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The Friday Five: 5 Overlooked Drawbacks of Awesome Features

The Friday Five

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 drawbacks of awesome features that tend to be overlooked.

Even though I’m an advocate for deep and detailed critique, I would agree that it’s possible to veer too far into the realm of nitpicking. That doesn’t mean that it’s wrong to criticise minor annoyances, but perfection is an unrealistic standard. However, I don’t think it’s unfair to point out that some of the most awesome features we’ve seen in basketball video games have had drawbacks that we’ve overlooked. They may not be immediately apparent or a problem for everybody, but they are issues that we’ll end up noticing, and may stand out as weaknesses in aspects that we otherwise really like.

Again, despite the title that I’ve used for this article, I don’t want to come across too negatively here. After all, something we can take away from each of these examples is that the drawbacks in question didn’t prevent the features from being awesome! They are drawbacks nevertheless though, and it’s important to be able to recognise that even our favourite modes and features aren’t perfect. It’s how we constructively criticise games, and suggest ways that the experiences we enjoy can become even better. With that being said, here are five drawbacks that ultimately didn’t prevent features from being awesome, but still caused some frustration or held them back in some way.

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NBA 2K22 Current Gen Patch 1.4 Now Available

NBA 2K22 Current Gen Patch 1.4 Now Available

Patch 1.4 is now available for the Current Gen version of NBA 2K22. As always, it should come through automatically as long as your PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One is online. If it doesn’t, try restarting your console or Steam client, or checking for updates manually. The following patch notes have been released:

  • Continued stability and performance improvements have been made to enhance the overall experience.
  • You now have the ability to obtain Skill Boosts directly from your in-game phone no matter where you are on the Cruise Ship.
  • Perfect Release SFX now have descriptive names to make equipping them a more simplified process.
  • Zoom adjustments to the Broadcast camera, based on community feedback.
  • Addressed an issue where the user would sometimes appear over the ocean when accepting an invite to the Cruise Ship.
  • Slightly increased the ball drop speed in MyTEAM.

I’ve added the notes for Patch 1.4 to the NBA 2K22 Current Gen update history in our Wiki, and also corrected the version numbers; as with the Next Gen version, it appears that 2K are using slightly different numbers this year. Feel free to post your impressions of the latest title update in the comments below, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum!

NBA 2K19 Classic Seasons Mods Update: 1988 Released

NBA 2K19 Classic Seasons Mods

A couple of months ago, the Classic Seasons Mods for NBA 2K19 by Stildo33 and company were made available offline, in the wake of the game’s servers being shut down. At the time, the collection of fantastic retro mods covered the 1989 season through to the 1994 campaign.

As you may have recently seen announced in the Forum however, the 1988 season has now been added to the lineup! The 1994 roster is also in final beta, and now includes historical stats for all players. You can find the rosters for 1988 and all of the other seasons, as well as the required art packs, here in the NBA 2K19 Modding section.

Stildo33 and company aren’t done yet, either. A 1995 season roster is currently in the works, with a projected release in late October this year. Preliminary work has also begun on a 1987 roster, though it won’t be out until Thanksgiving at the earliest. Once again, a tremendous amount of work has gone into these rosters to ensure accuracy in both the aesthetics and on-court performance. If you’re still regularly playing NBA 2K19 PC – and even if you’re not – I’d highly recommend checking out the Classic Seasons Mods. Congratulations to the team on another great release!

Wayback Wednesday: Can You Update NBA Live 95 16-Bit to 1995?

Wayback Wednesday: Can You Update NBA Live 95 16-Bit to 1995?

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 challenging myself to update the 16-bit version of NBA Live 95 to 1995 in Season mode.

There are many aspects of old basketball video games that younger gamers will find strange and antiquated. The idea that one of the top players in the league won’t be included and instead represented by a Roster Player is one that springs immediately to mind. The lack of a steal button is another. Perhaps the most unusual is the inclusion of the previous year’s rosters in a game whose title suggests that it should portray the current NBA season. This of course excludes extenuating circumstances such as a lockout, or the pandemic shutdown and subsequent delay of the 2021 campaign.

