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 lists five of the most expensive basketball games that collectors can buy.

For the serious collector, retro video games can be an expensive hobby. There are some rare titles that don’t come cheap, and among them, you’ll find a few basketball games. Because licensing and likeness rights make remakes and re-releases highly unlikely when it comes to hoops games, anyone who wants to own a legal copy of these rarities will have to search high and low, and pay a hefty price. One exception is Street Hoop for Neo Geo. While original copies can still demand a large sum, it has since been re-released digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Such is the benefit of a game that doesn’t feature any licensed players. Of course, the most widely released NBA games usually aren’t expensive to track down and acquire, unless they’re in mint condition. Annual sports games aren’t big money-makers on the second hand market, so with the exception of PC releases of NBA 2K being removed from Steam, older basketball games are readily available (and affordable). As I said though, there are a few rare hoops titles that are difficult to find, and quite expensive to obtain when you do locate a copy. I fancy myself a collector of basketball video games, but I’d need to be much wealthier to consider picking up these expensive titles.

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Basketball Classics v1.2.1 is now available on Steam! If you already own the game, the update will come through automatically as long as Steam is online and you’ve got an active Internet connection. If it doesn’t, try restarting your Steam client.

The new version is a maintenance release, addressing the following issues:

• Fixes issue where AI opponents can call a timeout at end of quarter that resumes the game incorrectly – such as when you’re viewing the scoreboard stats at halftime ugh 🙂
• Fixes issue with AI calling more timeouts than they should be allowed to call
• Fixes issue preventing the Marksman achievement from being granted (thanks marshcave)
• Fixes endgame credits after completing Story Mode +
• Various other minor things

It also looks like Josh and Dave have some big news for Basketball Classics in the pipeline, so stay tuned! In the meantime, if you don’t own the game, you can pick it up here. For more insights into the development of Basketball Classics and other fun retro basketball gaming talk, be sure to check out our interviews with Josh and Dave in Episodes #262 and #306 of the NLSC Podcast! Also feel free to share your thoughts on Basketball Classics v1.2.1 in the comments below, as well as here in the Forum.

Please join me in congratulating the winner of the March Modness 2020 giveaway draw: DaCrispy! He joins last year’s winner Pep, and winner of our inaugural March Modness giveaway back in 2018, TGsoGood.

As it appears that there will not be an NBA Live 21 after all, DaCrispy has won a copy of NBA 2K21 by default. He’ll also receive an NLSC t-shirt, courtesy of Arcane Team Apparel.

A big thanks as always to everyone who entered this year’s contest, and continues to share their mods with our community. Don’t forget that we offer free and permanent file hosting for the modding community, in order to preserve these great releases for years to come. For more information about adding files to our Downloads database, check out this tutorial!

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 more NBA players who became familiar faces in strange places, and those stints in video games.

As I said in my first Wayback Wednesday article covering this topic, there’s definitely something oddly fascinating in seeing familiar faces in strange places. We often claim that we wish that those stints didn’t happen or that we could forget all about them, yet they’re burned into our memories. It’s hard to forget something that looks strange and out of place, and that certainly describes the image of players wearing the uniform of a team other than the one we associate them with the most. The time capsule-like nature of video games helps us to remember – and also replay – these unusual stints.

I mentioned that there were more examples than the ten I covered in my first article, and to that end, I have another ten to share today. This time, not all of the players were perennial All-Stars, but they are familiar names who ended up in strange places. In fact, a couple of these stints were so brief that the only way to experience them again on the virtual hardwood is to load very specific roster saves – assuming that you still have them, of course – or by recreating them. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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The Last Dance has captivated basketball fans for the past couple of months, and now, it’s drawn a familiar figure in the basketball gaming community out of retirement. For the first time in eight years, legendary NBA 2K video creator MessenjahMatt has uploaded a new creation, inspired by the ten-part documentary on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls!

Using a combination of clips from his previous NBA 2K11 videos and new footage taken from NBA 2K20, MessenjahMatt has re-created the trailer to The Last Dance, as well as the final moments of Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. As with his previous works, the video is simply a masterpiece. I strongly recommend that you watch it below, or catch it here on his YouTube channel!

