Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K Playgrounds 2's Nasty Surprise

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: The Wasted Potential of NBA Live 18

NBA Live 18 has recently (and unexpectedly) made its way back into my rotation. Admittedly, it wasn't an unthinkable prospect. It's always been the eighth gen NBA Live that I've liked best - not that that's a high bar to clear - and Dee and I also had a fun co-op session with it using Parsec and the Xbox app. Still, I expected it to be an occasional novelty, yet it became a full-blown retro kick. I've been revisiting Ultimate Team with my squad of 90s All-Stars, working through the challenges in The One's Pro-Am Tour, and even assembling some makeshift 2017 and 2025 rosters!

These sessions have reminded me that NBA Live 18 had some good bones, and plenty of potential. In fact, I'd say that I have an even more positive impression of the game than I did when it was new! Of course, that has brought about a mixture of delight and wistfulness. There's always joy in rediscovering a game or seeing one in a new light, and expanding your rotation. Given that most of my recent retro basketball gaming kicks have been much older, it was also refreshing to find a new one that's from the past decade. At the same time, even before the server shutdown, the fun I was having with NBA Live 18 was accompanied by nagging thoughts of squandered opportunity.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Nostalgia Goggles vs. Recency Bias

For a long time - indeed, pretty much as soon as I hit my thirties ten years ago - I've found myself defending nostalgia. It's not surprising. When we're young, sneering at the older generation and all their silly likes and beliefs, we think we'll be immune to suffering the same fate. After all, when you're still in the younger demographic that pop culture is catering to, you don't consider the next generation that'll be mocking you the same way you've scornfully dismissed your elders! You don't see yourself getting stuck in your ways, or your tastes and views ever becoming old-fashioned.

To once again reference an iconic and insightful scene from The Simpsons however, it'll happen to you! You'll realise just how divisive nostalgic opinions can be as the years go by. Not everyone is nostalgic of course, and the backlash to nostalgia - which often carries the accusation of wearing those proverbial nostalgia goggles - doesn't just come from the younger crowd. It's very strange to see one of your generational peers denouncing what you both grew up with, and claiming that new is always better, without any further nuance or exceptions. In any case, it draws up the generational battlelines as we accuse each other of recency bias, or donning nostalgia goggles.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Renders or Real Photos?

When you're a fan of a specific sport or genre - probably both in the case of basketball video games - it's easy to get stuck in a bubble. As such, it's always interesting to take a glance at other fandoms, and observe familiar debates over similar issues. Of course, if you're part of multiple fandoms, you may have had those discussions many times! Case in point, I happened across a thread in the WWE Games subreddit that raises a question about an issue that I've had as a fan of both basketball and wrestling games: in-game renders, or real life photos for portraits?

Reading through that discussion reminded me of my own conflicting thoughts on the matter throughout the years. Like many incompatible preferences, both are reasonable to desire, and both have clear advantages and disadvantages. To that end, it's hardly surprising that the debate rages on, and that it's difficult to find common ground. In the grand scheme of things, there are certainly more important issues with basketball and wrestling games than whether their presentation makes use of in-game renders or real portraits. All the same, the little things in gaming definitely do still matter. And so, while I don't expect to settle the debate here, I'll throw in my two cents once again.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Server Shutdowns of 2024

As gamers, we all know too well that server shutdowns are inevitable. While it's unfortunate, it's also understandable. There comes a point where there simply aren't enough people still playing a game to justify the cost, time, and energy required to maintain online support. We're also given a clear heads up in the documentation for games. For example, following a change in policy in the wake of the backlash to the NBA 2K14 server shutdown in 2015, we've been able to bank on 27 months of online support for each game in the NBA 2K series thereafter.

