Tag Archives: NBA 2K18

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 a few thoughts on difficulty levels, and the impact they can have on basketball game reviews.

There’s a very old video game trope that has been dubbed “Easy-Mode Mockery” over on TV Tropes. In short, it’s when a video game makes fun of you for playing on the easiest difficulty setting. At its most benign, perhaps the easiest difficulty level will be accompanied by an insulting message or image. In extreme cases, playing on an easy difficulty will lock you out of certain content, such as the true ending. Infamously, one of my favourite adventure games – Monkey Island 2 – advertised its easy mode as being “suitable for video game reviewers”. Take that, critics!

All jokes aside, I’m not one for gatekeeping and elitism. Video games are meant to be enjoyed, and if hitting the virtual hardwood on an easier difficulty level is fun for you, don’t let anyone bring you down (but probably don’t brag about dominating the game on Rookie, either!). In fact, with the way many games cheat to allow the CPU to be challenging on the Superstar and Hall of Fame difficulty levels, it’s not always a very satisfying experience. To that point however, if you are reviewing a basketball game, you must play it on those tougher difficulty levels as well. Contrary to Monkey Island 2’s snarky jab, video game reviewers shouldn’t just be hooping on the easiest setting.

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It’s always great to see new modding tools being released in the community, especially when they’re free of charge! To that end, SexCurryBeats has released 2KVenueLab, a comprehensive utility that includes tools for NBA 2K11 right through to NBA 2K26.

As per the description, the key features of 2KVenueLab are as follows:

• IFF viewer/exporter
• POD/mobile file support
• Archive tools
• Package staging/restore
• OBJ export
• Browser previews
• Roster editor tools
• For NBA 2K11-2K26

Pick it up here in our Downloads section! Shout out to SexCurryBeats for providing this modding resource, and several other mods and contributions throughout the years.

Also, thanks as always 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 remnants of missing and removed features in basketball video games.

Features and content are removed from all genres of video games for a variety of reasons, from design changes and technical challenges to deadlines and legal issues. It’s unfortunate even when it’s understandable, but it’s also entertaining to discover the remnants of cut content. They’re intriguing mysteries when we stumble upon them, fascinating What Ifs when we know their back stories, and sometimes even things that can be restored through modding. Our community has definitely been able to make good use of leftover content in NBA Live and NBA 2K!

Of course, the remnants of cut content can also be annoying. Not only are they proof of what we missed out on, but sometimes they’re a sign of anti-consumer design. A feature that would’ve been useful to have – and indeed was in a previous game – may have been removed because it isn’t conducive to recurrent revenue mechanics being as profitable as they could be. That may not be quite as insidious as removing content in order to sell it as downloadable content, but it’s still lacking in goodwill! Whatever the case, there have been some memorable remnants of missing and removed features in basketball video games over the years. Here are five that spring to mind for me.

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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 bad omens in basketball gaming.

I don’t believe in omens as a mystical force in the universe. However, I do believe that there are warning signs that we should take notice of, which I’ll colloquially refer to as bad omens. As far as basketball gaming is concerned, there are definitely some bad omens when it comes to an upcoming release, or the future of a series. They’re not exactly mysterious and hard to spot, but it obviously gets easier with experience. We can recognise patterns, acknowledge precedent, and employ some common sense. At the same time, it’s easy to ignore bad omens.

After all, many of us try to remain optimistic about our hobby. We don’t want to jump the gun and assume the worst, especially if our predictions and pessimism have been proven wrong in the past. Things that have seemed like bad omens have turned out to be meaningless, or in rare cases, good news. Still, it pays to err on the side of caution, and there are warning signs that we should probably brace ourselves for bad news; or at the very least, temper our expectations. Once again, experience can usually guide us, as the red flags are much easier to spot after you’ve been through a few preview seasons. To that end, when one of these five events occurs, it tends to be a bad omen.

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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 Dee! 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, send Dee a message, or hit him up on X.

One thing’s for sure: the slams you’ll find in this week’s NLSC Top 10 Plays are far more exciting than the 2026 Dunk Contest! Sure, that’s a low bar to clear, but the community soars far above it with some spectacular jams on the virtual hardwood. It’s not often that you’ll see NBA Live 07 for Xbox 360 in the countdown, but even it was able to put this year’s contest to shame with some wild stuff from Tyrus Thomas! However, the top spot goes to another clutch bucket from a gamer with a knack for crazy finishes. Seven different games are featured this time around, from NBA Live 2003 through to NBA Bounce. 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.

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 how despite some interesting ideas here and there, MyCAREER keeps telling us the same old story.

