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March Modness 2022 Tips Off Today

NLSC March Modness

It’s that time of the year again, so we’re tipping off our fifth annual March Modness! The event is a celebration of modding, and the modding community that we’ve built and maintained over the past 25 years. Naturally we support modding all year round, but we’ve nominated March as a time to get extra creative and productive!

As always, March Modness includes a giveaway. All you need to do is upload a new mod to the Downloads section with “March Modness” in the description, and you’ll go into the draw to win a copy of NBA 2K23 PC. The mod can be for any basketball game that can be modded, including retro titles. Full terms and conditions can be found below. Congratulations once again to Pep, the winner of last year’s giveaway!

Additionally, I’m taking this opportunity to announce a change to the way I post bulletins about recent uploads. For years now, I’ve been using the term “File Additions” for those bulletins, as it’s what our founders used when they first began maintaining a Downloads database back in the mid 90s. It’s something I’ve kept out of tradition, but in order to move with the times and remove any ambiguity, those posts are now going to be titled “Mod Releases”.

I’m looking forward to this being an exciting and productive March Modness. As always, I’ll be looking to get in on the fun myself with a few releases. The modding bug does bite from time to time, and this is obviously the month to indulge it. Stay tuned for those releases, and all of the great work that I’m sure is coming this month!

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Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K Has All The Leverage Over Cheesers

Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K Has All The Leverage Over Cheesers

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 my thoughts on how NBA 2K has all of the leverage over cheesers, and should take advantage of that.

The December patch for NBA 2K22 Next Gen included an attempt to reduce cheese in the online scene. More specifically, it addressed exploits with quick left and right bursts – the infamous “zigzag cheese” – that has been contributing to a homogenised, unrealistic style of play. Needless to say, the cheesers weren’t pleased. There were more than a couple of angry comments, usually along the lines of how NBA 2K had been ruined, and that video games shouldn’t have to be realistic. It’s clear that a vocal contingent of online NBA 2K gamers are in favour of utilising cheesy tactics.

As someone who has been turned off the online scene due to its toxicity and style, and believes that a sim game should maintain a base level of realism and strategy, my response is: tough cheese! A truly competitive scene should facilitate different styles of play, and discourage easily repeatable exploits. Mastering a single move and then proceeding to spam it over and over again is hardly skilful. It certainly isn’t basketball either, and while there’s value in taking liberties with realism, a sim game should still be realistic at its core. That the developers have taken a stand against cheesers does suggest that they believe this as well, but to that end, it’s vital that they stand firm.

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NLSC Podcast #416: Three Games & An Island

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #416 of the NLSC Podcast!

In an exciting development, NBA Live 2001 enthusiasts Nate and Roger are on Parsec, which means a 2v2 showdown is in our future! Speaking of Parsec, our recent sessions have given us a new appreciation for a couple of often-criticised games in the NBA Live series. Our NBA Jam: On Fire Edition Tournament also wrapped up, and it ended in spectacular fashion. Dipping into our collection as we often do leaves us wondering: which three games would we take with us to an island we’d be stuck on indefinitely? We share our answers, and open up the mailbag to see which games the community would pick. With February drawing to a close, we also look ahead to March Modness.

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!

NBA 2K22 Patch 1.10 Out Now (Current & Next Gen)

NBA 2K22 Patch 1.10 Out Now (Current & Next Gen)

I’m a little late in posting this bulletin, but both the Current and Next Gen versions of NBA 2K22 have received Patch 1.10. It’s available on all platforms, and should 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.

The patch includes updates for Season 5 in both MyTEAM and MyCAREER. It also features likeness updates, and adds Dirk Nowitzki’s retired jersey to the rafters in Dallas. Issues with hesitation moves and Jeremy Lin’s signature size-up have also been resolved, and various stability fixes have been made.

You can find the complete notes for Patch 1.10 for NBA 2K22 below, as well as in the Current Gen and Next Gen update histories in our Wiki. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments, as well as join in the discussion in our NBA 2K22 Forum.

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NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week: February 26th, 2022

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.

This week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays isn’t officially a belated All-Star Edition, but as you might expect, there are some All-Star highlights in the countdown! These include plays from NBA 2K22, and NBA 2K14 with the latest version of U R Basketball installed. You’ll also see some spectacular moments from Parsec sessions, including the Finals of our NBA Jam: On Fire Edition Tournament. One of my favourite moments from my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER so far is also featured this week. It’s another countdown that’ll inspire you to hit the virtual hardwood this weekend!

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 Menu & Presentation Gripes

The Friday Five: 5 Menu & Presentation Gripes

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 gripes that I’ve had with menu and presentation elements in various basketball video games.