I previously profiled MessenjahMatt in a Wayback Wednesday article, noting that many of his techniques are still a mystery. To that end, I would highly recommend checking out the rest of his videos, which feature amazing re-creations of some of Michael Jordan’s best moments, and most famous commercials. He notes that The Last Dance may be his last video, and if it is, it’s a fantastic note to finish on, and a fitting tribute to an incredible documentary.

We’ve got a large assortment of file additions for NBA 2K20 PC today. New and updated releases include retro faces by glenski12, mjk2000, and Thunder Shaq, converted presentation mods by bongo88, a handful of outdoor courts by TGsoGood, dorna and presentation updates by natkra90, and a new Jayson Tatum face by MonkeyManJSV. Check out all of today’s file additions for NBA 2K20 at the links below!

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.

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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 a recap of my experiences playing MyCAREER in NBA 2K20 with a MyPLAYER that’s a centre rather than a point guard. As a side note, please be forewarned that I use the Australian spelling of “centre” throughout this article.

My time playing MyCAREER regularly in NBA 2K20 has come to an end. After I ended up being drawn back into the mode, I finished a full season with my traditional point guard build, winning the championship and setting an assortment of records. The MyPLAYER build I chose has also proven to be suitable for online play, and while the online experience is as hit-and-miss as ever in NBA 2K20, when it has been good, I’ve really enjoyed playing my usual role. After starting the second season by averaging a quadruple-double, I’m going to try simming my way to the Hall of Fame.

That’s not the only experiment I’m running in MyCAREER, though. Although I do want to put the mode aside, I have created a second player. I’ve enjoyed being a point guard since being thrust into the role back in NBA 2K13, and have learned the meta-gaming idiosyncrasies for my preferred build at that position. It’s helped me rack up assists, which I’ve come to really enjoy doing. However, when I was playing in my local junior league many years ago, I was a centre that loved to rebound and block shots. I decided to create a MyPLAYER that reflected my actual playing style and position, in order to see what MyCAREER is like as the man in the middle.

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Episode #324 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Dee4Three and I are your hosts for this week’s show.

NBA 2K20 is available at a discount on various digital platforms, as part of another push to pump up sales numbers for the game. It’s also received a new patch, though it appears to just be a hotfix for an issue with MyTEAM Unlimited. Meanwhile, the renewal of EA Sports’ exclusive deal with the NFL leads us to consider the ramifications if the NBA ever sought a similar arrangement with either EA or Visual Concepts. In our featured discussion this week, we talk about recent additions to our collections, games we’re coveting, pet peeves in older releases, and the appeal of simplicity. We also pay tribute to the late Jerry Sloan, legendary Utah Jazz coach and original star for the Chicago Bulls.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:18:41 — 95.3MB)

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

What’s your take on this week’s topics? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as suggestions for topics that you’d like to hear us discuss in future episodes. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

Patch 1.13 is now available for NBA 2K20 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. As always, the update will come through automatically as long as you’re online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually.

There are no patch notes at this time, and the official social media accounts for NBA 2K haven’t acknowledged the update as yet. However, users over on the official NBA 2K subreddit have noted that it addresses an exploit in MyTEAM Unlimited. As of now, we can assume it’s simply a hotfix for that issue.

If you’ve noticed any other changes in Patch 1.13 for NBA 2K20 – positive or negative – feel free to discuss them in the comments below, as well as here in the Forum. You can also find a complete update history for NBA 2K20 over in our Wiki.

The latest file additions for NBA 2K20 from our community include another batch of retro faces, a couple of current player face updates, and NBC Sports presentation. Download them at the links below!

mjk2000
1984 Clint Richardson Face
1983 Andrew Toney Face (Updated to v1.2)
1983 Moses Malone Face (Updated to v1.1)
1988 Maurice Cheeks Face</> (Updated to v1.2)

TwisT
NBC Sports Watermarks

Shuajota
Ricky Rubio Face

big-shot-ROB
Jaylen Brown 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.

