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Monday Tip-Off: Awaiting The Next Retro Kick

Monday Tip-Off: Awaiting The Next Retro Kick

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 few thoughts as I anticipate going on another retro basketball gaming kick.

As I said when I discussed my approach to playing through a retro basketball gaming kick, a major factor in an old title re-entering my rotation is its ability to provide me with something I need or desire from the virtual hardwood. It may be closure, or satisfying curiosity. Sometimes it’s simplicity and/or familiarity, especially if I’m not really hooked by the latest release. On top of that, I’ve found that my nostalgia comes in phases. I’m not only nostalgic for a single era or a narrow selection of games, and the urge to revisit specific titles can be influenced by factors unrelated to basketball.

Two examples that I’ve often cited in that regard are NBA Live 2002 and NBA Live 2003. They were the titles that came out as I was in my final years of high school back in 2001 and 2002, and represent the early days of my tenure running the NLSC. That entry into young adulthood coincided with a transitional era in the NBA, and when I’ve reflected on that time, I’ve been drawn to dust off those games. On the other hand, my decision to revisit NBA Live 06, NBA Live 10, and NBA 2K14, were all driven by content creation and pure whim. As such, it’s difficult to say which game will capture my attention and result in another retro kick in the near future.

When Dee4Three and I discussed this topic on the NLSC Podcast, Dee posed the question as to which games I felt I didn’t spend enough time with, or deserved a second look and a chance at making a new impression. It was a difficult question to answer. The Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06, NBA Live 10, and NBA 2K14 on PlayStation 4 were arguably the three prime candidates in that regard, and I’d already ticked them off my list. There are games that I haven’t played as much as I’d hoped, for one reason or another. The question is whether anything will compel me to pick a specific title and subsequently get hooked, especially as I’m enjoying NBA 2K22.

2007 Robert Horry in Fantasy Teams Mode (NBA Live 10)

It’s something that I believe must happen organically. I fired up NBA Live 06 to check a detail and get screenshots, and was drawn in when I decided to play a full game and enjoyed it more than I recalled. NBA Live 10 has been such a staple of our Parsec sessions that I couldn’t help but develop a new appreciation for it, and make up for some lost time. My revisitation of NBA 2K14 began as a means of getting some screenshots and writing retrospectives, but it was too fun to put down. None of them were planned as a deliberate attempt to get on a retro kick, and I don’t think that I’d develop the same enthusiasm if I consciously decided that’s what I was going to do.

At the same time, I didn’t choose those games at random from my collection. It was my intention to dust them off, albeit for different reasons and a shorter length of time. Glancing at a few of the ideas I’ve compiled for future features – particularly Wayback Wednesday, obviously – NBA 2K15, the NBA Street series, and a couple of 360/PS3 era NBA 2K titles, are just some of the games that I’ll be revisiting for the purposes of content creation. There are a few factors that could conceivably prompt me to spend more time with them, or any other titles I own, beyond what it will take to capture screenshots and perform adequate research to produce the features I’ve planned.

Just as I didn’t spend much time with MyCAREER in NBA 2K14 when it was new, I didn’t progress very far in NBA 2K15’s mode. As was the case with NBA 2K14, I’ve always been rather dismissive of the story based on my first impressions. A revisit for a Wayback Wednesday article might lead to some further exploration, especially if I decided to speed up the process via external means. That isn’t something that I would endorse for a current title, but it is fair game in a release where online support has been discontinued. It’s probably unlikely due to MyCAREER burnout and a rekindled passion for franchise gaming, but I certainly couldn’t rule out the possibility entirely.

Carmelo Anthony in NBA Live 06 (Xbox 360)

With NBA Live on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there are Achievements/Trophies that I never unlocked. Attempting them might be fun, and wouldn’t require weeks of investment. With the NBA Street series, there’s long-lost data and save files, which means finishing them and unlocking everything all over again. On a similar note, now that I have college basketball games on PlayStation 3, playing through the franchise modes of titles that I couldn’t obtain and enjoy when they were new might also be a fun retro kick. With such a large collection at my disposal, I’m spoiled for choice. As a content creator, I can find a good reason to pick any game from that large selection.

Of course, while the concepts of unfinished business and uncharted territory both hold tremendous appeal, there are other nostalgic factors to consider. Although my fondest memories of the NBA are from the 90s – i.e. when I was young, my fandom fresh, and the Bulls frequently victorious – that’s not the only era that I enjoyed at the time, and now look back on in fondness. I do have a particular fascination with the mid to late 2000s as well, for a few reasons. The Bulls were an established power when I really got into basketball, so it was my first time experiencing the rise of my favourite team. Also, many emerging stars during that era are now elder statesmen, or indeed retired.