When the Next Gen version of NBA 2K14 launched with the very first MyCAREER story, it was a bold attempt to innovate with the single player career experience. The mode had already been expanding since its debut in NBA 2K10 as My Player, but introducing a narrative with cutscenes and further role-playing elements continued to differentiate it from the franchise modes. Once 2K began working with big name filmmakers and actors, MyCAREER came to feature impressive production values and deeper stories, which I’ve come to appreciate.

There are some recurring problems with the story-driven approach to MyCAREER, of course. Not everyone is interested in flavour content like that, especially if they just want to build up a player for the online scene. The quality of the stories has varied over the years, with a few of them being very obnoxious in tone. There have been some distracting disconnections between the story and the MyPLAYER protagonist, where a very specific back story doesn’t suit the concept of avatar customisation. If nothing else, we’re not rated like we’re a future star! However, the biggest issue is that even in the best case scenario, we end up being told the same old MyCAREER story.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #617 of the NLSC Podcast!

The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One generation of NBA 2K games – and their PC ports beginning with NBA 2K15 – saw some fantastic hits, but also a couple of disappointing misses. With that in mind, how would we personally rank the eighth gen NBA 2K releases? That’s the challenge before us this week, as we take a look back and rank NBA 2K14 through NBA 2K20 from worst to best. As you’ll hear, it was tough to separate a couple of the generation’s best NBA 2K titles that have also become some of our all-time favourite basketball video games, but between gameplay, modes, content, and overall vibe, we had ample criteria to devise rankings that we stand behind.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 45:23 — 31.5MB)

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 advice for 2026: just keep scrolling.

Nothing is for everyone. I wish I could phrase that more eloquently and profoundly, but when it comes down to it, that’s the way it is. This is as true for content on the internet as it is for TV shows, movies, music, video games, or basically anything else you can name. Not every YouTube video will be appealing to you. Not every forum, Reddit, or social media post will concern a topic that you care about. Not every article that I or anyone else writes will be interesting to everyone that happens to stumble across it. Even if you’re the intended audience, it still may not be your thing.

That’s OK, but somehow, too many people still take great exception to encountering something that they’re not interested in. Now, you could say that there are far more important matters in the world, but that’s kind of my point here. If the worst thing that happens to you today is that you’re suggested a video or a social media post that just doesn’t interest you, I’d argue that it’s been a pretty good day! And yet, some people still can’t help lashing out with snark and outright hostility when either the algorithm or a creator they follow delivers content that’s completely inoffensive, but simply not their cup of tea. It’s ridiculous because there’s an easy solution: just keep scrolling!

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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 another list of potential comebacks that would’ve been fun to play with in video games.

Seeing as how this is the fifth Friday Five article looking at comebacks that would’ve been fun to play with in video games, I’ve already covered some of the most notable examples. From prominent players whose attempts to make it back to the league came up short, to Legends who were close to donning another uniform before opting to stay retired, to vague interest that ultimately didn’t amount to anything, there have been some fascinating stories of comebacks that could’ve been fun to see in real life, and a blast to play with on the virtual hardwood as well.

For Part 5, I’m doing something a little different. These are still comebacks that were at the very least rumoured or hinted at – I’m not just making up fictional examples – and they’d make for fun scenarios in video games. However, they’re not as serious as the previous stories. When it comes to these potential comebacks, it’s more a case of them being fanciful thoughts by the players in question, or there’s not much evidence that a return was ever truly close to being a reality. Indeed, in one case, it’s extremely clear that it wasn’t actually happening! Nevertheless, it’s still entertaining to look back and wonder What If, and perhaps even customise rosters to set up these scenarios.

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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 controversial concepts in basketball video games that were ultimately abandoned.

Basketball video games have come a long way, thanks to evolving technology and innovative ideas. Of course, not all ideas pan out, and some definitely aren’t in the best interests of consumers. It’s one thing when a change to a gameplay mechanic or mode doesn’t resonate with gamers, or result in the improvements that were intended. However, when the overall experience is harmed by a controversial approach that’s sorely lacking in goodwill – such as pushy recurrent revenue mechanics – it can easily overshadow a game’s better qualities.

In the best case scenario, such concepts will prove to be so controversial that they’ll be abandoned or at least heavily revamped in the following game, if not sooner via a patch. The annual basketball titles obviously have a built-in audience, and with NBA 2K essentially having a monopoly on the sim genre right now, there’s a lot of freedom to push their luck. Nevertheless, controversial concepts do invite significant backlash, so they will be abandoned if they threaten to damage a company’s reputation; or more accurately, their profits. That said, while they may not be motivated by altruism, it’s always welcome when companies walk back on controversial concepts like these five.

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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 a confession: I can’t (totally) hate the open worlds in NBA 2K.

