Two Reasons NBA 2K12 Is Better Than Ever

And that’s just one of the almost 30 classic teams you can unlock in NBA 2K12.

The presentation in My Player got a significant upgrade across the board. Press interviews and sponsorship deals accent the experience. And you’re given goals to meet, because the ultimate endgame for the mode is to get inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

Gamers have come to expect that annual sports games will be marginally improved versions of the previous game. Last year we gave NBA 2K 11 an astonishing 9.5, the Sports Game of the Year title, and listed it as one of our Top 100 modern games (one of only two sports games on the list). That’s quite an accomplishment, and it was well deserved. But get this: Everything I’ve seen of NBA 2K12, and I mean everything, is better than last year. All of it. But two things stand out as the coolest parts of the game for me thus far.
For me, sports games are all about creating myself as a professional athlete. It’s my favorite mode in any sports game. I thought I was in the minority on this, but according to 2K Sports, My Player was their most popular mode in NBA 2K11. It’s surprising, considering that, frankly, My Player was the weakest part of last year’s game.
Remember how lackluster My Player was in NBA 2K11? You controlled the worst player in the combine, stumbling through boring pickup games in an empty gym until you finally got drafted into the NBA, where things didn’t get a whole lot better.



Forget all that.

In NBA 2K12 you make a breakaway for the draft. There’s just one game before the draft. A full, spectator heavy, commentary filled game with lights, action, teams and a lot of flair. And you don’t suck, either. Your stats are on par with other first round draft picks, giving you the skills you need to prove you have talent on the court. Instantly the mode feels more fun to play because you can actually make shots, blocks, and steals. The point system is more forgiving, so I actually ended up with a B+ rating at halftime on my first game.


If you’re a fan of My Player, or even didn’t like the version last year, you need to check it out when NBA 2K12 comes out.


I loved the Jordan modes in NBA 2K11. Reliving the career of greatest player who ever balled was awesome, and it’s hard to think of what could top that. Until I loaded up the Jordan game in NBA 2K12 and saw I was playing against the 1993 Charlotte Hornets.




Hell yes.

There is no team in the history of basketball I love more than the ’93 Hornets. Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Kendall Gill, and my man, my hero, Muggsy Bogues (hey I was freaking short back in the day). One of the most fun teams in the history of the game.

The presentation in NBA’s Greatest blew me away. When you load up a 1964 Celtics vs Lakers game and step into the sneakers of Bill Russell, the game becomes a black and white, ’60s broadcast. The same goes for Jerry West and the Lakers in the ’70s. It’s awesome.




NBA 2K12′s October 4 release date is just a few short weeks away, but that’s still too long to wait.