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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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NLSC Podcast #414: Pump Us Up, Don’t Leave Us Deflated

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #414 of the NLSC Podcast!

Does the community still feel the same excitement and anticipation for the latest release every year? We open up the mailbag to discuss the titles that basketball gamers felt the most hyped about, as well as the factors that have dampened our enthusiasm over the past decade or so. We also recap another fun week in basketball gaming, which included a return to Fantasy Teams in NBA Live 10, heroics from Steve Kerr in NBA Live 95, a surprising challenge playing NBA Live 2003 PC co-op, and a new take on NBA Live 15. There also the latest games from our NBA Jam: On Fire Edition Tournament to recap, and a tale of retro collecting disappointment to share.

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 Podcast #413: More NBA Video Games, Please

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #413 of the NLSC Podcast!

Catching up on the latest results from our NBA Jam: On Fire Edition Tournament, we reflect on a truly epic comeback! We also recap the fun we had connecting on Parsec to play NBA Live 2004 PC with the 1996 season mod, another exciting countdown with the Top 10 Plays, and recent fun going back to an NBA 2K14 MyCAREER save. This week’s main topic is the variety of NBA video games that we used to enjoy. We open up the mailbag to see which NBA video games the community most wants to see return instead of (or in the best case scenario, in addition to) NBA Live, and discuss our memories of those titles.

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 Podcast #412: Community Wishlist For NBA Live 23

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #412 of the NLSC Podcast!

After last week’s show, we’ve been moved to revisit NBA Live 2001 and NBA Live 2002. Though both were controversial releases in our community, they definitely have their bright spots. Speaking of old NBA Live games, work continues on our All-Time Teams Roster for NBA Live 96 PC. There’s also been an exciting development as far as modding NBA Live 10 on PlayStation 3. As for the future of the series, while NBA Live 23 hasn’t been announced, it’s clear that we’re not the only basketball gamers hoping that the series will return. We discuss the likelihood of it finally happening this year, and revisit our expectations. We then open up the mailbag to discuss the community’s Wishlist for a hypothetical NBA Live 23.

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!

The Friday Five: 5 Predictable Moments in Basketball Games

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 moments in basketball games that are very predictable.

In real basketball, there’s a phenomenon of knowing a shot is going in as soon as it leaves your hands. It just feels right, the arc looks perfect, and it’s almost like there’s a sixth sense about it. Of course, that confidence isn’t always well-founded, in which case you may end up looking like Nick Young! We can get a similar feeling when we see someone else shoot the basketball, either on TV or when we’re on the court. It’s why we’re so surprised to see the great shooters and clutch performers miss attempts that we were absolutely sure would splash through the net.

As an artificial representation of the sport, basketball video games naturally contain some telltale signs that make them far more predictable than real life. Predictability isn’t always a bad thing of course, particularly when it’s a favourable outcome. Even when it isn’t, you’re at least able to brace yourself for the outcome, perhaps avoiding getting your hopes up. However, like a spoiler for a film, TV show, or indeed a video game with an in-depth narrative, it can detract from the experience by removing a sense of anticipation, with certain actions feeling inconsequential. For better or worse, here are five of the most predictable moments found in basketball video games.

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Wayback Wednesday: 20 Players With No Official Appearances in Games

Wayback Wednesday: 18 Players With No Official Appearances in Games

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 twenty NBA players that have made no official appearances in video games.

I have an ongoing series of Friday Five articles documenting players who appeared in more video games than real NBA contests. While a handful of those players did tally playing time in at least one NBA game while sometimes appearing in multiple titles, several of them only saw action on the virtual hardwood after being cut in real life while the game was still in production. This article is basically the opposite of that series, instead focusing on players that did make it to the NBA, but due to the timing of their stints, never made it into a video game’s official rosters.

I’d originally planned this as a counterpart series of Friday Five articles, but I’ve instead opted for a single article listing twenty noteworthy examples. To that point, I’ve tried to select players who had interesting stories, and/or multiple opportunities to make official appearances in video games. I’ve also focused on games from NBA Live 96 onwards, as those titles have included more comprehensive lineups thanks to inactive rosters and official updates. Official roster updates have also made this a far less likely phenomenon as the years have gone by. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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NLSC Podcast #402: Winners Don’t Quit

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Episode #402 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.

NBA Live 19 still has an active online scene, but sadly it displays similar toxicity to NBA 2K’s community. We dissect the issue of poor online sportsmanship, and lack of competitiveness in what is supposedly a competitive environment. While we’re in the mood for callouts, we also respond to some recent comments that were unnecessarily snarky. On a brighter note, our second attempt at a co-op game in NBA Live 06 for Xbox 360 over Parsec has us pumped to dive into a Season. Elsewhere, Take Two’s attitude towards Grand Theft Auto modders has us wondering if we should be worried about our own modding community, especially with 2K understandably cracking down on MyCAREER hackers. In this week’s mailbag, we’re reflecting on games that we wish we could’ve personally modded, or downloaded mods for.

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.

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.

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The Friday Five: 5 Unlockables That Shouldn’t Have Been Locked

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 unlockables in basketball video games that shouldn’t have been locked in the first place.

