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 Quick Strike Ballhandling, also known as Quick Strike Ankle Breakers.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to call right stick dribbling controls one of the biggest, best, and most important advancements in basketball gaming. Although we were able to perform crossovers, spins, and other dribbling moves before Freestyle Control made its debut in NBA Live 2003, we were at the mercy of a button press as far as the specific move that was performed. Not only were we in complete control with Freestyle, we could perform moves on command that would’ve been far harder to implement using the old approach of face buttons for random dribbling moves.

As the years passed, EA Sports expanded on their player control concepts with ideas such as Freestyle Superstars, eventually dubbing their control scheme Total Freestyle Control. In the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version of NBA Live 08 however, the controls were revamped once again. Freestyle Superstars was replaced by Go-To Moves, shooting went back to two buttons (a jumpshot and a combined dunk/layup button), and the dribbling mechanics were now called Quick Strike Ballhandling. Although it was a familiar system, it was more than just a new name. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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We’ve got an assortment of new and updated file additions for NBA 2K20 PC today, including faces, dornas, and presentation updates. Check them out at the links below!

mjk2000
1982 Darrell Griffith (aka Dr. Dunkenstein) Face
1973 Julius Erving Face

MonkeyManJSV
LaMarcus Aldridge Texture Enchancement by MonkeyManJSV

natkra90
NBA on NBC 90s Studio Presentation
99-02 NBA on NBC Studio Broadcast Presentation
Allen Iverson NBA 2K1 Loading Screen
Retro Dornas/Ads (103 Teams/117 Dornas) (Updated to v5.0)

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 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 some thoughts on the online experience I’d love to see in NBA 2K, but we’re highly unlikely to ever have.

Aside from some admittedly fun sessions of 3v3 Pro-Am and jumping into The Rec after spinning double MyREP on the Prize Wheel, I’ve not been playing online in NBA 2K20. I’d been dabbling with a session or two in The Rec every so often, but in order to finally let MyCAREER go, I’ve focused on finishing my rookie season and generally avoided taking part in any of the connected experiences. Thanks to so many hit-or-miss sessions, I no longer have the same enthusiasm for the online experience that I once did. It’s made it much easier to abstain from those modes.

Even the satisfying runs in 3v3 Pro-Am had their annoyances. Despite playing well and even winning eight games in a single session, I somehow dropped from 99.9 to 99.4 Overall, spotlighting some of the major flaws with the MyREP and Overall Rating systems in NBA 2K20. Of course, the tendency to punish rather than reward is just one of the problems with the online experience in NBA 2K. It’s unfortunate, as online play in NBA 2K should be so much better than it is. From issues with lag and matchmaking to meta-gaming and what it takes to get there, I can’t help thinking about the online experience that NBA 2K should offer, but we’re unlikely to see.

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Episode #325 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Dee4Three and I are your hosts for this week’s show.

NBA Playgrounds and its sequel NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 have been quite successful, but thus far, the series hasn’t had the same staying power as NBA Jam or NBA Street. We take a deep-dive into the Playground games, discussing the parts that we like, and the parts that we believe could be better. Along the way, we compare and contrast Playgrounds with Jam and Street, discuss missed opportunities for the series, and consider its future. We also talk about NBA Starting Five 2005 – an overlooked Japanese exclusive from the mid 2000s with features that were ahead of their time – and the latest title update for Basketball Classics. A retro pick-up teased in last week’s show is also revealed.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 2:22:30 — 97.9MB)

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

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.

The latest assortment of file additions for NBA 2K20 PC include current and retro player faces, and another outdoor environment. Check them out at the links below!

RKJ2K
Jack Sikma Face

TGsoGood
Outdoor Environment – Outdoor Arena in the City (Night Time)

MonkeyManJSV
Enes Kanter Face by MonkeyManJSV
Marcus Smart Face by MonkeyManJSV
Jimmy Butler Face by MonkeyManJSV

Shuajota
Aaron Baynes Face

mjk2000
1976 George McGinnis Face (Updated to v1.2)
1983 Andrew Toney Face (Updated to v1.3)
1986 John Stockton Face (Updated to v1.1)

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 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.

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 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 | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS

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.