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 presentation design choices in basketball video games that are rather frustrating.

I’m not the harshest critic when it comes to presentation and visuals. That’s not to say that I don’t have any standards, or that I don’t recognise inaccuracies and other issues when I see them. If I’m enjoying the on-court experience and am hooked on a mode however, that’ll factor more heavily into my overall opinion than a face that looks off, or a lack of bells and whistles in the presentation. As long as the game has that NBA vibe and TV-style presentation that mimics a real broadcast to some extent, that’s all I need. I certainly appreciate more detail, but it isn’t necessary for me to enjoy a game.

What I am bothered by are design choices with presentation that ruin the vibe, or interfere with the gameplay. There have definitely been basketball video games that have erred in this way over the years! In the best case scenario, it’s an annoyance that you can ultimately overlook, though it’s still quite apparent. In other cases however, those presentation design choices have a major impact on the gameplay, rendering a game virtually impossible to enjoy despite its positive attributes. If the presentation is lacking authentic TV branding or interviews with real player voices, I don’t mind that. These five frustrating presentation design choices, on the other hand, are problematic!

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It may be twenty years old, but NBA Live 2004 is a classic, so it’s always nice to see new mod releases for it! To that end, Riq4mods has released a modern shorts and sleeves mod, which also includes an alternate body type so that it doesn’t have to interfere with the old school models. Check it out at the link below!

Riq4mods
Modern Shorts and Sleeves Mod

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 reminiscing about re-playing the 1995 season in NBA Live 95 PC, a few years after it had concluded.

As I’ve said, I was born to be a retro gamer. My introduction to gaming was through a console that was already outdated, and even in the late 90s I was sticking with and going back to old favourites. The family’s aging 486 PC and the Nintendo 64 being the console I owned were also factors, especially when it came to basketball gaming. I didn’t have much choice without the hardware to play the newest NBA Live, nor could I convince my folks that I needed yet another basketball video game (“you’ve already got plenty!”). Nevertheless, my collection began when I was a teenager.

One of the most exciting pickups was NBA Live 95 PC. The Super Nintendo version of NBA Live 95 had been my introduction to 5v5 sim basketball games, but it was a frequent video store rental. NBA Live 96 was the first game I owned on PC, and also one of the first basketball video games that I actually owned, period. It was by chance that I happened across a copy of NBA Live 95 PC one school holidays, and as soon as I had it, it entered the rotation of games that my cousin Clinton and I played as often as we could. We eventually decided to re-play the 1995 season, and it became one of my all-time favourite hoops gaming experiences. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #502 of the NLSC Podcast!

Koality Games has released a new version of Hoop Land for mobile devices, and having followed their progress reports in the NLSC Forum, we were keen to give it a try. After doing so, we’re hoping to see it come to PC via a Steam release! Unfortunately, we’re far less excited about both versions of NBA 2K24 right now, and based on the responses to this week’s community question – to say nothing of the lack of mods, highlights, and discussion – we’re not alone there. On the bright side, we’ve been having a blast with other games in our rotation including NBA Live 10 and NBA 2K14, and so spend some time catching up on our recent sessions.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:05:10 — 45.1MB)

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’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 whether it would be viable to create a single season roster mod that’s based on What Ifs.

Hypothetical situations invite thought-provoking discussions, no matter what the topic. To that end, like all sports, basketball has provided us with countless What Ifs. Granted, too many fanboys believe that their imaginary scenarios prove a point, as theoretical accomplishments are used to enhance a legacy. Tribalistic discourse aside however, NBA What Ifs are fun and interesting to ponder. They’re also a tantalising idea for roster mods, since those hypothetical situations can be made tangible, thus allowing various debates to be played out on the virtual hardwood.