When basketball video games were in their relative infancy and before they became as popular and successful as they are today, we experienced all of those issues at one time or another. A prime example of a game including the previous season’s rosters is the 16-bit version of NBA Live 95. While the PC version was updated for the 1995 season and this approach would become the norm – aforementioned circumstances aside – the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis release carried on the tradition of featuring outdated lineups. The PC version facilitates roster modding, but is it possible to update NBA Live 95 for 1995? Let’s take a look back…way back…

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File Additions for NBA 2K22

NBA 2K22 Cover Art

The latest file additions for NBA 2K22 PC include an Oscar Schmidt face from our own Dee4Three, three jersey packs from pinoy21, and court and environment mods from TGsoGood. Download all of the new NBA 2K22 file additions at the links below!

Dee4Three
Oscar Schmidt Cyberface by Dee4Three

pinoy21
Boston Celtics Jersey Pack
New York Knicks Jersey Pack
Los Angeles Lakers Jersey Pack

TGsoGood
Draft Combine Court
Sack Werns Environment (Court floor Removed)
Sack Werns Environment (Daytime Version)
Sack Werns Environment (Daytime Version) For Custom Court Floors

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.

Monday Tip-Off: The Rising Cost of MyCAREER

Monday Tip-Off: The Rising Cost of MyCAREER

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 frank discussion of how the cost of upgrading your MyPLAYER has been steadily rising in MyCAREER.

Virtual Currency in NBA 2K is nothing new. Since NBA 2K13 on consoles and NBA 2K15 on PC, gamers have been able to purchase 2K’s in-game currency and spend it on MyPLAYER upgrades and MyTEAM packs. As far too many apologists readily chirp up to inform us, it isn’t actually necessary to buy VC. It’s merely a shortcut for gamers that are impatient, short on time, and flush with disposable income…or so they’d have you believe, anyway. While the justifications for microtransactions are flimsy at best, it is true that they’ve been a part of NBA 2K for almost a decade now.

That longevity doesn’t excuse their intrusiveness and impact on game design, though scores of shrugging shills will claim otherwise. To dismiss concerns about recurrent revenue mechanics by framing them as a tired criticism that needs to be put to bed is to ignore the increasingly pushy nature of them. In all fairness, it isn’t always because someone is shilling, although that does undoubtedly happen. It’s also the result of annual releases, as we forget the exact figures of payouts and price tags; the specifics of each game’s economy. With that in mind, it might shock some people to see just how much the cost of upgrades has been rising in MyCAREER since NBA 2K14.

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NLSC Podcast #395: Retro Kicks, Lucky Breaks, & Modding Ideas

NLSC Podcast Logo

Episode #395 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Derek (aka Dee4Three) and I are your hosts for this weekly podcast that’s all about basketball gaming.

An extended retro kick with NBA 2K14 will soon wrap up, as the end of a season in MyCAREER looms. We reflect on having a new appreciation for the game, and compare the MyCAREER experience to more recent NBA 2K titles. Patch 1.6 for NBA 2K22 Next Gen came close to causing heartbreak, but fortunately a further update seems to have resolved the issue. We share further impressions of this year’s game, and recap our adventures in MyTEAM. Super Dunk Shot and Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside were our games of choice in a recent Parsec session, with both proving to still be fun all these years later. Building off a recent NLSC Forum topic, we also discuss some creative modding ideas for the community to consider.

Join in the conversation in the comments below, or here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future shows. For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week: October 2nd, 2021

NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week

It’s time to enjoy some virtual hardwood highlights in the NLSC Top 10 Plays of the Week! This is a weekly feature curated by Derek (aka Dee4Three) spotlighting the best plays from the basketball gaming community, which includes a few of our own memorable clips from time to time. Submit your clips in the Forum, or hit up Derek on Twitter!

