NBA 2K10 Review
So in the tenth year of the NBA 2K series, we were promised something special, and something that would knock us off our feet from prior games. Sure, I know what you’re thinking…”this is a basketball game, how much different could it get?”. Well the truth is, the games are very different. I’m a huge sports fan, and at the top of that chain lies the National Basketball Association. I pay attention to the smallest of details…and when playing sports games, I want to feel the combination of real-life presentation, and the excitement of edge-of-your-seat action in fast paced game scenarios. After a quick decision in deciding I liked NBA 2K9 over NBA Live 2009, it was a shoe-in that I would buy NBA 2K10. Here are my thoughts on it.
The presentation of this game is fantastic. If the game was solely based on this, I would give it a “five-star” rating off the bat. The game does a great job of bringing out the realism of professional, televised basketball. The announcers are creative and not repetitive. In other 2K games the announcers tend to repeat the same things over and over in the same game. Nothing feels more fake in a sports game when the announcer says “he’s really focused on being consistent from the arc tonight.” followed by, “he’s really focused on being consistent from the arc tonight.” BORING!… However, the announcing in 2K10 is crisp, and follows the game thoroughly and seem to comment flawlessly on every detail. They focus on holidays, other games going on in your season, other players, league statistics, and all kinds of extras that just add to the realistic feeling.
The graphics of the game are unbelievable. The players, coaches, and crowd all look great. There could still be some work done on the cheerleaders, but the player movements and facial expressions are very well done. One complaint I’ve got with the graphics is that the jerseys/shorts seem to flutter around like a flag even if the players aren’t moving. Sometimes the game tries to process all of the good graphics at a fast pace and the game goes through some frame-rate and slow-down problems whenever you enter the paint when it is congested with several players. This can be quite frustrating at first, but the more you play it, the more automatic and unnoticeable it becomes. Plus, it is the kind of thing that hopefully will be completely will be fixed with an Xbox Live/ PSN update in the next few weeks.
Aside from the paint slow down, the game-play is pretty well executed. Most of the running and gunning is smooth, but sometimes there can be some problems with players being behind you, then magically disappearing and re-appearing in front of you, causing your player to no longer have the upper hand on a break. Once again, this can be a little frustrating. However, the replay value is extremely high.
There are tons of different modes in the game, including blacktop play, all-star games, 3-point shoot-outs, slam dunk contests, training camps, and your own association mode. The game really does have a lot to hold your attention, and the continuation of the NBA Today function is just an addition to that. It is pretty nice to watch an automatic system update your game when injuries, trades, and drafts are made. There is even a cool download area, where people can create new drafts for the upcoming years and you can download their creations on to your association or main save file. If all this isn’t enough for your buck, and you happen to be a huge NBA/Kobe Bryant fan, you can dish out the extra $40 and grab the special edition. This comes with an extra dvd, a Kobe Bryant NBA 2K10 poster, and a miniature NBA locker that holds 20 Xbox 360 games. Maybe $100 is a little steep, but its still a cool little collection set that celebrates the 2K series’ 10th year.
What we loved:
- Amazingly realistic presentation.
- Great graphics, good game-play, and catchy soundtrack.
- Tons of different categories to play and have fun with.
- Great replay-ability.
What we didn’t love:
- Frame rate problems when there are too many players on the screen at a fast pace.
- Graphical errors when making fast breaks sometimes.
- Sound effects can overwhelm announcer presentation.
- Special edition is a little pricy.
All in all, there are a couple of problems with NBA 2K10, but it is still the best of the series, and well worth the money that I spent on it. I don’t think I’d ever buy the special edition package, but then again, I’m not a Kobe Bryant fan. The game-play is smooth and fun, and the presentation really does give me the feelings of being in a real game, or at least watching one. The graphics look spectacular, and I would suggest this as a buy to any basketball fan. Even if you don’t go out and buy an NBA game each year, this would still be a good one to add to your collection.
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