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'NBA on next-gen?'
 Developer: 2K Sports
Publisher: 2K Sports
Category: : basketball
Official Site
Platform: X-Box 360
Might look like: NBA 2K5/
Date posted: 29 August 2006
Written By: Ian
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Not again ...
NBA 2K6 proved to be a pretty successful launch game for the Xbox 360 in America in November, but the European launch was inexplicably delayed until only a couple of months ago here across the pond.
2K sports claimed it was working on some benefits for gamers here, but did they materialise?
"No" is the only answer I can give. Both games (NBA 2K6 and NHL 2K6) still suffer from frequent crashes, updated rosters were still hard to find and use successfully (and 2K claimed they would be included free for users without Xbox Live).
Furthermore, by the time of the EU release, the RRP in the States had fallen to $40, or £23/€30, yet all gamers got here was a £10/€15 reduction off normal RRP to £40/€60 each, so to add insult to injury EU gamers were paying nearly twice the price of our US friends; even when buying both games bundled together for a discount price we are getting ripped off.
Fortunately better gameplay
NBA 2K6 is again the better of the two games when it comes to gameplay.
The options are extensive, and there is plenty of customisation. There are also a wealth of teams available to play as, including the obligatory unlockable classic teams. There is a noticeable difference between say the Raptors (really bad) and one of the All-Star teams (really good).
The ball physics are really excellent, and players like Steve Nash who can really nail three-pointers can in the game also nail them, whereas most players really struggle from outside the area.
If you go for a full season, this game is DEEP. It could go on for days, but instead, 2K give the player little incentive to play on.
The gameplay crashes are infuriating, and the achievement points are so easy that the full 1000 points can be achieved in just one game if you are ok at the game and really going for it.
Most unlockables just aren't worth the continued play, and therefore after about two hours play, I felt I had explored everything the game had to offer.
Maybe if I were a bigger fan of B-Ball then I would have really delved into a season, but frankly with all the niggles and crashes, I couldn't really be bothered.
  
Xbox Live is pretty good. Its lag free, but despite the number of people still playing, it was difficult to find a game, due to that over-complicated menu system previously mentioned.
Again, there were crashes occurring with regularity, but it was pretty fun when you can get a game going.
What with those next-gen graphics?
NBA 2K6 features very lifelike graphics, which at least brings a ray of light to the review.
Key players like Kobe, Steve Nash and crew are very accurately modelled, and the shirt physics are outstanding. Players also sweat, and whilst much of the detail is lost in SD, in HD the graphics on court blow you away.
However, the crowd are very blocky in comparison, and it seems odd that replays often focus on them.
NBA features an extremely poor navigation system, which are counter-intuitive. It is very difficult to find what you actually want to do, and the presentation is so poor that the menu screens would look more at home on a SNES, let alone a PS2, and certainly not an Xbox 360. The manual is very poor, and does not help to explain what is going on either.
  
Extensive Soundtrack
NBA comes with an extensive soundtrack, featuring a mix of mainly Hip-Hop interspersed with a bit of rock, which all works out pretty well, although many of the tracks are by fairly minor artists.
However, it is pretty annoying that like in NHL, there is no option to turn on the music in-game; it is only there during menus and replays, which means you never really hear much of the music that is there, which is pretty bizarre.
The commentary is pretty strong, especially when compared to EA or Konami's efforts in their sports titles.
However, there are some moments when a totally random piece is read out, which ruins the mood a little; some lines are also way too long, which results in the commentary then struggling to keep up with the rest of the game for some time.
However, it is better than NHL, as these mistakes are less frequent, and the commentators actually sound excited by the moves you carry out.
Conclusion
NBA 2K6 is better then NHL 2K6 but still not good!
It had a lot of potential, and great graphics, but with the fairly imminent release of the 2K7 version, and the gameplay niggles, it is best to save your money and wait for that, especially as the online community for both the 2K6 games will then vanish at that point.
If you must play a sports game, there is little else to recommend for the system, as EA's effort is perhaps even worse, but there is still little to recommend here.
With September looking so juicy in terms of releases, you would be foolish to spend your cash on NBA 2K6, unless you are after easy points or really must play a basketball game; even then only buy if you find it considerably cheaper than the RRP, as NBA 2K7 is being listed on websites for the same price as the 2K6 RRP.
-Ian
Ratings
Manual:
50 % |
Graphics:
82% |
Music & Sfx:
59% |
GamePlay:
52% |
|
This game scores
on our 5-point Rating System
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