to our community. The feature is presented as either a list of five items, or in the form of a Top 5 countdown. This week’s Five is a list of five players that you may not recall appearing on a game cover.

Although cover players have no bearing on the quality of basketball video games – some of the best releases have featured unpopular choices in that regard – they’re still one of the first things that we picture when we think of specific games. Enthusiastic basketball gamers will most likely be able to name the cover player of any given title they’re familiar with, at least when it comes to the main face of the game. Things get trickier when it comes to the international versions, where regional cover players are used to appeal to the local market.

In recent years, announcing and promoting regional/alternate covers has become a bigger part of the preview season. Several years ago, however, those covers weren’t always well-known outside of the markets that received them, with some flying under the radar for many years. As such, one can be forgiven for thinking that some of them are bootlegs or the work of Photoshop, but physical copies of the games prove that they’re legitimate. Although these versions are usually identical to the main release – except their language in some cases – there’s a certain novelty to them, making them sought-after collectibles. Of course, tracking them down often isn’t cheap or easy.

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In case you missed the announcement late last month, Sony has confirmed that they will be closing the Store for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable, on August 27th, 2021. Gamers will still be able to download titles and content they’ve already purchased, but no new purchases can be made after that date.

Of particular interest to basketball gamers is NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, which was a digital exclusive release for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Following the closing of the PlayStation 3 Store on August 27th, NBA Jam: OFE will no longer be available to purchase. As such, if you want to add the game to your collection, you’re advised to pick it up ASAP.

My personal recommendation, as both a basketball video game collector and NBA Jam aficionado, is that On Fire Edition is definitely worth picking up. The servers are no longer online which means that the roster updates it received will no longer come through, but there’s still a bevy of content to enjoy. In my opinion, it’s the best game in the NBA Jam series, and one of the best arcade hoops titles period.

Incidentally, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition is also still available on Xbox 360. The removal of old games from online marketplaces is a contentious issue among retro gamers, and one that we discussed in Episode #368 of the NLSC Podcast. In any case, if you still don’t own NBA Jam: OFE and are thinking of picking it up on PS3, be sure to act fast as it won’t be available beyond August.

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. This week, I’m taking a look back at NCAA Basketball for the Super Nintendo.

With Baylor’s victory and another March Madness in the books, I’m taking a look back at one final college basketball game. It’s a game that I’ve covered twice before in Wayback Wednesday, albeit under two different titles: World League Basketball, and Super Dunk Shot. As I mentioned in those features, this 1992 release developed by Sculptured Software changed its name and content according to the region it was released in. To that end, depending on whether you’re in North America, a PAL region, or Japan, you’ll be nostalgic for a different version of the same game.

Since Australia is a PAL region, the version of the game that I grew up with was World League Basketball. Now that I’ve picked up a Universal Adapter for my Super Nintendo, I’ve been able to collect Super Dunk Shot and NCAA Basketball, and play them on my PAL hardware. Obviously it’s a very familiar experience in terms of gameplay, but the different teams and format make it a real novelty to play the other versions. On top of that, NCAA Basketball holds up as one of the best college hoops titles of its era. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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Patch 1.07 is now available for the Next Gen version of NBA 2K21. As always, it should come through automatically as long as your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S is online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console, or checking for updates manually.

The latest patch includes likeness updates for eight players, and resolves a rare issue in MyNBA when starting a save from the offseason. It also fixes a handful of issues in MyTEAM, including problems with the Mystery tier menu in Domination, and a Win/Loss exploit in the multiplayer modes.

You can find the full notes for Patch 1.07 below, and a full update history for NBA 2K21 Next Gen here in our Wiki. Feel free to share any impressions in the comments, and join in the discussion taking place here in our NBA 2K21 Forum.

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Today’s file additions for NBA Live 08 feature a pack of faces for Class of 2020 Draftees, created by Keke96. It’s always great to see updates for NBA Live on PC, so check it out at the link below!

Keke96
2020 NBA Draft Faces

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 File Additions bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.