Still, even when we know that they're coming, and can understand the reasons behind them, server shutdowns remain a bummer. Most of us are going to be left with some unfinished business, or just be disappointed that we can't revisit and continue playing a memorable save in a connected mode. To that end, as of writing, we've lost online support for one Triple-A basketball game in 2024, while a second will see its server shutdowns happen very soon. Meanwhile, the closure of another online service was a blow for anyone still playing their Xbox 360. As such, I'm reflecting on those server shutdowns, and how my basketball gaming has been (or will be) impacted by them.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Takin' It To The Streets

One of the most valuable life lessons I've learned is the importance of remaining open-minded, trying new things, and being willing to step outside your comfort zone. As someone who was a picky eater growing up, it's been a delight to give new cuisine a chance, and discover that I have a taste for foods I was once intimidated by. Meeting new friends has introduced me to hobbies, interests, and experiences that I might not have tried otherwise. As for basketball gaming, I've been able to shed brand loyalty and established habits to find new retro kicks, and different ways of enjoying them.

Case in point: my recent appreciation for virtually balling in the streets! There's plenty of irony here. First of all, playful jabs at JaoSming and his enthusiasm for Blacktop mode were running gags on old episodes of the NLSC Podcast, yet here I am enjoying the type of virtual streetball gameplay that he championed! Second, I've been highly critical of NBA Live's focus on The Streets, particularly in NBA Live 19, so the last thing I expected was to get hooked on the Pro-Am Tour in NBA Live 18. I do still stand by many of my previous criticisms, but like a dish I swore I'd never eat, I've developed a taste for - with apologies to the Doobie Brothers - takin' it to the streets.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: All 30 NBA Teams Represented in The Simpsons

Tomorrow marks 35 years since The Simpsons premiered as a half hour series with the episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". As most diehard Simpsons fans can tell you, it was originally produced as the eighth episode of the first season, but animation errors in the intended series premiere - "Some Enchanted Evening" - ended up pushing back the show's debut. As a result, it premiered with a Christmas special, which also became the only episode to air during the 80s (not counting the original shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, of course).

As a 90s kid, The Simpsons was as important to me as basketball, video games, and all of the other awesome things to come out of that radical decade. Indeed, in 1998, three of my favourite things - The Simpsons, NBA, and WWF - all aired on Channel Ten here in Australia. As such, they're closely linked in my nostalgia, much the same way as I think of Fallout 3 and NBA Live 09 as a package deal! Since it's a milestone for the show and it's the time of year that I prefer to focus on some lighter topics, I'm trying my hand at representing all 30 NBA teams using moments from The Simpsons. And no, I'm not including Bart vs. the Space Mutants for NES as part of this exercise!

[Andrew]

Dumb Monday Tip-Off: How John Hughes Movies Predicted a Bulls Dynasty

The holiday season is in full swing with Christmas this week, and since that coincides with summertime here in the Southern Hemisphere, it's also come to be known as our "silly season". Therefore, in the spirit of the season, I'm mixing Monday Tip-Off with JaoSming's old column, Dumb Mondays (what is this, a crossover episode?!?). This silly, light-hearted, Christmas-related topic is one that I've actually been sitting on for years, so it's time to put it out there for some holiday cheer. Don't worry; everything will be back to normal next week!

As a 90s kid, I can't help but associate the movies of the late, great John Hughes with Christmas and the holidays. That's chiefly due to Planes, Trains and Automobiles - a film set at Thanksgiving - and the first two Home Alone movies, two classics that take place at Christmas and are very near and dear to my generation. It only makes sense to reflect on those films and watch them again during the holiday season, but what do those iconic John Hughes movies have to do with the Chicago Bulls dynasty? Well, some years back, a Forum post prompted me to draw comparisons between the plots of those films, and the rise and eventual fall of the Bulls. Strap in, we're getting silly!

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: What It Would Take To Play Online Again

From NBA 2K16 through to NBA 2K20, I was invested in playing the connected experiences in MyCAREER. I wasn't exclusively an online gamer of course, as I got great enjoyment out of playing the NBA side of MyCAREER too, including making it to the Hall of Fame in NBA 2K19. However, one of the reasons that I kept returning to the mode every year was to level up a MyPLAYER so that I could join the rest of NLSC THRILLHO for some online games. As the grind became more of a chore and the rest of the crew's enthusiasm waned, I too lost interest in MyCAREER.