I have a love/hate relationship with unlockables, particularly in basketball and pro wrestling games. The concept is fine on paper, and I definitely prefer it to paid DLC and cosmetic items tied to recurrent revenue mechanics. However, certain games do approach their unlockables better than others. Specifically, I’m not a fan of titles that require too much repetition to unlock content, and some of the WWE games back in the PlayStation 2 era were notably bad in that regard. Ideally, you shouldn’t be sick of a game by the time you’ve unlocked everything of interest.

Basketball games have tended to be fair in their approach to unlockables, but there are examples of content that frankly shouldn’t have been locked in the first place. It may be because they’ve now become impossible to unlock due to requiring a connection to servers that are no longer online. Others feel more like gatekeeping than worthwhile rewards. At the very least, they seem more like pointless busywork, and content that should be readily accessible from the first time you fire up the game. Whatever the case may be, I can think of at least five examples of unlockables that should’ve been handled differently, or not been unlockables to begin with. I’m sure I’m not alone here.

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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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NLSC Podcast #393: Failure to Launch

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Episode #393 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.

A first round series in the NLSC NBA Live 10 Tournament concluded with a fittingly competitive contest. On a more unfortunate note, postal delays continue to keep the PlayStation 5 version of NBA 2K22 from reaching one of us, but the other has some further impressions to share. We discuss the state of MyTEAM in this year’s game, and provide an update on an issue with the PC version. We also talk about balance, and frustration with criticism being dismissed out of hand. After NBA 2K16 comes up, we’re moved to reflect on the history of issues with retro teams, and the Hall of Fame Ratings scale. In a reversal of last week’s mailbag, we also talk about the worst basketball game launches, as well as some of the most frustrating mechanics over the years.

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.

Monday Tip-Off: Vanilla Basketball Gaming

Monday Tip-Off: Vanilla Basketball Gaming

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 on how my basketball gaming habits are more vanilla than they used to be.

Over the years, there are two initiatives within our community that have gone a long way in improving the basketball gaming experience after a title is released: modding, and slider tweaks. Mods have added missing content, created new experiences such as retro, college, and foreign league rosters, and attempted to fix issues with the games wherever possible. When it comes to refining the gameplay, devising the right slider adjustments has made a huge difference for many gamers. In short, few would say that playing the game as-is – vanilla basketball gaming, if you will – is optimal.

During my time as a content creator in the basketball gaming community, I’ve created roster mods, and I’ve devised sets of slider tweaks. I’ve also installed other people’s mods, and tried out their sliders. However, I have to admit that my basketball gaming habits have changed over the past decade or so, to the point where you might say that I’m playing a vanilla game. This isn’t because I don’t appreciate the hard work of our modding community, nor is it because I believe that games can’t be improved upon with slider tweaks. Rather, a combination of my preferred modes, primary platform, and even my content creation habits, have led to more vanilla basketball gaming.

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Wayback Wednesday: Familiar Faces Back in Familiar Places (Part 4)

Wayback Wednesday: Familiar Faces Back in Familiar Places (Part 4)

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 another collection of players that ended being familiar faces back in familiar places.

Just as I’m continuing my series on familiar faces in strange places, I have another instalment of its counterpart today. As the name would imply, the familiar faces back in familiar places series takes a look at players that returned to the team that they’re often closely associated with, after leaving to play elsewhere. In some ways, it’s an even more interesting phenomenon, particularly with star players as many of them have only moved on to new teams after leaving their original club. Over the years, we’ve seen more players return to their old teams for second runs and farewell tours.

As always, I’m looking at these familiar faces back in familiar places through the lens of basketball video games. I do that in part because it ties in to our coverage of the virtual hardwood, and because I enjoy the “interactive almanac” aspect of revisiting older titles. With that being said, let’s take a look back…way back…

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Wayback Wednesday: Familiar Faces in Strange Places (Part 5)

Wayback Wednesday: Familiar Faces in Strange Places (Part 5)

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 another collection of players that became familiar faces in strange places.

Yes, it’s time for a fifth instalment in my ongoing series profiling familiar faces that ended up in strange places! In case you missed the previous articles, or the title is a bit too esoteric, this series looks back at well-known players that are generally associated with a particular team, and their stints wearing unfamiliar jerseys that looked strange at the time as well as in hindsight. Because video games capture these unusual stints, I’m also looking at them through the lens of the virtual hardwood. As I’ve said before, I love the “interactive almanac” aspect of old video games!

The ten familiar faces in strange places that I’m profiling this time around feature a mix of several big names, as well as some prominent role players from back in the day. Although it’s more jarring to see All-Stars and future Hall of Fame inductees wearing unfamiliar uniforms, we can still come to associate long-tenured role players with a certain team as well. As such, it’s similarly strange when they move on to a new club, both in real life and in video games. Let’s take a look back…way back…

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NLSC Podcast #383: It’s Still All Speculation

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Episode #383 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.

Before we started recording this week’s show, we played games of Double Dribble Playoff Edition and the SNES version of NBA Live 95. One holds up a little better than the other, but both were fun to revisit! Speaking of NBA Live, EA Sports are set to make an announcement regarding the return of one of their old series. Will it be their long-running NBA title, their college hoops series, or something else? Meanwhile, as the NBA 2K22 preview season looms, some apologists are already warming up their excuses. In this week’s mailbag, we’re talking about the peak era for basketball gaming, and underrated gameplay additions.

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.