NLSC Your source for basketball video games.

Episode #240 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and I as we discuss another week in basketball gaming news, from the future of NBA Live to the NBA 2K League, as well as what we’ve been doing on the virtual hardwood.

On this week’s show…

• An EA investor call made specific mention of NBA Live, and vaguely hinted at some of the goals and concepts for this year’s range of EA Sports titles. This should end any speculation that there are currently any plans to take another year off from NBA Live, though there’s still plenty to speculate upon as far as new features are concerned.
• With the Combine in the books and analysis of the results complete, the 102 gamers who will be participating in the NBA 2K League have been chosen. The process hasn’t been without controversy, but in any event, the Draft will be taking place on April 4th.
• Our Week in Basketball Gaming saw us return to 2K Pro-Am sooner than anticipated, in a session that turned out to be quite enjoyable, and a success for a newly equipped jumpshot animation. We also played a few games in MyCAREER and The One, hit up LIVE Events and the LIVE Pro-Am Tour, and continued to collect cards in Ultimate Team.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 55:38 — 38.3MB)

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

Today’s file additions for NBA 2K18 PC include faces, courts, jerseys, and a new scoreboard. Download them all at the links below!

Torogi
Giannis Antetokounmpo Face
LaMarcus Aldridge Face

Manni Live
Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center
Atlanta Hawks Philips Arena

ksmiz
Altitude Sports Scoreboard

pinoy21
Boston Celtics Jersey with Blackstripe (pinoy21)
Phoenix Suns Jersey with Hawk Patch (pinoy21)
Orlando Magic Jersey with HDV Patch (pinoy21)

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 have a couple of new file additions for NBA Live 08 PC today, and they’re both current roster updates for the 2018 season. Please note that I’m not involved in the creation of these updates, so if you have any feedback or issues with them, please take it up with the listed authors. With that being said, you can check them out at the links below!

MounirDZ
2018 Season Roster

Book_Gazette
Book’s 2017-18 Trade Deadline Roster

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 is a list of features in the NBA 2K series that are arguably underrated.

Following on from last week’s column, which looked at five features of the NBA Live series that could be considered underrated, I’m now taking a look at NBA 2K. Visual Concepts’ series of sim-oriented basketball video games has received a lot of praise over the past decade, and for good reason. The NBA 2K series has earned a lot of critical acclaim and sold millions of copies on the strength of its gameplay, deep game modes, and overall attention to detail. Even though we have our criticisms, NBA 2K has definitely had its strong points that are well-known and enthusiastically praised.

As I said last week, however, it’s often the little things that really make the basketball gaming experience special. The big features are important and they’re obviously what sell the games, but the smaller details often provide enhancements in many areas, be it greater accessibility or fun ways to play the game. At the same time, there are features that aren’t necessarily small, but still somewhat overlooked, or just not given their due for how enjoyable, helpful, or innovative they are. With that being said, here are five of the more underrated features in the NBA 2K series. Hopefully, the ones that are absent from recent releases can be implemented again at some point.

Read More »

The latest file additions for NBA 2K14 PC include retro faces, 2018 All-Star jerseys, and current season court updates. Download them all at the links below!

IceCr
Bill Russell Face
Joe Dumars Face
Wilt Chamberlain Face

Pep
NBA Nike All-Star Game 2018 Uniforms

Jumpman2K
2017-2018 Dallas Mavericks Official Court
2017-2018 Washington Wizards Official Court

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.

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 the ratings in classic NBA Jam games, specifically the PC version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition.

While playing College Slam for last week’s Wayback Wednesday feature, I noticed something interesting about the individual player ratings. Since the generic players can be edited, there is a cap on their ratings to prevent you from maxing them out at nine in each category. Interestingly, the cap varies from player to player, which basically ensures that at least one player stands out as the star of the team with better all around ratings or high ratings in a few categories, while other players are capped at a lower amount of ratings points, establishing a hierarchy and balancing the squads.