Long gone are the days when I'd consider jumping into The Rec every night of the week, just to see what it was like! Indeed, outside of playing through the story in NBA 2K21 and occasionally jumping online, and a very brief return in NBA 2K23, I've stuck to the offline MyCAREER experience in NBA 2K14. Of course, it's not just disinterest in the online scene that's turned me off MyCAREER in recent years. From gameplay gripes to frustration with grinding and quests, I'm weary of the NBA side of the mode as well. Considering my willingness to change up my basketball gaming habits though, as we enter 2025, could anything persuade me to play online again?

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Next Gen NBA's Greatest

Although the original Jordan Challenge was the catalyst for a new era of historical content in NBA 2K, NBA's Greatest was an innovative follow-up. Many of the classic teams that were added as part of NBA's Greatest are still in the game today, setting a precedent for expanding the roster of retro squads to celebrate a variety of players. It wasn't the first basketball game to feature throwback presentation - NBA Jam 2004 had utilised the concept almost a decade earlier - but NBA 2K12 did a spectacular job with it, ultimately paving the way for what we now have with MyNBA Eras.

As a game released in 2011, NBA's Greatest celebrated fifteen of the most prominent players in league history to that point: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Oscar Robertson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Scottie Pippen, and Isiah Thomas. Needless to say, those players still deserve to be celebrated today, but after all these years, there's a new class of all-time greats that a future NBA 2K could build a Next Gen NBA's Greatest around. With that in mind, here are fifteen players that should be celebrated in such a mode, as well as my picks for their games.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: The Curious Journey of Terry Hanson (So Far)

There are many reasons why I remain hooked on NBA 2K14 MyCAREER into my sixth season and counting. First and foremost, I love the on-court experience, so it's fun keeping the game in my rotation. Second, it's been satisfying to see my career stats accumulate, motivating me to shoot for all-time records as I assemble a truly Hall of Fame resume. And then, there's Terry Hanson, the generated rookie that came along in my third season and soon became a Virtual Hardwood Legend. At this point, I'm as invested in his career as much as my own!

So far, it's been a curious journey for Terry Hanson. Generated players invite us to use our imagination, which usually involves comparisons to real NBA players. With that in mind, Terry Hanson is a crafty scorer with modest defensive numbers; kind of like Mark Aguirre, only a far superior athlete, and a better and more prolific three-point shooter. To that point though, it'd be more accurate to compare aspects of his game to multiple players. The same goes for his career path, which has certainly had a few unusual twists and turns. As such, I'm trying - and indeed, struggling - to name a single player whose career closely resembles the curious journey of Terry Hanson.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: No Heart, No Soul

Long-time listeners of the NLSC Podcast have no doubt heard Dee and me lamenting the lack of heart and soul in modern basketball video games, compared to many of our old favourites. Judging by some of the responses we've received, and other comments that I've seen in our Forum, our Discord, and on social media, we're not alone in that regard. Of course, it's impossible to express such opinions without being accused of wearing nostalgia goggles. "You just miss your childhood, and the way those games used to make you feel. It's not the games that changed; you just got old and jaded!"

Ad hominem arguments from wannabe psychoanalysts aside, there is a sliver of truth here. Recapturing the magic of youth and our first forays into a hobby is like trying to put the proverbial toothpaste back into the tube. To once again reference an astute observation that "Yahtzee" Croshaw made about nostalgia, we can't truly go back to being twelve years old; an age where we were old enough to appreciate our hobbies, but still young enough to not yet be cynical about them. Of course, we have to look at the reasons why basketball video games inspire cynicism on top of valid criticism. There are undoubtedly aspects of their design nowadays that lack heart and soul.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: An Unthinkable Opportunity for NBA Live

Can we take a moment to acknowledge how absurd, indeed how unthinkable it is, that more and more disenfranchised basketball gamers are hoping that NBA Live has an opportunity to come back? That Electronic Arts will step up and make the basketball gaming space better? EA, the company that's infamous for microtransactions, long-running series that have lost their lustre, numerous disappointing releases, and buying smaller studios only to shut them down and cancel their games? That's the company we're expecting to be the good guys; the saviours of the virtual hardwood?!?