I’ve discussed the problems with MyCAREER incorporating open worlds before. I dedicated a Monday Tip-Off column to explaining how it gives the mode an identity crisis, forcing an ill-fitting concept into a genre that doesn’t need it. I further outlined some of the major issues with mixing open worlds with sports games in a Friday Five article. From pointless time wasting to propping up recurrent revenue mechanics to putting an end to offline MyCAREER, there’s a lot to dislike – even hate – about NBA 2K’s open worlds. I stand by all of that criticism.

However, I have to confess that I can’t and don’t completely hate the open worlds of The Neighborhood and The City! That’s not to say that I believe they’re absolutely necessary, because again, I stand by my previous criticisms. Nevertheless, I do have a certain appreciation for them, and they ultimately didn’t prevent me from enjoying my time with MyCAREER in NBA 2K19. Granted, you don’t have much choice except to grow accustomed to the open world approach if you want to play MyCAREER! Still, when it’s done right, the concept definitely has its moments. And so, I won’t deny that I’ve found The Neighborhood and The City to be engaging and enjoyable…at times.

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #599 of the NLSC Podcast!

Music is a vital part of the atmosphere in basketball video games, and as such, it’s often connected to our nostalgia for them. This week, we join the community in reflecting on basketball video game music, from some of our all-time favourite soundtracks in NBA Live and NBA 2K to the tunes that just didn’t seem to be a good fit for the virtual hardwood. After all, while we may like certain songs in other contexts, they’re not always ideal for getting us pumped up to virtually ball! We also discuss the joy of discovering new music through gaming, and the appeal of remixed songs with new lyrics that reference basketball, or tracks that were produced specifically for a game.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 58:21 — 40.4MB)

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 reflections on how I’ve lost enthusiasm for new basketball video games.

When the preview season for NBA 2K26 officially tipped off in early July, I was filled with dread. Frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to aggregating the news and discussing the upcoming game. Likewise, I wasn’t excited for September to arrive so that I could get my hands on it. The anticipation that I once felt for new games – even when I was hooked on the current one – simply wasn’t there. It helped temper my expectations, but as I discussed in Episode #596 of the NLSC Podcast, NBA 2K26 still failed to reach the low bar that I’d set for it.

Moreover, as I said on the show, NBA 2K26 proved to be a breaking point for me. I already felt disappointed and disillusioned with the ninth generation, but this was the final straw. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my enthusiasm for new games. Even though it’s a year away, I’m not excited about going through another preview season. I’m dreading having to play and talk about future NBA 2K releases. I can’t feel optimistic about the future of the series, or the chances that we’ll see the return of NBA Live; especially after EA Sports rescinded their proposal for a college game. Call it an extreme case of the New Game Blues if you like, but I’m not sure how I can get that enthusiasm back.

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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 reviews of NBA 2K should be harsher on microtransactions.

Many years ago, I used to post bulletins about other sites’ reviews of the latest game. It’s something our founders did, and I followed their example as it certainly seemed like the logical thing to do. With the preview season at an end and a new game now available, sharing those reviews reported on its general reception, and provided our community with an assortment of professional opinions as they considered picking it up. In recent years, I’ve stopped doing that. Beyond the lack of any reciprocation as far as sending other sites traffic, I’ve been unimpressed by so many reviews.

When it came to NBA Live reviews during the eighth generation, it felt like several publications were more interested in being snarky and delighting in its shortcomings, rather than being informative and constructively critical. As for NBA 2K, while there has been more to praise, it’s also felt as though some reviewers are far too gentle and forgiving. It’s not surprising in an era of content creators and access journalism, but it’s dismaying to see major issues being glossed over. In particular, it bugs me when microtransactions are basically met with a resigned shrug, or ignored altogether. Still, it’s fair to wonder if there’s any point in reviews being harsher on microtransactions.

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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 how online play encourages a mindset of “on to the next one”.

During our discussion of the presentation developer blog for NBA 2K26 in Episode #592 of the NLSC Podcast, we once again broached the idea of 2K bringing back the Pressbook in a future game. While it isn’t absolutely essential for offline gamers who can easily pause to use instant replay and Photo Moments, it’d still be handy to have. It would be even more useful in online play, since it would provide cinematic replays and stills that would otherwise be impossible to capture. While we both like the idea, Dee made a very important point about the mentality of many online gamers.

He pointed out that when it comes to online play, a lot of people take the approach of – to quote a Jay-Z song from the NBA 2K13 soundtrack – on to the next one. In other words, there’s no waiting around to reflect on your last game and to view screenshots and highlights from it, as is often the case in offline gameplay. As someone who did play online for several years, Dee is absolutely right here! Even though I’m still in favour of it returning, there’s no question that the Pressbook might not be very popular with online gamers, despite how fun and useful it could be for content creation. When it’s all about moving on to the next one though, the sentimentality just isn’t there.

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