NBA 2K12 Hands-On Preview (Digital Trends) - Shot Reviews Are In!

[Mr_Riddick]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the Legends mode, but why are poeple acting like this is new to 2k?

2k always had 1950's-1990's players in the game. Up until they added Jordan this year.
Granted you may not have been able to play with the likes of Bill Cartwright, BJ Armstrong, or Bill Wennington, but that's not who people are excited to play the game for.

Young Shaq, Penny, Zo, Run TMC, Hakeem, Ewing, Bird, Magic, Zeke, Russell, Wilt, Dr. J, and all those guys have always been in the game. Some of them even had multiple players (Dr. J 70's with giant fro, Dr. J 80's with mini fro).

It's almost as if 2k repackaged the same feature with a shiny new wrapper and everyone thinks its better. When actually, it's equal to or less than the 2k10 and lower features of all time greats.

the good thing is that 2k isn't just relying on that to impress people, they are actually fine tuning an already great game.

hmmmm..... this something I forgot about.. Remember we've never had the whole package, arenas, presentation ect. But you kind of have a point.

[VDusen04]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the Legends mode, but why are poeple acting like this is new to 2k?

2k always had 1950's-1990's players in the game. Up until they added Jordan this year.
Granted you may not have been able to play with the likes of Bill Cartwright, BJ Armstrong, or Bill Wennington, but that's not who people are excited to play the game for.

Young Shaq, Penny, Zo, Run TMC, Hakeem, Ewing, Bird, Magic, Zeke, Russell, Wilt, Dr. J, and all those guys have always been in the game. Some of them even had multiple players (Dr. J 70's with giant fro, Dr. J 80's with mini fro).

It's almost as if 2k repackaged the same feature with a shiny new wrapper and everyone thinks its better. When actually, it's equal to or less than the 2k10 and lower features of all time greats.

the good thing is that 2k isn't just relying on that to impress people, they are actually fine tuning an already great game.

In my opinion, there is a very sharp contrast between having All-Decade teams where legends are available for use on All-Star teams all wearing generic "All-70's" uniforms and what 2K12 is offering this year. For me, it's not the same area code. It's not the same state. It may not even be the same planet.

I suppose I'd pose this question in hopes of creating an understanding: If 2K did not offer 30 current NBA teams and instead only provided a 2011 East and West All-Star roster, would you be satisfied?

Even when 2K opened up those All-Decade teams and allowed each legend to be sent to whatever team we chose, the idea of assigning Julius Erving to the current 76ers with long shorts and a fresh pair of Hyperdunks was still very fantastical and unauthentic. Again, picture if the only Kevin Durant available in 2K11 was one wearing short shorts, Chuck Taylors, and an old Sonics jersey. Technically Kevin Durant would be in the game, but clearly something major would be amiss (and imagine not being able to use him alongside his Thunder teammates). 2K12's approach is the way to incorporate legends. It couldn't possibly be any further from the idea of being a mere "repackaging". This is a revolution.

[youvalss]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Those 50's-90's teams were worthless. It's as if instead of having all 2011 teams, we would have 12 selected allstars playing on a generic court with generic jerseys...and a generic - you name it.

[Da_Czar]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the Legends mode, but why are poeple acting like this is new to 2k?

2k always had 1950's-1990's players in the game. Up until they added Jordan this year.
Granted you may not have been able to play with the likes of Bill Cartwright, BJ Armstrong, or Bill Wennington, but that's not who people are excited to play the game for.

Young Shaq, Penny, Zo, Run TMC, Hakeem, Ewing, Bird, Magic, Zeke, Russell, Wilt, Dr. J, and all those guys have always been in the game. Some of them even had multiple players (Dr. J 70's with giant fro, Dr. J 80's with mini fro).

It's almost as if 2k repackaged the same feature with a shiny new wrapper and everyone thinks its better. When actually, it's equal to or less than the 2k10 and lower features of all time greats.

the good thing is that 2k isn't just relying on that to impress people, they are actually fine tuning an already great game.