Well...yeah! At this point, if we want to see another Triple-A NBA sim game as an alternative to NBA 2K, EA Sports and NBA Live probably remain the best bet. After all, they're the developer with the most experience with the virtual hardwood outside of Visual Concepts. They also have a long-standing partnership with the league, and an established brand name. It may be a long shot and I'm nowhere near as optimistic as I once was, but when it comes down to it, if there's going to be a viable alternative in the space, it's probably going to be NBA Live. To that point, as unthinkable as it may seem, NBA Live still has an opportunity to return, and find an eager audience.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: The Ups & Downs of Early MyCAREER

It's been an interesting, but at times frustrating, journey for career modes in NBA 2K. As popular as franchise modes became after being introduced in the early 2000s, there was undeniable interest in a similar experience from the perspective of a single player. Being an RPG style of mode, as My Player evolved into MyCAREER, it began to incorporate cinematic stories. These days, many gamers see the traditional/NBA side of MyCAREER as a means to an end; a way to grind and level up their MyPLAYER avatar for the online scene. Of course, others still enjoy the NBA career experience.

Something that has remained fairly constant, however, is that it's a long way to the top. Sure, the grind is worse now, in no small part because it encourages paying for quicker upgrades, and boosting Take-Two's recurrent revenue. Even if you're willing to pay to skip the grind, it costs more than before. I've talked about that many times, and that isn't really what this article is about, but it does bear acknowledging. In any case, while there are issues with pushy microtransactions, and occasionally a story that doesn't match up with our starting ratings, the early stages of MyCAREER are about a raw prospect's journey to success. As tough as it is, it can also be quite fun.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Elder Millennial Yells at Social Media

As an Elder Millennial who has been using the internet since 1997, I'm no stranger to the negativity of cyberspace (do we even call it that, anymore?). It's been over twenty years since Penny Arcade bestowed The GIFT upon us, succinctly explaining how utterly feral some people get when they're anonymous. As you can imagine, running a fansite with a forum attached for over two decades has provided first-hand experience with that! My point is that I'm no stranger to the toxicity of the internet, and that the phenomenon has been normalised long before social media in its current form.

And yet, there's something about social media these days that makes me, an Elder Millennial - or Millennial Prime, as I personally prefer - feel like channelling Grampa Simpson and yelling at some clouds. After all, that is what we're doing whenever we rage against social media and online toxicity; both in the punny, literal sense of data being stored in the cloud, and the metaphorical sense of a pointless exercise. We all know that people are jerks online. We know that platforms without moderation invite hateful views at worst and unpleasant discourse at best. Still, I believe that the dismal state of social media continues to hit new lows, without many viable alternatives.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Triple-A Gaming, Mobile Gaming, & Blurred Lines

We're living in the age of hot takes, clickbait, and extreme opinions. With that being said, as much as algorithms may not reward it, I prefer to steer clear of hyperbole and reactionary viewpoints in my content. To that end, if I express a strong and potentially controversial opinion, it's because I mean it. I don't want to devalue adjectives, be they positive or negative. If you call every new release the best, or frequently declare games to be garbage without further explanation, then eventually you undermine your credibility. Well, your credibility should be in question, anyway!