When it comes to my basketball video game gripes, issues with the menu or the presentation usually aren’t at the top of the list, unless something is particularly bad or frustrating. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the visual elements of basketball games, but if the gameplay experience is enjoyable, I can usually make allowances for graphical quibbles. Of course, the bothersome nature of gripes and pet peeves isn’t necessarily proportionate to their overall importance. Even if you’re well aware that something isn’t a big deal, it can still bug you all the same.

To that end, over the years I have had some gripes with aspects of the menu design and presentation in various games. I do still stand by some of them as they reflect personal preference and taste (or maybe lack thereof, as the case might be), but others simply reflect stubbornness. In some cases, they’re the final straw for a game that I just didn’t like the vibe of. And yes, at least one that springs to mind had an effect on functionality in addition to spoiling the presentation. Mind you, sometimes it’s the little things that really make a game, or conversely detract from it. As such, here are five menu and presentation gripes I’ve had. I’m sure I’m not alone with some of them.

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U R Basketball 2K13 & 2K14 V90 Released

U R Basketball 2K13 & 2K14 V90 Released

Right on the heels of V89, V90 of U R Basketball by skoadam and slimm44 is now available for NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K14 PC! Key features of V90 are as follows:

  • Trades/signings/extensions/buyouts accurate as of February 20th
  • Added All-Star court courtesy of Pandagraphic
  • Added All-Star and Rising Star jerseys courtesy of Makoy
  • Added 2022 LBJ and KD teams
  • Added Isiah/Payton/Barry/Worthy teams
  • Updated coaches for All-Star teams
  • Added portraits for Rising Star coaches
  • Added 4 G League players to Rising Stars teams (portraits included)
  • All-Star and Rising Stars replacements added
  • Rising Stars accessories color updated
  • Rising Stars rotations updated (after the game)
  • Accessories colors updated
  • Around 50+ new portraits
  • All contracts and extensions updated
  • All jersey numbers updated
  • All rotations/minutes updated
  • Updated 50+ faces
  • Implemented a few changes for 2022 Roster (start of the season)

U R Basketball for NBA 2K14 can be downloaded here; please see the release topic here for more information and support. The NBA 2K13 mod is available here, while the release and support topic can be found here. Further updates to the retro rosters are in the pipeline, so stay tuned to the release topics for more information.

Wayback Wednesday: Hot Spots in NBA Live 08

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 Hot Spots in NBA Live 08.

The goal of implementing an increasing amount of realism in basketball video games has resulted in developers experimenting with a variety of mechanics and attributes. Some of these ideas have worked out better than others, or laid the foundation and evolved into better concepts. This is important to remember, as it can sometimes seem as if certain ideas were only implemented for the sake of adding something new to an annual release. It may be a sign that we’ve forgotten the reasons behind those ideas, and that poor execution doesn’t necessarily mean there was never any merit to them.

Case in point: Hot Spots in NBA Live 08. It was a solid idea that paved the way for more nuanced shooting attributes, but that first iteration in NBA Live 08 also had negative effects on gameplay mechanics. It’s all too easy to focus on the undesirable results of that first implementation of Hot Spots, and conclude that there was no value in the idea. However, future games proved that when implemented correctly, it was a step toward achieving the realism that we desired. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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NBA Street Vol. 2 Current & Legendary Edition Mod V2.9.6

NBA Street Vol. 2 Legendary Edition Mod

A new version (V2.9.6) of agent_michael_scarn’s Current & Legendary Edition Mod is now available for the GameCube version of NBA Street Vol. 2! Following on from the previous release, this update includes the 2022 trade deadline deals and other fixes. Key changes in V2.9.6 are as follows:

  • Traded Sabonis to Kings
  • Traded Simmons to Nets
  • Traded Harden to 76ers
  • Updated Clippers Jerseys to LA olympic Alternative and Red jerseys
  • Updated Baby blue jerseys for Kings, Heat and Clippers, so colors aren’t confusing
  • Added Aldridge to Blazers
  • Updated Sexton’s Jersey to Garland (oops)
  • Updated Yao Ming’s Jersey to Red Away Jersey to match rest of team
  • Added Photoshop Jersey Template for those who want to make their own updates
  • Just save the file as a png over the original, and dolphin will update it! DO NOT CHANGE THE NAME OF THE FILE

You can pick up NBA Street Vol. 2 Current & Legendary Edition here in our Downloads database! For more information on how to install it, as well as previews, further support, or if you just want to say thanks, check out this topic in the Forum.

Monday Tip-Off: Hacking MyCAREER in Older Games

Monday Tip-Off: Hacking MyCAREER in Older 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 by recounting the fun I’ve recently had with hacking MyCAREER in older games.