Can you believe we’ve already reached Week 20 of the revived NLSC Top 10 Plays? It seems like only yesterday that the countdown officially returned, following a test episode featuring plays from our NBA Live 10 Parsec sessions. Judging by this week’s submissions, the fun isn’t slowing down on the virtual hardwood, especially as the community clocks up more hours with NBA 2K22! With that being said, it’s not always the newest game that produces the most incredible moments, as you’ll see with this week’s top play.

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 spectacular moments on the virtual hardwood or blacktop. All basketball games are welcome, new and old! Also, be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube for more basketball gaming videos.

NBA 2K22 Patch 1.6 Out Now on PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X

NBA 2K22 Patch 1.6

As you may have seen, Patch 1.6 has come through for NBA 2K22 Next Gen. The patch should begin downloading automatically as long as your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S is online. If it doesn’t come through, try restarting your console or checking for updates manually.

Patch 1.6 includes 39 likeness updates for both current and historical NBA and WNBA players. It also resolves some issues in MyCAREER quests, and a rare disconnect that was occurring in The W Online. A few problems in MyTEAM have also been addressed, and injuries have been disabled in Draft games.

The update originally caused some corruption issues with user data and saves, which 2K has ascribed to temporary server problems. It appears as though the issue has since been resolved for some people, but if you are still encountering difficulties, you may want to open a ticket with 2K Support.

You can find the full notes for Patch 1.6 below, as well as in our NBA 2K22 Next Gen update history. Feel free to add your thoughts and impressions in the comments, as well as join in the discussion here in the NLSC Forum.

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The Friday Five: 5 Times Basketball Games Weren’t Family Friendly

The Friday Five

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 recalls fives times that basketball video games featured moments that weren’t completely family friendly.

Generally speaking, basketball games don’t push the envelope with controversial content. It’s not something the NBA is keen to sign off on, and it’s not really the genre for content that isn’t exactly family friendly. There’s no risqué material, or violence beyond hard fouls in sim titles and shoving in arcade games like NBA Jam. It’s simply not the right genre for that. If I want a more adult-themed game with combat, I’ll play a Fallout title. If it’s bawdy humour I’m after, I might dust off a game in the Leisure Suit Larry series. If I’m after something gorier, there’s always Mortal Kombat.

We play basketball games for the sport they represent, whether it’s a realistic or more cartoonish depiction of hoops. With that being said, there are a handful of times that basketball games have surprised us with content that pushed the boundaries of their family friendly rating. It’s seldom been in poor taste, and never anything close to the violence, profanity, and lewdness of some of the aforementioned games. At the same time, it’s not something you’d expect to see or hear in a game that’s aimed at all ages. I should note that this isn’t meant to be a stuffy pearl-clutching article, but rather a light-hearted reflection on unexpected content in otherwise family friendly games.

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U R Basketball 2K13 & 2K14 V87 Released

U R Basketball 2K13 & 2K14 V87 Released

Thanks to the NBA 2K22 preview season earlier in September, I’ve once again fallen behind in posting a bulletin about the release of a new version of U R Basketball by skoadam and slimm44. V87 of URB is now available for NBA 2K13 and NBA 2K14 PC, with offseason rosters updated as of August 25th, 2021. A full breakdown of the key features is as follows:

  • 250 new portraits
  • All trades and free agent signings as of August 25th, 2021
  • Updated contracts and extensions
  • Updated faces
  • Updated MyCAREER Draft picks
  • Updated MyCAREER courts and stadium
  • Updated MyCareer jerseys
  • Updated schedule for 2021/2022 season (fictional)
  • 2022 & 2023 Draft Class
  • New coaches
  • Trades (new portraits)
  • Seasons screens
  • Title screen and menu with 2K22 logo
  • Age and contracts corrected for next 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. As previously noted, fixes for retro shoes, Draft Classes, and other enhancements are still in the pipeline, along with further 2022 season updates. Stay tuned to skoadam’s topics for further information and previews of all future releases!

Wayback Wednesday: Knicks vs Magic in NBA 1K95

Wayback Wednesday: Knicks vs Magic in NBA 1K95

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, it’s a highlight reel featuring the ’95 Knicks taking on the ’95 Magic in NBA 2K14 PS4, which I’m calling NBA 1K95.