Mind you, sometimes harsh, unvarnished criticisms that may seem like hyperbolic insults are in fact fair and accurate. A good example is the assertion that Triple-A games are becoming more and more like mobile titles. There's plenty of evidence that the suits at major studios have taken notes on mobile gaming's ability to milk gamers for recurrent revenue, and pushed for those mechanics to be incorporated into console and PC games. As such, it hasn't gone unnoticed how games like NBA 2K now have features and economies akin to free-to-play titles. Recently, I had an experience that made it clear just how blurred the lines are between Triple-A and mobile gaming.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: The NBA 2K12 Intro Makes Me Wistful

To celebrate World Basketball Day - which has indeed been declared an official day of observance - I've taken to posting the intro from NBA 2K12 on the NLSC's socials every December 21st. It tends to get some traction with shares, likes, and comments, because it's one of the very best intros that we've seen in a basketball video game. Accompanied by Kurtis Blow's iconic hit "Basketball" and re-creating some of the best moments in the history of the sport in a way that blends past and present, it truly is a love letter to hoops.

Thanks to the way that Facebook's algorithms work, the post on our page is the one that achieved the furthest reach out of all our socials, and it's still being watched and getting regular reactions as of writing. Many of the comments are praising it for being such an incredible intro to a basketball video game, and also calling NBA 2K12 the best game in the series. I'm more inclined to agree with the former sentiment rather than the latter, but nevertheless, I'm glad that I'm not alone in my enjoyment of the NBA 2K12 intro. At the same time, seeing those comments and watching the intro again has left me feeling wistful about changes in basketball and gaming since then.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: 1996, 1997, or 1998 Rosters?

As I've said before, in order to stand the best chance of completing any major roster projects that I attempt moving forward, I need to pick an idea that I'm invested in, for a game that I want to play. When it comes to the games that I'd most like to play and mod, NBA Live 06 PC is definitely one of the frontrunners. As far as roster projects, I'd prefer something nostalgic over a current season update. This includes an Ultimate Jordan roster, various classic team rosters, and if I can assemble the appropriate assets and viable placeholders, at least one complete retro season mod.

To that end, I have a few seasons in mind. My work with NBA 2K6 for Xbox 360 has demonstrated how 2006 season games can be effectively rolled back a few years, and such projects can be made even better on PC with all of the modding capabilities. I'll always be drawn to the idea of bringing the 90s into a 21st century favourite though, but that raises the question of which year. Being a 90s kid and Chicago Bulls fan, the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons are all prime candidates when mulling the possibilities for retro rosters. However, even if I were to create all of them for NBA Live 06 PC or another game, I'd still need to pick one to start with. So: 1996, 1997, or 1998 rosters?

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Obsession With Mods

Mods have been a huge part of what we do here at the NLSC since we were founded way back in 1996, so it's no surprise that there's an obsession with them. For the most part, it's just enthusiasm, and for good reason. Mods have allowed the community to add missing content, enhance the existing content, unofficially fix bugs and other problems, and even convert games into something that was never intended. We'll always support the modding community however we can, and acknowledge all of the hard work that goes into mods, past, present, and future.

However, there are times when our enthusiasm for mods - our obsession with them - isn't healthy, or beneficial to basketball gaming. Making them the focus of the games we play to the exclusion of other factors and topics impacts our ability to enjoy and critique titles. It also stifles or at least derails any conversations that aren't concerned with modding. Again, modding is and always will be a staple of our community, and I have no desire to discourage that. That's not what this is about. It's about recognising that an obsession with mods leads to a one-track mindset that devalues vanilla games, and often turns modding into a crutch for enjoying our time on the virtual hardwood.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Planning Classic Team Rosters

When I discovered the NLSC way back in 1997, and the work that our founders and others in the community were doing, it wasn't long before I was hooked on modding (or patching, as we called it back then). I'd already been tinkering with the rosters in NBA Live 96 PC, trying to update them for the new season as best I could with what could be done in-game. By the end of the year, I was working on a 1998 season roster. That tipped off a long tenure of updating rosters for NBA Live, and although it was a fun time in our community, I did eventually get burned out on modding.

