I’ve played sports games for a long time. Since the Sega Mega Drive, in fact. I’ve owned FIFA, Pro Evo, Madden, NHL, Formula One, TOCA Touring Cars and, of course, NBA Live and 2K. So when I say NBA 2K11 is the best sports game I’ve ever played, don’t take that statement lightly.
I’ve been playing 2K11 for 2 weeks now and I’m convinced this is going to be the game of the year for me. There’s a lot of reasons for this, but lets start with the cover athlete, Michael Jordan.
The Jordan Challenge
Very few, if any players have had the impact on a sport that Michael Jordan has had on basketball. In 2K11, you get to play through and try to replicate MJ’s 10 greatest moments. Want to take on the Bad Boy Pistons? You can. Want to beat the flu? You can. Each of these challenges is done with a surprising amount of authenticity.
The players look like they did, His Airness flashes the tongue, and guys even have their own signature shots and free throw routines. Commentary is specially done for each of these challenges, talking about events and storylines that occurred during or before the games. The arenas feel and sound like they should (The Boston Garden is so loud it’s deafening). Even the camera is slightly grainier than normal to match the broadcasts of the 80′s and 90′s. To top it off, there are special cut scenes to help relive those memorable moments. Both the Bulls and the opposing teams look and play like they did back in the day. The play at the tempo they played at, run plays they ran, and generally bring it like they did back in the day as well.
2K11 is so legit it rewards you for your historical knowledge. Want to contain Magic? Do what the Bulls did. Put Pippen on him. It works. But scoring 63 points on the Celtics is not easy. Not while you also have to shoot a good percentage and dish 6 assists at the same time. And winning the game while you do this is even harder. I never got to witness Michael Jordan myself. I was too young. But I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for him after this.
There are only two flaws I’ve found in the challenge: lack of opposing benches and 8 minute quarters. It kind of grated on me when Larry Bird fouled out in the third quarter of The Arrival, but stayed in the game the whole way because the Celtics didn’t have a bench and, thus, no one to sub in for him. It turns out fouled out players staying in the game is a bit of a gamewide issue anyway, but that’s for another review.
8 minute quarters. They frustrate me because they make the whole game harder than it needs to be. Michael commonly played 38-40 minute games, and these only last 32. To get your achievements you often have to force them. I know 2K want you to take over the game with Michael, but I don’t want to do it at the expense of the flow and enjoyment of the game. And that’s often what you have to do. 10 minute quarters and 40 minute games would be a much better number. It’s challenging, but allows me to play within the game too. At least give us the option to change it.
The MJ challenge could well be a game in and of itself. But it’s not. It’s an added bonus that corrects the big flaw about sports games: they only capture the previous year. The Jordan Challenge takes you through a decade, an entire career, of great basketball moments. It’s the sort of thing that’ll make 2K11 still worth playing 5-10 years down the line.
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