A couple of people have made What If roster mods over the years. In fact, it’s an idea that I keep in the back of my mind as a project that I’d be open to tackling at some point. However, those What If rosters are usually comprised of standalone teams, and maybe an opponent for them. In other words, it’s a mixture of What Ifs: Tim Duncan on the 2001 Orlando Magic, Kobe Bryant on the 2005 Los Angeles Clippers, and so on. Such a mod is still fun to play with of course, but I’ve been wondering if it would actually be possible to make a single season roster that accounts for multiple What Ifs. If so, what would be the ideal season for it, and how much history would we change?

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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.

Decades of NBA history are represented in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays; not just in the array of games, but also courtesy of highlights featuring classic teams and MyNBA Eras! Tecmo NBA Basketball – the little brother of Tecmo Super NBA Basketball that has some interesting inaccuracies – makes its first appearance in the countdown, while one of the best plays from Dee and wiscard_rush’s Parsec game of NBA Live 10 is also featured. The NBA Live 2001 Legends have meanwhile branched out with an unexpected title, as the community has come through with the goods once again. 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.

Today’s NBA 2K16 mod releases feature a demo of sticky-fingers’ 2009-10 roster mod, featuring the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Check it out at the link below!

sticky-fingers
2009-10 Season Mod – Demo Lakers vs. Celtics

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.

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 habits that I can’t break when I play MyCAREER.

Without a doubt, I’m a creature of habit. If I’m comfortable and there’s no need to switch things up, I’m not going to change for change’s sake. I have my go-to orders at my favourite fast food restaurants, as well as my preferred dishes if I’m eating at a more upscale establishment. I enjoy having a routine, and while I am open to new interests and experiences, I also know what I like, and what I can reliably stick with. This carries over into my gaming, basketball or otherwise. I’ve established preferences and habits that work for me in the games that I regularly play.

Needless to say, once I developed a taste for MyCAREER, I soon developed habits that are now extremely difficult to break. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as those habits have allowed me to enjoy MyCAREER in a number of games; as well they should, seeing as how they’re formed by my preferences and the experiences I want out of the virtual hardwood! However, some of those habits come from how I play other genres of video games. Being a creature of habit can also have its drawbacks, eschewing change and variety in favour of the familiar. With that being said, here are five MyCAREER habits that I can’t – or at least, very seldom – manage to break.

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Today’s mod releases for NBA 2K14 include a complete update for Team Georgia, and a pack of WNBA logos. Download them at the links below!

kndesign
GBF – Georgia National Basketball Team

Sastre Matulin
WNBA Current Logos Mod

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 investigating some alleged cheat codes for NBA Live 2002 that are listed on various websites.

Here’s a statement that will blow your mind: you can’t believe everything that you read on the internet. I’ll give you a moment to recover from the utter shock of that revelation! In all seriousness, it’s hardly a secret that the internet is as convenient a means of spreading misinformation as it is researching verifiable facts and figures. I’m not going to delve into the Big Issues here, because that’s beyond our scope as a site dedicated to basketball gaming, and I’m not looking to court controversy. Of course, there’s plenty of hoaxes and misinformation when it comes to video games.

All genres of games are subject to what TV Tropes creatively dubs an “Urban Legend of Zelda“. Indeed, the Zelda series itself has one of the all-time famous video game hoaxes, namely the claim that the Triforce was obtainable in Ocarina of Time. Hoops titles have their own urban legends, from claims of certain players being hidden in NBA Jam when they weren’t, to supposedly unlockable modes that in reality would be too big of a selling point to tuck away as an obscure secret. And of course, like other genres, there have been fake cheat codes. I’ve discovered some questionable codes for NBA Live 2002 that bear investigating, so let’s take a look back…way back…

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #501 of the NLSC Podcast!

The 2024 NBA season has tipped off, and this year, we’ve resolved to follow it with more enthusiasm from the very start! To that end, we’re sharing our thoughts as the new campaign gets underway, from our early picks for contenders and pretenders to what we expect from our favourite teams, namely the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. We also react to Victor Wembanyama’s first few official NBA games, and discuss other players we’re keeping an eye on. Also, since it’s Halloween, we reflect on some spooky moments on the virtual hardwood, including an overlooked horror-themed hoops game released for the Sega Master System.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:02:35 — 43.3MB)

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!

