
I thought, what could sum up this game quickly and accurately. What could capture my feelings about this game after a couple of weeks of playing it now.
What could illustrate the reason I absolutely love this game...whearas the other two I merely liked, and have just sold one of them.
What words could capture most the thing that sets this game so far apart from the pack...the thing that makes an old NBA gamer like me truely get excited to play this thing each and every game. Where I actually look at the damm schedule and look forward to playing different teams.
The only words I can think of are... simply... best simulation of the NBA. Ever.
Not just closely, but by a landslide as a simulation . The others have a lot going for them this year, LIVE is very cool with amazing control and ESPN looks great and has some nice touches. But for authentic play, it's just not close.
I am not talking about best "game" as in video game, or best graphics. I am talking, plain and simply, in terms of feeling like the NBA. This game just nails that feeling.
I am talking seeing Dikembe Mutumo play like Dikembe Mutumbo. I am talking Shaq playing like Shaq. I am talking Reggie Miller and Rip Hamilton playing like they do in real life...and Allen Iverson and Michael Finley playing as they do. Not just as generic shooting guards.
I am talking about the Indianna Pacers playing like they do. The Nets running a fast break offense, the Mavs running and gunning, the Knicks and Pistons playing half court, the Spurs going through TD and Tony Parker getting the pass back out and onto Bruce Bowen to nail a corner ball three.
I am talking players and teams playing as they do.
I actually have match up difficulties in this game depending on which team I use. I can't tell you how cool that feels.
I am talking correct game pace. I am talking great rebounding battles, where using Ben Wallace is a whole different game to using Mo Taylor.
Man, for a basketball junkie, this game is just hoops heaven.
For the video game type things...the sound could be better (although it's not bad, with a real 5 : 1 soundtrack if you have a DD 5:1 set up). The graphics I really like. They are not ESPN standard, but they are good and the cameras are beyond great. The new action cam, the broadcast cam...all of them are damm nice. The faces are kind of hit and miss. Use Philly and Kenny Thomas is perfect. and yet Eric Snow is way off. Use the T-Wolves and KG is the best of any game...yet other players you cant recognise at times. I can live with that though, and the player models are the best of any game.
The arenas are g r e a t. Best of any game

Screw the video game stuff though....the basketball stuff is sublime. Not only can I play the full 82 game season, but I genuinely wish I had the time to play a full season using different teams...because it's a whole different experience.
I've perused a lot of the impression threads and there's a real theme, not just here but on other sites also, where basketball fans (ie, not gaming fans as such, but basketball fans) just completely love this game.
IMO, that's all that counts.
This game won't suit everyone's taste...but man does it make this old NBA junkie happy.
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