Who put grease on the court?
PlayStation 3
Released in 2011 by 2K Sports
Grade: A-
This is a fun basketball sim with some great ingredients, but it’s almost pointless to own because NBA 2K11 and NBA 2K13 are both slightly better.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the sixth installment on PS3. The 2K series jumped to the next gen for 2K14, but it’s still releasing versions on PS3 and Xbox 360 today, with NBA 2K18 coming soon.
Praises
This is a challenging but highly playable recreation of the NBA. It feels like basketball. You have a lot of control over subtle player movements as well as team strategy.
The players are extremely well engineered to play with unique abilities and tendencies. Games feel different depending on who’s playing. No two match-ups are the same. Savvy players will learn to play to their team’s strengths.
The graphics are pretty sweet. Players have likelike animations, and you’re rewarded for timing your actions in a way that keeps the players moving smoothly. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel the difference between good timing and bad timing.
Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but fast breaks and early offense are easier to exploit than in other 2K games. You’ll end up with more dunks and layups in the average game.
The sound and presentation are good, but the menus could be easier to use.
The game comes with 36 classic teams with full rosters, adding more replayability.
Gripes
The control just isn’t as crisp as 2K11, especially on defense. It feels “slippery.” Your players sometimes glide into odd positions with the lightest touch of the thumbstick. Staying with your man isn’t intuitive like in other 2K games.
On offense, it’s not as pronounced, but it can also feel slippery at times. Most actions are feel great, which is a feat, but the occasional slip-ups are hard to ignore.
That’s really it. It’s like 2K11 with a bit of grease on the court.