Thinking back to some of the unusual ratings that I’ve noticed in the original NBA Jam games, I began to wonder if a similar approach had been taken in those titles, and whether it could account for some of the ratings that seemed too high or too low. I fired up the PC version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition to make a few calculations and comparisons, and what I discovered was quite interesting. There does seem to be a method to the ratings, and I’m not sure if it’s ever really been explored, so let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

Pick up some new mods for NBA 2K18, including rosters, courts, and more, in today’s file additions! Modders, don’t forget you have an opportunity to win a copy of NBA Live 19 or NBA 2K19 as part of our March Modness event; please see this post for more details.

Torogi
Marcus Smart Face

MJ23LB
Boston Celtics Courts Pack

PeacemanNOT
2005-2006 Heat Jerseys – PeacemanNOT

parazitas36
Fresh Rosters with Tweaks

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 reflections on my experiences trying to find a reliable jumpshot for my MyPLAYER in NBA 2K18’s MyCAREER and 2K Pro-Am.

When The Prelude was released in September last year, I agonised a little over the MyPLAYER Archetype I wanted to run with. Although I was tempted to run with a Pure Playmaker, I decided that I’d give Sharpshooting Playmaker a try. It seemed like a solid choice, especially as we wanted to make sure that we had at least a couple of viable threats from the outside on the NLSC’s 2K Pro-Am squad. Given that I like to rack up assists and run the offense, retaining the key skills and Badges of a Playmaker also seemed like a wise idea.

The results have been mixed. The Sharpshooting Playmaker Archetype doesn’t have a Hall of Fame level Badge, which locks me out of attaining one of the Trophies. As I’ve previously discussed, due to what seems to be an issue with my player’s dunking tendencies, I can very rarely throw down, even though I’ve upgraded my rating to be able to unlock a few fancy dunk packages. My biggest issue, however, is that I’m yet to find a jumpshot animation that I’m comfortable with. I’ve tried several jumpshots, from real players’ signature animations to custom jumpshots of various combinations. Unfortunately, none of them have been as reliable as I’d like.

Read More »

Episode #239 of the NLSC Podcast is out now! Join Arcane and I for a discussion of the latest basketball gaming news, including NBA Live 18’s digital sales on PlayStation 4, a new branding opportunity for EA Sports, the aftermath of the NBA 2K League Combine, and our inaugural March Modness event. Also, the word “obviously” is overused. Obviously.

On this week’s show…

• We tip off Episode #239 of the NLSC Podcast with the story behind our new design, specifically how it came to be launched earlier than expected.
• Our inaugural March Modness event is underway! New mods will be coming throughout the month of March, and modders have a chance to win a copy of either NBA Live 19 or NBA 2K19, just by releasing new work.
• NBA Live 18 is currently among the most popular titles in the PSN Store, indicating strong digital sales on PS4. Clearly, the discounts have been working as far as getting more people to try out the game.
• EA Sports are also partnering with SportsCrate. We discuss the promising nature of the commercial partnerships in NBA Live 18, and what it means for the recovering strength of the brand.
• And then there were 250! The top players from the NBA 2K League Combine have advanced to the next round, but will it have any affect on us casual 2K Pro-Am gamers?
• We wrap up Episode #239 of the NLSC Podcast with Our Week in Basketball Gaming, which included another session of 2K Pro-Am where nothing was going right, and hitting The Streets with a brand new player in NBA Live 18.

Click Play to listen to the show!

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:15:55 — 52.2MB)

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Have some thoughts on the latest episode? Got a mailbag question or topic suggestion for the next show? Sound off in the comments section below, or join in the discussion here in the Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki.

We’ve got a big batch of mods to catch up on in today’s file additions for NBA 2K18 PC. The latest releases include new faces, a Spectrum SportsNet scoreboard, new dornas for the Golden State Warriors, 1996-1997 era advertisements, and more. Please see below for all the download links!

Modders, don’t forget that we’re celebrating modding this month with March Modness! See here for more details on how you can win a copy of either NBA Live 19 or NBA 2K19, just by releasing new mods during the month of March. As previously mentioned, I’ll also be releasing some new work here and there, so stay tuned for that.

