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Monday Tip-Off: Why Basketball Game Reviews Suck

Monday Tip-Off: Why Basketball Game Reviews Suck

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 candid thoughts on why so many basketball video game reviews suck.

As much as I value thoughtful critique over statements that are blunt and insulting for the sake of being provocative, I must be frank here: many of the reviews of basketball video games flat out suck. They aren’t helpful to enthusiastic hoops gamers who want to know if a title is a significant improvement over its predecessor, and whether it’s worth getting. Their lack of insightful commentary provides no useful feedback to the developers, and seldom holds the publisher accountable for business practices that are predatory and even hostile towards the core audience.

It’s extremely frustrating for me. As someone who has been playing basketball video games for over 25 years, and – at the risk of sounding egotistical – knows a thing or two about them, I’m unimpressed by such poor evaluations of them as products. On top of that, my philosophy is to stand with my fellow gamers rather than shill for a company. I believe it’s vital to be honest with ourselves and each other, and to keep the community informed. Also, while there’s really no such thing as an “unbiased review” as opinions are always subjective, personal bias can impact fairness and accuracy. It’s these recurring issues that result in laughable and subpar reviews.

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NBA 2K23 Mod Releases: FIBA Rosters & Updated Jerseys

NBA 2K23 Cover Art

I’m a bit late in posting these NBA 2K23 mod releases, but it’s important to note that even with NBA 2K24 right around the corner, some cool stuff is being made for last year’s game. That includes a new FIBA roster from Shuajota, and an updated Suns jersey from pinoy21, which you can find at the links below!

Shuajota
FIBA 2K23 Roster

pinoy21
Phoenix Suns 2023-24 Jersey (pinoy21) (Updated to v3.0)

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.

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week: September 2nd, 2023

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week

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.

It’s always fun to see a game make its first appearance in the NLSC Top 10 Plays, and this week, that title is NBA 3 on 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant; a Gameboy Color exclusive from the developers of the NBA Courtside series. That one comes courtesy of frequent contributor and enthusiastic virtual hooper BBallVideoGames on Twitter/X. Speaking of regulars, LookyDaGamer provides us with another spectacular putback dunk, and Dee and I are both in there with some exciting moments from the games that are currently in our rotation. It’s another great countdown featuring four different games, so 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.

The Friday Five: 5 Plays That Affected Video Games

The Friday Five: 5 Plays That Affected Video Games

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 plays that had a profound impact on gameplay design in basketball video games.

Since the aim of sim basketball games is to depict the NBA in a realistic manner, it goes without saying that events in the real league have had an impact on those titles. Likewise, our enthusiasm for real basketball makes us want to imitate NBA highlights on the virtual hardwood. It’s something that the games have allowed us to do with increasing accuracy over the years, as new animations, controls, and mechanics are added. Our desire to see certain plays accounted for in video games can be traced back to wide trends and specific moments alike.

Quite often, they’re the memorable plays that are assured to make all the highlight reels for decades to come; the iconic moments in NBA history. When we see them happen in real life and can’t replicate them in games, we immediately develop a keen interest in seeing them made possible in future releases. While it may not be entirely accurate to ascribe a particular gameplay addition solely to a single highlight, there’s no doubt that memorable plays have had an impact on gameplay development. After all, the developers are basketball fans too, and are just as eager to perform those dazzling plays on the sticks. Here are five plays that impacted gameplay design!

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Details on The City & MyCAREER in NBA 2K24

Details on The City & MyCAREER in NBA 2K24

The latest Courtside Report previews The City in NBA 2K24, which like Current Gen’s Neighborhood is now in a picturesque beachfront location. It also provides an insight into the general approach to MyCAREER this year – once again describing it as “streamlined” – and explains how the new Park Affiliations will work.

In NBA 2K24, the MyCAREER experience is focused on basketball, and the goal of becoming the Greatest of All-Time. There will also be a single player Streetball sidequest in The City, in addition to the online team play modes. A new online mode called Starting 5, involving real NBA players, is making its debut. REP returns, and there are now just two Park Affiliations to choose from, with the community cooperating and competing to earn rewards for their Affiliation. A Key Games feature will also aid in streamlining the journey through the NBA season.

You can check out my breakdown of the Courtside Report on The City and MyCAREER in NBA 2K24 below, along with a couple of trailers. As always though, I’d certainly recommend giving the original article a read for the full scoop. Feel free to share any thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in our Forum!

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NBA 2K14 Mod Releases: Latest Jersey Updates

NBA 2K14 Cover Art

Today’s NBA 2K14 mod releases feature jersey updates from kndesign and Pep. Check them out at the links below!

kndesign
LATVIJAS BASKETBOLAM NBA 2K14 (ARENA, 2 JERSEY) – 2023
LATVIA AWAY JERSEY NBA 2K14 (2023)

Pep
NBA Nike Philadelphia 76ers 2023 Uniforms
NBA Nike Phoenix Suns 2023 Uniforms
NBA Nike Statement Uniforms 23/24

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.