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 games that have untapped modding potential.

At the NLSC, our modding community prides itself in doing all that it can to change and enhance the experience provided by basketball video games. We started doing it from the beginning of the NBA Live series with NBA Live 95 PC, and brought the hobby to NBA 2K when it came to the platform. As long as we’ve had the necessary tools, knowledge, and perseverance, we’ve created all kinds of projects from current rosters to retro season and NCAA total conversion mods. We’ve updated player and team art, changed menus and presentation elements, and even made new soundtracks.

Name an NBA Live or NBA 2K game that’s come out on PC, and you’ll be able to recall a memorable mod. However, for all our hard work and creativity, there are a few games that stand out as having untapped modding potential. Whether we couldn’t figure something out or the necessary tools were developed too late in a game’s life cycle, there are some titles where we could’ve perhaps done more. On top of that, because of our focus on NBA Live and NBA 2K, there are a couple of other games that we didn’t pay attention to, leaving them with untapped modding potential of their own. Here are five games that we could’ve done more with (and perhaps still could).

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Today’s file additions for NBA 2K11 are comprised of a couple of rosters. JuicyShaqMeat has uploaded a beta version of a 2005 season mod, and I’ve added the original default roster, for those who want to use it as a base for their projects. Check out both file additions for NBA 2K11 at the links below! For an update on my current roster project for NBA 2K11, check out this post.

2K Sports
NBA 2K11 Original Default Roster

JuicyShaqMeat
2004-05 Season Mod Demo

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 the NBA Live 08 Draft Camp and Summer Camp.

With NBA Live’s struggles over the past decade, it’s easy to forget – or indeed, not be aware of – just how popular the brand once was. Although NBA 2K received positive reviews since its inception, NBA Live remained the best-selling NBA sim up until the 2009 season, when NBA 2K9 edged out NBA Live 09 in sales. Even then, NBA Live remained competitive and popular among basketball gamers, until the cancellation of NBA Elite 11 changed the course of the series. As such, these days it’s NBA 2K that’s prominent in pop culture and the cool brand among NBA players and gamers alike.

Around the time of NBA Live 08 however, it was EA Sports that was touting their relationship with NBA players, and bringing them in for events. In fact, during the development of NBA Live 08, EA held two events that served as mo-cap sessions and a source of promotional materials: the Draft Camp, and the Summer Camp. A quick Google search reveals that there isn’t much in the way of information about or media from those events, so I thought it’d be fun to chronicle them for Wayback Wednesday. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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We’ve got an assortment of file additions for NBA 2K20 today, from various modders in our community. The latest new and updated releases include a Tyler Herro face by TGsoGood, a 2002 Orlando Magic court by Manni Live, a Gordon Hayward update by big-shot-ROB, retro faces by glenski12 and mjk2000, jerseys by kobedurant, and a CF ID list by Shuajota. Check out all of today’s NBA 2K20 file additions at the links below!

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.

Read More »

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 my thoughts on the right direction for NBA Live.

Needless to say, the past decade has been tough for NBA Live. Through cancelled titles and skipped years, the series has seen only five releases during that span. There have been promising aspects and good ideas present in those five games, and it could be argued that at least a couple of titles have been solid, but EA Sports has failed to move the needle. NBA Live is still languishing far behind where it needs to be as a viable alternative to NBA 2K and the enormous gulf in sales speaks volumes. NBA 2K has its issues, but NBA Live hasn’t been able to capitalise on gamer frustration.

The good news is that the door hasn’t been slammed shut on NBA Live. Thanks to a combination of readily apparent potential and 2K squandering goodwill, there is still interest in seeing NBA Live return to its former glory. Unfortunately, the series’ steps towards reaching that goal haven’t been as large as many of us would’ve liked, and one of the main reasons for that is the direction of the series. More specifically, this includes both the particular choices that have been made, and the tendency to change direction too often. NBA Live needs to have the right focus moving forward, but that raises the question: what is the right direction for NBA Live to take?

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