Read More »

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 features in the NBA Live series that I feel are somewhat underrated.

As we compile our Wishlist for NBA Live 19, it’s important that we focus on the big features and the most pressing issues with the game. The most significant fixes and improvements to the experience will come through the development team focusing on the key aspects of controls, strategy, AI, authenticity, options, functionality, and the game modes. In other words, the most desirable changes and additions will be to the core elements of the gameplay, and the game’s biggest features. We don’t want EA to focus on inconsequential details. For example, fluid, realistic gameplay and a deep Franchise mode make a difference; the colour of the menus does not.

However, sometimes the little things go a long way in enhancing the experience, and making NBA Live more fun. When compiling a Wishlist, it’s crucial that we point out those features as well, and how they can get better. To that end, I’ve been thinking about some of the features in previous NBA Live games that kind of fly under the radar, and are perhaps somewhat underrated. They may not be the flashiest features, or absolutely essential to the core experience, but if nothing else, they’re good ideas that I’d like to see return or retained in future NBA Live titles. Here are five such underrated features that the NBA Live series has had at one time or another.

Read More »

I’m tipping off my own contributions to March Modness with my first mod release of the month: an NBA Live 18 Title Screen for NBA Live 2005-08!

Taken from the PlayStation 4 version of NBA Live 18, this will replace the final title screen you see before the main menu comes up. Although it’s hosted in the NBA Live 08 section of our Downloads database, it’s also compatible with NBA Live 2005, NBA Live 06, and NBA Live 07 PC. Unfortunately I’ve had to resize and crop it a little to fit the art file, but most of the screen is still visible. It should hopefully make a fine addition to any other 2018 season releases from our community.

You can download the mod here. Be sure to stay tuned for more March Modness releases!

Introducing a new event here at the NLSC: March Modness!

To celebrate our modding community, we’re running a competition throughout March. Modders who upload work to our Downloads database during the month will be entered in a contest to win a copy of either NBA Live 19 or NBA 2K19 later this year; their choice. The mods can be for any iteration of NBA Live or NBA 2K, as long as it’s a PC release. Please see below for the full terms and conditions of entry.

I’m also feeling inspired to get back into the hobby, and will be looking to release some new mods throughout March. The first one will be posted very soon, with more to follow as they’re finished. Please note that I’m not taking any requests, and larger projects will depend on my free time. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to releasing some new mods, particularly the ones I mentioned in this week’s Monday Tip-Off.

In between all that, you can look forward to the usual File Additions bulletins featuring the latest releases from the community. As always, thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database, and help out with tutorials!

Depending on how this event turns out, it may become an annual tradition here at the NLSC. Good luck to all modders looking to enter the contest, and I hope you enjoy the mods that I’ll be releasing over the next month!

Read More »

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 College Slam.

College Slam is a 1996 title that a lot of basketball gamers may not remember, if indeed they’ve ever heard of it. I personally wasn’t aware of it until years later, since as is the case with all college basketball video games, it wasn’t available in PAL regions. Essentially an NCAA version of NBA Jam, it was developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim, the companies who brought NBA Jam to home consoles and PC. Unlike NBA Jam, it wasn’t released in arcades, and never achieved the same level of popularity, largely due to its more limited release.

In many ways, College Slam is a re-skin of NBA Jam with NCAA licensing, but that is selling the game a little short. It did introduce a few new features that set it apart from its NBA licensed predecessor, and make it an interesting game to revisit. If the 2003 release from Acclaim is the forgotten NBA Jam, then College Slam is surely the forgotten spin-off. It’s another game worth remembering however, so let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

Pick up a couple of new mods for NBA 2K14, including a new Mall of Asia arena, and a face update for Spencer Dinwiddie. See below for the download links!

ALDUB_livmore
2018 Mall of Asia Arena Court (2019 World Cup Qualifiers)

IceCr
Spencer Dinwiddie 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.