ic-games Review - NBA 2K6 - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

ic-games Review - NBA 2K6 - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii ic-games Review - Home - Review, Preview and Interview for PC, Xbox,Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

NBA 2K6

Information
Reviewer: Dave Lancaster
Developer: 2K Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Reviewed: PC, PS2 and Xbox
Genre: Sports Simulation
UK Release: 28th Apr 2006
Article Date: 10th Jun 2006
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price: £29.99/£49.99
Price Comparison:
NBA 2K6

Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 90%

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Pros

Excellent graphics and sound

Outstanding versatility of controls

The best basketball game out there

Endless hours of multiplayer fun

Cons

The theme tune…

The ref who wants to be cast in Sleepy Hollow

Bill Murray doesn’t join in

Screenshots

19 of 24.5

I find most basketball games to be fun. They’re a pretty easy concept. In such a limited arena, not a great deal can go wrong. It’s either hit or miss. And this particular one scores. And if you think I’m going to end this cheesy sports analogy there, you’ve got another thing coming. It’s a slam dunk. Not a three-pointer, mind you! (Don’t worry, I’ll stop now…)

Just about every year, one of these games are churned out. Same goes for the NHL series. They do seem to be relentlessly self-improving, and to be honest there’s not that much to work on, but we’re in an MTV-Generation – more of the same but faster and flashier.

Speaking of MTV… New to this year’s version is the Crib feature. What you do, as your game progresses, is you get “crib points” for good performance and whatnot. Now, what these enable you to do, after every game, is “deck out your crib”, buy music (from that metally, hip hop soundtrack – no Rod Stewart here) or play little mini games. Crib, for people who feel as old and out of touch as I do, means a house; usually owned by people/celebrities who have too much money. The aforementioned “cribs” tend to be filled with luxurious (pointless) items and are camera-friendly. Their occupants, who are surrounded by a million security cameras, key codes and fences, tend to act surprised when the media show up as if by magic to have a look around. From my tone, you might deduct I do not own a crib. More of a hut in comparison.

Anyway, back to the NBA. If you’re internet inclined you can downloading other peoples profiles, and putting your own, and your friends’, up for grabs too. Which brings me to the unique individuality of the players in the game: They really do have styles, techniques and moves specific to themselves. What I really liked about this game was when you play it, you’re not playing against a team in the stereotypical sense but you’re playing against a team of individuals with their own plays. The A.I. in this respect is startlingly good, and NBA 2K6 keeps you on your toes. It’s generally a more refined and solid game than its predecessors.

It is, as I’ve said very in touch with the MTV generation, which is something I don’t support but I realise plenty do. So the game is designed in a kinda hiphop fashion, take the rap theme tune for example, which I personally find laughably bad! But for a game which seems so obviously to be trying to tap into that ideal, there is no in game music. Perhaps they’re saving that for NBA 2K7 (which is already in post-production). But in tune with the turbulent style, there is a fantastic touch of the PowerBar sponsorship at half time. Self-parodying moments like that really make the game for me; complete with the really over the top announcements of the teams and players before the match make NBA 2K6 a lot of fun.

And the whole game is fun. It’s pretty superficial but no-ones after a basketball game with a script, therefore this works really well! It’s very well produced. You can tell there’s been a lot of time, effort and money going into it. And the replays, as they always have, add an extra dimension to what could’ve been a very linear game. It gets the player out of what is essentially the same camera shot, and into the thick of the action. There are replays for practically every scoring shot, and they don’t get all that boring. They come in a variety of angles and because they’re much slower than the high speed pace of the actual game, they give the whole experience a kinetic stop-start energy, which is really arresting. Basically, NBA 2K6 is an exciting match, especially in multi-player – these games fare their best with friends I find. They get you shouting at the TV. And who doesn’t want to shout at a glass screen with more passion than most marriages?

Onto the technicalities: The controls are easy to master, with the sticks offering a variety of techniques such as slam dunks, give and goes or to throw to an open man at the last minute to score a 3 pointer. There’s also something called a Strip n Rip system (I don’t know why either) where you can anticipate passes early and throw yourself in the way for rebounds. Previously it depended on luck and button jamming but now there’s a patented method to the madness! So if you really get to grips with the controls you can really raise your game. What’s strangely great is this would appeal and benefit professional (or at least people who have knowledge of professionals) but also is so easy and addictive the average Joe can have a decent go, and do well. It’s a user friendly game, with subtle tutorials that progress as you do. So, whether its casual gaming or hard-core trials, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into here.

Graphics wise, they’re very polished. And the court certainly looks polished, in fact the reflections are outstanding. The animation of the players is breathtaking – made all too clear in the replays. The ball isn’t the most active animation on the court any more. There are so many nuances to the look of this game; it’d be a feeble task trying to list them. Needless to say, it’s stunning. At first it might just look above average, but look closer. The sound isn’t a series of annoying loops either. There’s a realistic resonance to them, right down to the Reebok squeaking against the wooden floor. Again, realism is the key, which they’ve used to unlock a basic idea and expand it into something truly professional, to be cherished as more than entertainment.

In fact the only thing that bothered me from the many, many components of this game was when you’re given a free throw and the ref throws you the ball far too fast at your head! Even if he’s right next to you! He really tries to decapitate you… Watch out for it. That was the single flaw I could find, from what was otherwise an utter joy to beat my housemate at. I really urge you to play this.

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