Wayback Wednesday: Regional Exclusives & Late Releases

Wayback Wednesday: Regional Exclusives & Late Releases

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 a time when certain basketball video games were regional exclusives, and/or had late releases.

The basketball gaming landscape has changed drastically since our choices were whittled down to just NBA Live and NBA 2K, culminating in a virtual monopoly for the latter. When a handful of developers and publishers were throwing their hat into the ring with hoops games, we received a variety of titles of varying quality, but most brought something interesting to the table. Of course, not every game was available worldwide. While NBA Live and NBA 2K stood as examples of global brands, other games were regional exclusives, usually only released in North America.

On top of that, if other regions did receive a particular game, it might not be until several months later. It may seem like a terrible marketing decision to release an NBA game well after the season has tipped off, but there are titles that have come along quite late in a campaign, even with their domestic release. Indeed, not even NBA 2K and NBA Live have been immune to late releases, if only outside North America. It’s an interesting difference in the way that basketball video games used to be handled, so let’s take a look back…way back…

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NBA 2K24 MyTEAM Trailer & Courtside Report

NBA 2K24 MyTEAM Trailer & Courtside Report

The latest Courtside Report provides an insight into MyTEAM in NBA 2K24. A trailer for the mode has also been released, spotlighting what 2K are describing as “foundational changes throughout the mode”, as well as gameplay highlights from cinematic angles.

There are definitely some noteworthy changes to MyTEAM this year, including the replacement of the Auction House with the new Player Market. MyTEAM Points earnings have also been increased, XP can be earned simply by playing games rather than completing specific Agendas, and Tokens are now seasonal. As confirmed back in July, crossplay will be available between PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, while MyTEAM and MyCAREER will share seasonal progression.

I’ve summarised the key information from the NBA 2K24 MyTEAM Courtside Report, and you can check that out below along with the trailer. As always however, I’d recommend giving the original post a read for the full scoop. Got any thoughts? Feel free to share them in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

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NLSC Podcast #492: ProPLAY, Mamba Moments, & Badges (Oh My!)

NLSC Podcast Logo

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #492 of the NLSC Podcast!

The NBA 2K24 preview season is certainly ramping up! This week, we’re reacting to the ProPLAY trailer and the insights of the gameplay blog, discussing the featured games in Mamba Moments and noting some missed opportunities, debating the merits of the “Green or Miss” approach to shooting mechanics, and mulling the pros and cons of the new MyPLAYER Builder and the Badge progression/regression system. There are some intriguing ideas, but also a few that could prove to be costly missteps for NBA 2K24. We also recap fun sessions with NBA Live 10 and NBA 2K14, celebrate a big milestone, and join the community in sharing some of our favourite memories of Kobe Bryant.

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!

Monday Tip-Off: My 25 Favourite Basketball Video Games

Monday Tip-Off: My 25 Favourite 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 a countdown of my Top 25 favourite basketball video games, in celebration of another milestone here at the NLSC.

On Saturday, I celebrated my 22nd year of running the NLSC. It’s been a long ride with plenty of ups and downs, but I’m still very glad that I accepted the gig when Tim moved on to work at EA Sports, and that I stuck it out through some rough patches to enjoy the good times. To mark the occasion, I’ve decided to rank my Top 25 favourite basketball video games. This being my 22nd Anniversary as webmaster/admin of the NLSC, I was originally going to pick my Top 22 games. Top 25 has a better ring to it though, and it also serves as a belated 25th Anniversary celebration for the site itself!

Before we get to the countdown, let me emphasise once again that it is a Top 25 of my favourite basketball video games; not the Top 25 best hoops titles. That’s a different list, and if I were being more objective, there are games I’m listing here that wouldn’t make the cut. Because I haven’t spent as much time with certain NBA 2K, College Hoops, or NCAA Basketball/March Madness titles, I don’t have as much of an affinity for them, though that may well change in the future. I haven’t “forgotten” about those great basketball video games, but they haven’t become one of my personal favourites (as yet, anyway). With that being said, here are my Top 25 virtual hardwood classics!

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NBA 2K24 MyPLAYER Builder & Badges Insight

NBA 2K24 MyPLAYER Builder & Badges Insight

The latest Courtside Report for NBA 2K24 provides an insight into the MyPLAYER Builder and Badges in this year’s game. There have been some notable changes in both areas in NBA 2K24 Next Gen, revamping the way that MyPLAYERs are created for online and offline play alike. Changes to Badges are also applicable to MyTEAM.

There will be 24 new Badges this year while a few others have been removed, for a total of 77. Badges have also been split into four tiers, with each Badge having its own attribute requirements to be unlocked. This year, Badge levels will be determined by how frequently they’re used. Badges that are used often will trend towards the level that matches your play, while seldom-used Badges will trend downwards, though won’t drop below Bronze. Badge Perks will also provide boosts to progression.