Happy Halloween, basketball gamers! We never need an excuse to play basketball games and share videos of what we’re doing on the virtual hardwood, but seasonal content is always fun. And since it’s the Spooky Season, I’m sharing a full game of NBA Jam: On Fire Edition in which I took on The Stickmen with the Skeleton Crew!

These two unlockable teams are part of a wide array of bonus content in NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, and the Skeleton Crew is obviously perfect for some Halloween fun. This game was played on the Real AI difficulty setting, in which the CPU ruthlessly counters your strategies, and throws them back in your face. It’s a stimulating challenge, but that doesn’t prevent me from producing some high-flying highlights. Indeed, not even the lack of a skull can prevent Headless Hank from punishing the rim and shattering the backboard! See for yourself.

You can find out more about Real AI and NBA Jam: On Fire Edition in my Wayback Wednesday video retrospective. Be sure to subscribe to the NLSC YouTube channel for more basketball gaming content, and as always, feel free to hit Dee and I up with suggestions for games that you’d like to see us play!

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 basketball video games chasing trends in gaming, rather than doing their own thing.

I’m going to make a comparison here. Although I’m not a fan of Adam Silver and I have some gripes with his NBA, I won’t pretend that the late David Stern always got it right, either. Like many older fans, I rolled my eyes whenever he talked about the pipe dream of expanding into Europe; an idea that seemed like a logistical nightmare for a league in which teams play four to five games per week, and players can get traded wherever and whenever, whether they like it or not. In particular, I remember cringing when he once used the word “friendlies” when referring to exhibition games.

Obviously, those two words do mean the same thing in terms of sports. Of course, “friendlies” is commonly used in football (that is, association football, or soccer if you prefer) to describe a match that doesn’t count, and is more of a British/European term. Conversely, American leagues such as the NBA tend to use the word “exhibition” for such games. As an Australian, they’re interchangeable terms for me. As for Stern, he was clearly trying to sell the NBA to the European market and ingratiate himself by using a familiar term. I understood that, but I still cringed because it felt inauthentic. Basketball video games chasing trends instead of setting them reminds me of that.

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Whenever I’m playing an older game, I can’t help messing around with some minimalist roster modding! As you may have seen, I recently took the 70+ players in NBA 2K14 PS4 that are still active, and placed them on their current teams. Noticing that four teams could field a full starting five, I decided to play a couple of makeshift 2024 showdowns using a game that still holds up superbly after ten years.

In my latest game of NBA 2K14 PS4 with minimalist 2024 season rosters, I took control of the Los Angeles Clippers with Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, and faced James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers. With everything that’s gone down, it remains to be seen whether Harden will ever suit up for the 76ers again, but he certainly came to play in this virtual hardwood matchup! The game went down to the wire thanks to some big plays…but also a couple of major blunders on my part. Enjoy the highlights!

I previously played a game between the 2024 Bucks and Warriors, which I posted in a recent YouTube roundup bulletin. My tinkering with the rosters has also allowed me to play some historical matchups with makeshift classic teams, so stay tuned for new entries in my NBA 2K14 Retro Series! In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to the NLSC YouTube channel for more basketball gaming content, and feel free to hit Dee and I up with any suggestions of games that you’d like to see us play.

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.

Alright, so it isn’t officially Halloween until Tuesday, but since it’s already the Spooky Season, we’ve got a frighteningly good NLSC Top 10 Plays this week! From an out-of-the-box entry from Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City and the Skeleton Crew doing their thing in NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, to amazing arcade action in NBA Street Vol. 2 and historical highlights in NBA 2K24, it’s scary how the community keeps coming through with fantastic plays. There’s also another glimpse of my fixed official roster for NBA 2K10, which Dee and I discussed in Episode #500 of the NLSC Podcast. 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.