Here at the NLSC, our stance on hacking modes such as MyCAREER and MyTEAM has been the same as our policy on piracy: we don’t support it. Since we already walk a fine line with modding, we try to stay on the right side of both the law and our host’s terms of service, in order to avoid any unwanted repercussions. On top of that, there’s also the matter of fairness. While we can understand wanting to stick it to a Triple-A publisher by hacking MyCAREER or MyTEAM for content and in-game currencies, it’s also upsetting the competitive balance, and ruining things for your fellow gamers.

To that end, recounting my experiences hacking a MyCAREER save probably seems quite hypocritical. Here I am preaching fairness, while going against our own rules and community philosophy; talk about double standards! If you’re grumbling, I can appreciate where you’re coming from. However, there is a distinct difference between hacking to gain advantages in the connected modes of MyCAREER while the servers are still online, and messing around with an offline save years later. In fact, that’s a distinction that we can perhaps draw in our rules moving forward, because at a certain point, hacking MyCAREER for your own enjoyment does become fair game.

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NLSC Podcast #415: Being The NBA 2K Playmaker

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #415 of the NLSC Podcast!

What would you do if you were made the Gameplay Director for NBA 2K? We discuss our visions for the series, and open up the mailbag to find out what the community would do if they were in the driver’s seat. Our Parsec sessions over the past week also produced some incredibly fun games with NBA Jam: On Fire Edition and NBA Live 2001, and we’ve been challenged to aim for a statistical goal in the latter. Speaking of which, recent attempts to curb turnovers and reach milestones in NBA 2K14 MyCAREER raises the question: do we psyche ourselves out when we’re trying to pad stats and set records on the virtual hardwood?

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!

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week: February 19th, 2022

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.

Usually the NLSC Top 10 Plays features a variety of different games, but it seems that this week, the community has mostly been enjoying NBA 2K22! It’s resulted in some spectacular highlights, with a very familiar name taking the top spot. You’ll also see one of the highlights from my NBA 2K14 MyCAREER that I’ve been playing again, and I’ll freely admit that there’s no way I’d ever pull off that dunk in real life. Of course, that’s the beauty of video games: all of our basketball fantasies can come true, resulting in exciting moments that are fun to share with our fellow virtual hardwood enthusiasts!

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 Comebacks That Would’ve Been Fun To Play With

The Friday Five: 5 Comebacks That Would've Been Fun To Play With

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 derailed comebacks for NBA players that would’ve been fun to play with in games, had they come to fruition.

We’ve seen some noteworthy comebacks take place in the NBA over the years. Two of the most famous NBA comebacks are Michael Jordan – twice, in fact – and Magic Johnson. A number of other players have likewise returned to action after years away from the NBA, though not all of them were retired for that duration. Nevertheless, whenever there are rumours that a former star is contemplating a return, it grabs our attention. Will it happen? Where will they sign? How much do they have left in the tank? And yes, how will it impact their team in video games?

Even before these comebacks are official, we can speculate and play out scenarios on the virtual hardwood. We can also create our own fictional “What Ifs”. My cousin and I had Larry Bird make a brief but shocking return to the Houston Rockets in our NBA Live 95 PC Season. Bringing Shawn Kemp out of retirement for one last run in my NBA Live 06 PC Dynasty really made the experience. However, there are some real almost-comebacks that likewise present us with some intriguing “What If” scenarios to dabble with in video games. Some of them would’ve required a bit of prep work in the form of modding, while others were quite easy to set up using the default assets.

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File Additions for NBA 2K22

NBA 2K22 Cover Art

Today’s NBA 2K22 file additions feature face updates for Mark Cuban and Anthony Gill, and custom frontend presentation. Check them out at the links below!

DoctahTobogganMD
Mark Cuban Face

sonansu
NBA 2K22 NBA Logo UI Part 1
NBA 2K22 NBA Logo UI Part 2

Shuajota
Anthony Gill Face
Markus Howard 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.

Wayback Wednesday: Our First Virtual Championship

Wayback Wednesday: Our First Virtual Championship

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 discussing an achievement that I’m sure is very nostalgic for many basketball gamers: our first virtual championship.

Achieving closure in basketball video games, and most sports titles for that matter, is different to other genres. After all, they can be played in many ways, not all of which have a predefined completion condition. In contrast, games with a storyline or final level/mission/quest can be played through and clearly beaten. Whether they’re linear or non-linear, there’s an end point where the story is over and the final main objective has been completed. There’s less ambiguity as to whether or not you’ve finished such a game, and to that point, gained a sense of completion and closure with it.

NBA games, especially the sim titles, technically do have an ultimate goal of winning a championship in season, franchise, and career modes. However, they can also be enjoyed without ever completing a campaign. You may just play with and against friends in exhibition games, or tournaments that you organise. There are the online team play modes, with no schedule or structure. You can have countless hours of fun on the virtual hardwood without ever vying for an NBA championship. There is something special about getting a ring in video games though, especially hoisting the virtual Larry O’Brien trophy for the first time. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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