In addition to completely customised builds, this year’s MyPLAYER will also provide templates based on NBA players for gamers who’d prefer a quick start. The naming system has also been improved so that builds are described more accurately, and there’s apparently been more focus on preventing meta builds that are OP.

I’ve summarised the information from the NBA 2K24 MyPLAYER Builder & Badges Courtside Report below, but as always, I recommend reading the original article for the full scoop. Dee and I will be discussing the latest NBA 2K24 news on the next NLSC Podcast, but in the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

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NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week: August 26th, 2023

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week

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.

With the latest news on Mamba Moments in NBA 2K24, and his birthday being just a few days ago, the late Kobe Bryant is definitely on the minds of basketball gamers! As such, he’s featured a few times in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays, with virtual Kobe proving to be just as spectacular as the real deal. His teammate Lamar Odom is also getting in on the action as Dee and I re-created a 2006 Lakers vs. Mavericks matchup in NBA Live 10, and LookyDaGamer once again defends his crown as the Putback King. It’s another countdown jam-packed with exciting highlights from six different games, so 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.

The Friday Five: 5 Players Who Only Appeared on Certain Teams in Games (Part 15)

The Friday Five: 5 Players Who Only Appeared on Certain Teams in Games (Part 15)

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 Part 15 in an ongoing series looking at players who only appeared on certain teams in video games.

With the way that I’ve uncovered more examples of players who only appeared on certain teams in games – with a huge assist from David L, of course – I’ve had to alter plans and re-write instalments of this series. Four of the players that I’m talking about today were originally planned for earlier articles, and as two-for-one examples. When David sent in some bigger names and their phantom stints, I realised that by covering those four players separately, I had enough examples to produce further instalments. As such, there are definitely more entries in this series in the pipeline!

I’m actually glad that it worked out that way, as it means that I was able to run with a theme for this instalment. Both of those two-for-one examples involved players who only appeared on certain teams in video games thanks to being included in the same trade; either a swap for each other, or a multi-team deal. It also meant that I was able to get into more detail about each of those four players, and share some additional trivia on top of how they came to have those phantom stints. As for the fifth player, he’s a more straightforward example involving offseason free agency and preseason cuts, but he’s also a role player that long-time fans may remember. Let’s begin with…

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NBA 2K24 Mamba Moments Trailer & Details

NBA 2K24 Mamba Moments Trailer & Details

We have our first look at Mamba Moments in NBA 2K24, courtesy of a trailer and the latest Courtside Report. As speculated, the mode is similar to the Jordan Challenge, tasking gamers to re-create some of Kobe Bryant’s most iconic performances while telling the story of his career.

The mode will be comprised of seven games:

  • 2001 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 4 (vs. 00-01 Sacramento Kings)
  • Kobe Sets NBA Three-Point Record (vs. 02-03 Seattle SuperSonics)
  • The Mentee Faces His Mentor (vs. 02-03 Washington Wizards)
  • Kobe Erupts for 62 Points In Three Quarters (vs. 05-06 Dallas Mavericks)
  • Three-Point Barrage Leads to 65-Point Game (vs. 06-07 Portland Trail Blazers)
  • 2008 Western Conference Finals, Game 5 (vs. 07-08 San Antonio Spurs)
  • 2010 NBA Finals, Game 7 (vs 09-10 Boston Celtics)

Clearing the challenges will also unlock rewards in MyTEAM and MyCAREER. Mamba Moments is available in all versions of NBA 2K24, contrary to MyNBA and The W which are exclusive to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Check out the trailer below, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum! Dee and I will be discussing all of the latest developments on the next episode of the NLSC Podcast, so stay tuned.

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NBA 2K24 MyNBA Adds LeBron Era

NBA 2K24 MyNBA Adds LeBron Era

The Courtside Report for MyNBA in NBA 2K24 has been posted, and it’s brought some good news! MyNBA Eras will be returning in NBA 2K24, which means that in addition to playing with current season rosters, we can still throw it back to the Magic vs. Bird Era, the Jordan Era, and the Kobe Era.

Not only that, but NBA 2K24 has added a new starting point: the LeBron Era! It begins with The Decision and a brand new decade in the NBA, with the Class of 2011 on the horizon. Additionally, players will age into different faces as the years progress, and there will also be era-specific media recapping your latest game. New CBA rules have been accounted for in the Modern Era, and MyNBA Online now features expanded roles. There’s also now a “Lite” version of the mode, if you prefer a streamlined experienced.

You can find a breakdown of all the information below, but as always, I encourage you to read the original Courtside Report for the full scoop. Got any thoughts on our first look at MyNBA in NBA 2K24? Have your say in the comments, and join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum! You can also find my recap of the developer blog on The W here, and the gameplay blog and trailer here.

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