Flamang I see your point but for people who loved that era of hoops just having one off legends with fake uni's and current courts is a far cry from what they are bringing to the table this year. The era specific broadcast packages to boot.

I have no idea of your gaming history fam but for a good amount of us over 30 gamers we kind of got cheated. I mean you had a ton of the best players in the history of the game playing when video games were fairly mediocre.

For us to have our favorite teams with next gen graphics and working crossovers, deep association and season options and all the other bells and whistles that current games come with, but with the players and teams of the NBA back in what most consider it's heyday. It's almost like a rebirth of sorts. A renewing of the reason some of us Love playing games so much.

There was almost nothing sim about those old games in comparison to the AI we are playing with now.

VD summed it up much better than this rambling mess I posted. LOL

[youvalss]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

I still say the same thing I said before 2K11: All these classic teams and stuff is just another mode. Ignore it - and it doesn't exist. I can understand someone who thinks 2K put too much effort into making this mode instead of focusing on other things (which may or may not be true), but I can't understand someone who wouldn't buy 2K12 BECAUSE of this mode (and I'm sure there will be some who would think this way).

But not everyone thinks like me. I think this may be the reason why 2K12 won't sell as well as 2K11. I have no doubt that there are guys out there who are fed up with all those classic teams and players, and for them the game is identified as an old-time NBA game (which they don't care much for).

[flamangatang2k5]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

@ Da_Czar

I'm 31yrs old man. I am in the same boat as you as far as video games go. I go back to double dribble and Lakers vs Celtics.
I'm not saying that the legends shouldn't be included. I love playing with all of the legends. Me and a friend would make all-time team rosters and put them in a playoff tourney just to battle it out with the legends.

and I see what you and @VD are getting at with adding the entire team roster, but i disagree that it's more exciting. 2k used to have guys like Bird, Magic, Ewing, and David Thompson all wearing their authentic old school uniforms a few years ago. So that's nothing new. I think they made a mistake taking that part away. What I'm not interested in is playing with guys like Doug Christie, Bobby Hansen, M.L. Carr, Michael Thompson, John Salley, and Kenny Sky Walker.
I would prefer more legends be added. Guys like Ronaldo Blackman, Jack Sikma, Kevin Johnson, and Lafayette "Fat" Lever.
But either way works for me. As long as the game play is good and players play like their true likeness.

[Da_Czar]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

@ Da_Czar

I'm 31yrs old man. I am in the same boat as you as far as video games go. I go back to double dribble and Lakers vs Celtics.
I'm not saying that the legends shouldn't be included. I love playing with all of the legends. Me and a friend would make all-time team rosters and put them in a playoff tourney just to battle it out with the legends.

and I see what you and @VD are getting at with adding the entire team roster, but i disagree that it's more exciting. 2k used to have guys like Bird, Magic, Ewing, and David Thompson all wearing their authentic old school uniforms a few years ago. So that's nothing new. I think they made a mistake taking that part away. What I'm not interested in is playing with guys like Doug Christie, Bobby Hansen, M.L. Carr, Michael Thompson, John Salley, and Kenny Sky Walker.
I would prefer more legends be added. Guys like Ronaldo Blackman, Jack Sikma, Kevin Johnson, and Lafayette "Fat" Lever.
But either way works for me. As long as the game play is good and players play like their true likeness.

Understood fam.

Man I was pissed when they took those uni's out of the game and put the legends in those generic Uni's. I stopped playing with the legends after that cause it just didn't feel right. I MISS david Thompson...

I agree different flavors for different folks. But for me going back in time is the thing ! I would take Uwe Blaab if they put him with the rest of the spurs from that year...LOL

Plus I want the other non stars like Harold Minor and Bimbo Coles. I love playing with the old role players as well as the old stars.