That generation of players – the ones born in the 80s or early 90s at the latest – are also my generation. The stars of the 80s and 90s were the generation before mine; grown men that I watched as a child. Now that I’m older, the young men entering the league today seem more like kids, though it feels incredibly condescending to refer to them as such. The players who I’m close to in age feel like peers in a way. Their entry into the NBA heralded the end of my childhood, and the start of my twenties. Now that I’m closer to 40 than 20, that time is old enough to feel nostalgic. That extends to the basketball I watched, and the basketball video games that I played for hours on end.

Looking Ahead to a New Retro Kick

I’ll always find great appeal in games such as NBA Live 2004, NBA Live 2005, and NBA Live 06 PC, yet I’ve also achieved a sense of closure with them. That’s not to say that I can’t enjoy them anymore, but they’re less likely to become a retro kick. I’m planning on revisiting the NBA 2K games from the mid to late 2000s that I spurned in favour of NBA Live, for both Wayback Wednesday and my own curiosity. To that end, I’m interested to see which ones make a better impression now that I’m used to the NBA 2K style, and if one of them becomes a retro kick. Even the games from the early 2010s now feel old enough to indulge NBA nostalgia, and they’re great, too.

Now, there’s another key ingredient to a retro kick: engagement. My NBA Live 06 kick didn’t last too long, because the novelty of roster editing and random exhibition games wore off quickly. My NBA Live 10 kick lasted much longer because of all the fun creating makeshift retro squads in Fantasy Teams mode, and the ideas for content that came from its various features. MyCAREER and MyGM in NBA 2K14 were both very engaging, and combined with the gameplay experience, were fun enough to draw me in. Whichever old game takes my fancy next, it will need to have something I can sink my teeth into; something I can’t easily get from another game, new or old.

In other words, a Season in Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside isn’t going to cut it. I’ve played single seasons many times before, and while those are fond memories, I do need more depth and more advanced gameplay to really inspire an extended retro basketball gaming kick. I’m unlikely to get into a MyCAREER outside of NBA 2K15, as it’s the only story I haven’t really played through at this point, and that would be something fresh. I’ve got some unfinished business in the Classic Campaign mode in NBA Jam 2010, but unlike Road Trip in NBA Jam: On Fire Edition, achieving 100% completion is somewhat dry and repetitive. There’s far more appeal in NBA 2K22.

Derrick Rose dunks in NBA 2K14

Indeed, it may be a while before the new retro kick presents itself. NBA 2K22 isn’t perfect, but I’ve been enjoying it so far. Now that I’ve concluded my business with NBA 2K14 on PS4, 2K22 is delivering my basketball gaming fix. Again, a retro kick shouldn’t be forced. Knowing my habits, in time I’ll by struck by the urge to revisit a title, or I’ll fire it up while working on some content. Before I know it, it’ll be back in the rotation until I’m ready to put it aside again. If I try to force it, it’s going to feel more like work and an obligation. No matter the genre, the key to retro gaming fun is to indulge whatever nostalgic vibes you’re feeling, and find the satisfaction you crave.

I’m looking forward to it though, whichever games might be next. I don’t collect basketball games simply for collection’s sake, or to display them on a shelf. I know that I can’t play all of them regularly, and there are some that I can’t see ever being regulars in the rotation. Quite frankly, Kidz Sports Basketball is a game that I’ll likely only ever break out for content creation, or very occasionally for ironic entertainment! There are also much better games that I’ll never play full seasons in, but still enjoy in small sessions here and there. The point is that I have them on hand to be played, so I can do just that whenever I’m willing and able to go retro on the virtual hardwood.

Normalising retro basketball gaming is a goal of mine. I still enthusiastically play new games, but I love revisiting old favourites, and giving other titles a second chance to impress. I’m fortunate that my approach to basketball gaming and content creation isn’t reliant on me pouring hours into grinding in the latest title, pumping out videos as I chase perks and the algorithm. Kudos and good luck to everyone on that grind, but I’d rather let my passions drive my basketball gaming, and for those experiences to guide my content. On that note, I know an old title – maybe not too old – will soon capture my imagination and tip off a new retro kick. Until then, I eagerly await it.

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