No, I haven’t forgotten all about NBA Live 10, but I do have a new addition to my retro basketball gaming rotation: NBA 2K14 on PlayStation 4. It’s another game that I’ve developed a new appreciation for, having pushed it aside when it was new. In addition to finally playing through the first MyCAREER story, I’ve been hitting the virtual hardwood with classic teams. The PS4/Xbox One version of NBA 2K14 had fantastic presentation, and combined with music from NBA Live 95, I’ve put together a highlight reel from a game between the ’95 Knicks and ’95 Magic. Check out NBA 1K95 to take a look back…way back…

It goes without saying, but making the right decisions in crunch time is the difference between a win and a loss! I hope that you enjoyed the reel, and found it to be a double dose of nostalgia. As I’ve done with NBA Live 06 and NBA Live 10, I’ll be revisiting NBA 2K14 in a future Wayback Wednesday feature, as I do have some new thoughts on the game in the wake of my recent retro gaming kick. Be sure to subscribe to the NLSC YouTube channel for more video content, including the weekly Top 10 Plays curated by Dee4Three!

March Modness 2021 Giveaway Winner: Pep

NLSC March Modness

This is a very late announcement, but congratulations to Pep, winner of our March Modness 2021 giveaway! Pep continues to make great updates for NBA 2K14 to this day, and also won the giveaway back in 2019. Pep has won a copy of the Standard Edition of NBA 2K22 PC, and will also receive an NLSC t-shirt, courtesy of Arcane Team Apparel.

A big thanks as always to everyone who entered this year’s March Modness contest, and continues to share their mods with our community! Don’t forget that we offer free and permanent file hosting for our modding community, in order to preserve these great releases for years to come. With NBA 2K22 released and a new season of modding underway, I encourage everyone to make use of our facilities. For more information on uploading and adding files to our Downloads database, be sure to check out this tutorial.

NBA 2K22 Official Patch Details & History

NBA 2K22 Official Patch Details & History

As I’ve been chasing up my pre-order of NBA 2K22 Next Gen since launch, I’ve neglected to post bulletins about the official patch releases. I’ve since caught up on all of the details and added them to our Wiki, as well as posted them in the Forum.

So far, the Current Gen version hasn’t received any detailed patch notes, except to say that there are stability fixes and no gameplay adjustments. However, there are details on the latest official patch for NBA 2K22 Next Gen, which added traditional broadcast cameras to MyNBA, improved loading speeds in The City, and addressed some disconnection issues.

You can find the full notes for Patches 1.4 and 1.5 for NBA 2K22 Next Gen below. Moving forward, I’ll be posting bulletins when new patches are pushed through, as well as adding the details to the update history in our Wiki and Forum resources. You can find the Current Gen/PC update history here, and the discussion topic here in the Forum. The update history for Next Gen can be found here in the Wiki, and you can join in the discussion in this Forum topic.

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Monday Tip-Off: Balancing Consequences & Fun

Monday Tip-Off: Balancing Consequences & Fun

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 delicate balancing act between consequences and fun in hoops gaming.

Developing a video game that satisfies its target audience is easier said than done; not just from a technical standpoint, but a conceptual one as well. That’s because even within a specific demographic, there are different preferences and approaches to gaming. Some people like exploration, storytelling, and immersion. Others prefer a more competitive atmosphere. One may prefer video games to be a fun distraction, while others want a challenge and choices with consequences. These are all valid preferences, and thus catering to them all as best as possible is a daunting task.

That is nevertheless the goal that I believe basketball games have been striving for, with mixed results. Of course, to a certain extent, consequences are supposed to be part of the fun, because therein lies the challenge and the game. In a team building mode, there’s currency to budget, and strategies to assembling a squad that’s both successful and fun to play with. In single player career modes, there’s likewise budgeting of in-game currency, optimal build choices, and efficient methods for grinding. Making the right choices is all part of the experience, but without the right balance, the consequences can be too severe and thus detract from the fun.

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