[VDusen04]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

and I see what you and @VD are getting at with adding the entire team roster, but i disagree that it's more exciting. 2k used to have guys like Bird, Magic, Ewing, and David Thompson all wearing their authentic old school uniforms a few years ago. So that's nothing new. I think they made a mistake taking that part away. What I'm not interested in is playing with guys like Doug Christie, Bobby Hansen, M.L. Carr, Michael Thompson, John Salley, and Kenny Sky Walker.
I would prefer more legends be added. Guys like Ronaldo Blackman, Jack Sikma, Kevin Johnson, and Lafayette "Fat" Lever.
But either way works for me. As long as the game play is good and players play like their true likeness.

I definitely see where you're coming from. I think it's just a differing in opinions is all. For me personally, I was legitimately pumped to see the inclusion of players like Rick Mahorn, Sean Elliott, Kurt Rambis and Mark Aguirre. That's the draw for me. There just seems to be a limit to what a gamer can do with a giant pile of legends on their own. You can play an All-Decade game, or an All-Time game, and maybe do a fantasy draft, but those options appear limited and shallow (and altogether unappealing in my regard).

Meanwhile, actual classic teams, classic courts, classic jerseys, classic signature styles, classic tube socks, classic facial hair appears to be infinitely more in-depth than anything previous legend teams ever offered. A lot of the draw for me in video games is the immersion and ability to somehow bridge the gap between fantasy and reality. With only legends and no supporting qualities, it just all felt too fictional. 2K12's step into history will help bridge that gap.

[AbdulP34]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Question:
Is the shot review ONLY for the legends mode?????
or any quick game match with modern teams?????

[ffaacc03]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Indeed, different flavors to different tastes ... for me, having these teams with those role players and fillers is the ultimate utopy ... those "lesser" players combined with the back then stars to form what we now call "legends" ... they were an integral and almost indivisible part of those players achievement ... MJ would have not been GOAT without the likes of Cartwright, Paxon, Kerr, Longley and so the others ... if any, I would love to see more teams.

[VDusen04]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Question:
Is the shot review ONLY for the legends mode?????
or any quick game match with modern teams?????

Actually, I think the better question would be whether the buzzer beater review is correctly only going to utilized in current games or if it's going to leak into the legends mode. With the depth of 2K's rule adjustments (no three point line prior to '80, the implementation of the 3-to-make-2 rule), I can't see 2K allowing the official reviews in the legends mode.

[clipperfan811]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

It's funny because just last night I popped in 2k7 just for a old time's sake and I played a game of 70's West vs 70's East. Let me tell you how that was not very fun. For one the graphical difference is beyond night and day. You also have the generic Jerseys but the biggest thing to me is that they just didn't feel authentic. The guys at 2k have done an amazing job at implementing tendencies and signature moves over the past two years.

I really hope that they've had the chance to focus on those small details (which they 9 times out of 10 surprise me with). I hope when I play against Pistol Pete he's treating every game like an all-star game and when I play against the Big O he's backing me down and shooting his little turn around.

In the past we've had the names and likenesses (at least sort of) of past stars but with what 2ks been doing lately, now it seems as if they found a way to bottle up their souls and let us play to our hearts content.

[Da_Czar]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Question:
Is the shot review ONLY for the legends mode?????
or any quick game match with modern teams?????

Its for all modes AFAIK. I saw it in games with regular teams. I didn't know it was in the game so when it happened it was HOTT ! really well done. Adds a lot to the immersive factor especially in a close down to the wire game.

EDIT I don't recall seeing it in the classic team mode though

[AbdulP34]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Its for all modes AFAIK. I saw it in games with regular teams. I didn't know it was in the game so when it happened it was HOTT ! really well done. Adds a lot to the immersive factor especially in a close down to the wire game.

EDIT I don't recall seeing it in the classic team mode though

Infamous Czar actually replied to my post LOL
soo hold on, how do they review it though?/ do they show it on the big box on top of the court? do you actually see refs pointing there hands up weather the shot is good or not? cause I remember i saw that on nba live series * cant remember which one though* how does it work?? im kinda confused here , does it cover the whole tv screen?? details please

[Rasco11]

Re: NBA 2K12 Preview-Going Retro With NBA's Greatest

Would have been cool touch to add Earl Strom as "legend" ref!