Let’s be honest. Despite the yearly hubbub such announcements create, it really doesn’t matter which athlete is featured on the cover of a sports game. Yet when the good people at Take-Two made the stunning announcement last year that Michael Jordan would be gracing the cover of NBA2k11, it just made sense. Now that the game has been released, it makes even more sense.
Just as His Airness was the greatest player to ever drop a ball through a hoop, NBA2k11 remains the king of basketball video games. This is the best game of hoops you’ve ever played, and it might just be the best sports game ever made.
Any discussion of NBA2k11 will, of course, have to begin with the aptly named Jordan Challenge, where you’ll get the opportunity to control 10 different versions of Jordan and the Chicago Bulls as you attempt to recreate some of the greatest moments of #23’s career. You’ll have the chance to score 63 points against Larry Legend and the Boston Celtics just as Jordan did in 1986. You’ll need to average over 30 points a game while dishing 11 assists per contest as you try to best Magic Johnson and the Showtime Lakers through a best-of-seven series, just as MJ did to earn the first of his six NBA championships. You’ll even have to drop a double nickel at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Patrick Ewing and the Knickerbockers while rocking the #45, just as Jordan did when he returned from his first retirement back in 1995.
It’s an enthralling addition to an already deep game. As you’ve come to expect from the NBA2k team, the game looks beautiful, and each version of Jordan, as well as his teammates and the players on the classic teams you’ll be facing, are perfectly detailed, right down to the kicks on Jordan’s feet. If you manage to complete all 10 of the Jordan Challenges, you’ll unlock the ability to use a young Jordan in some of the game’s other modes.
For the most ardent hoops fan, it’s the other modes that will really make this game worth your while. The Association mode, where most players spend the bulk of their time, is back, and with some minor improvements, better than ever. The awesome 2kShare program, which allows users to upload custom made rosters, sliders, and even draft classes, adds immeasurable depth to an already deep mode.
There’s also the returning My Player mode, which lets you control the destiny of your very own roundballer. Some interesting off-the-court additions make this mode more compelling than it was a year ago.
What’s most important about this game, however, is what the franchise has always stood tallest upon: gameplay. Every year, the NBA2k developers manage to improve an already great game of basketball, and this year is no different. The controls are so deep and rich that you’ll really have to put in some practice before you discover all of the different options you have available to you. As a result, the post game has never been better. Driving the lane has never been more realistic. Best of all, the computer-controlled defenders play such a smart brand of defense that it’ll force you to play a smarter brand of basketball. Maybe you’ll even start running plays. In many cases, you’ll have to. In fact, if there is any sort of flaw to this game, it might be that sometimes, it’s a bit too hard. There is a hefty learning curve, but it’s worth the effort. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll have a ball (no pun intended).
It’s hard to imagine how the guys at 2kSports will manage to improve this game next year. Seeing as how they’ve managed to do it time and time again, however, you can bet they’ll find a way.
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