Of course, the lure of modding is strong, so I've remained reluctant to close the door on being more involved in the scene. I've dabbled here and there, and as I noted last year, I want to be judicious when choosing projects to work on. That way, they stand a much better chance of being completed. However, even as I've taken a step back from modding, ideas for new rosters have frequently come to mind and subsequently joined a long list of projects to consider. Some of those ideas include retro season and classic team rosters for my all-time favourite games. I'm particularly keen on the latter at the moment, but to that end, classic team rosters definitely require some planning.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Vic Van Lier & Media Literacy

When the NBA Centel's Twitter/X was temporarily shut down in February, it led to an outpouring of support for the satirical social media account. Several teams dedicated their victories on February 26th to NBA Centel, and there was much rejoicing when it was reinstated. Unsurprisingly, the official NBA 2K account jumped on the trend, but took it a step further by including a headshot of Vic Van Lier in their tribute. While I'd normally be tempted to cite Alex Krokus' "Life of a Meme" comic here, I have to tip my hat to 2K's social media team for making an enjoyable reference.

Since then, NBA Centel's account has been reinstated, which means they can go back to fooling alleged analysts into believing fictional stories. And while we're on the subject of stories and media literacy, let's talk about Vic Van Lier and Spike Lee's "Livin' Da Dream" in NBA 2K16. Quite a few people replied to 2K's aforementioned post with memories of that tale, paying tribute to Vic Van Lier and referring to his fatal accident as one of the saddest moments in the history of MyCAREER. Look, entertainment is subjective, and we're all entitled to our opinions. However, when it comes to Vic and NBA 2K16's story, I have to wonder...did people pay attention?

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Never Say Never (But I Probably Will, Again)

As a Millennial, Don Bluth movies were part of my childhood. Some of them I saw a bit later on because I was too young (or not yet born) when they first came out, but they certainly had an impact on me. That includes An American Tail, the story of a young mouse named Fievel who is separated from his family during their journey to the United States. It's a classic children's film with some memorable musical numbers, one of which is the uplifting "Never Say Never". It's one of those iconic scenes from a movie that I watched when I was very young that became embedded in my memory.

I'd like to say that the message also resonated with me. In a way it did, but I'll admit that as much as I try to be optimistic, open-minded, and imaginative, there have been times when, like Fievel, I've resigned myself to the notion of "never". To that point though, it's refreshing when your pessimism is proven wrong, and a lesson that we should never say never...well, to some things, anyway! When it comes to basketball video games and modding, I've been prone to writing off possibilities out of hand. This has led to some incorrect predictions and reminders to think outside the box! So, while I'd like to pledge that I'll never say never again, I'm sure that it will happen.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Gamers Always Complain...Or Do They?

When you're part of multiple fandoms, it's interesting how the same conversations take place in every bubble. What we like is the best, so much better than the rest! We love our thing, but man, we also have some of the worst fans! We complain too much. We aren't critical enough! Everyone pretends to like what's new. Everyone always hates the new thing! No matter whether it's basketball gaming or real basketball, a different genre of video games, an iconic film or TV series, or professional wrestling, I'm sure that all of these phrases sound extremely familiar.

To that point, I happened to be browsing the Mortal Kombat subreddit, and ended up reading some comments that I've seen the basketball gaming community utter so many times. Specifically, it was opined that the latest game in the series is always bashed unfairly, while the previous game - which itself was once subjected to the same scorn - is held up as perfect. This of course prompted someone to basically say that gamers are never happy, and constantly complain about every little thing. See what I mean about the same conversations across multiple fandoms? There is merit here, but personally, I'm tired of all the self-flagellation that we gamers partake in.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: An Appreciation For MyCAREER Stories

I'll admit that as a creature of habit, I can be resistant to change. I'd like to think that I've grown in that regard. For example, I'm no longer the really picky eater I was as a kid! When it comes to basketball video games, I've come to enjoy a number of titles that left a poor first impression, and modes that I never thought I'd be interested in. What still bothers me though is change for change's sake, or any changes where the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. I think we can all relate to the frustration of having something we really like being drastically changed in a way we didn't want or ask for.

That brings me to MyCAREER, and the stories that the mode has featured since 2013. Originally, I had no interest in the mode. I was a franchise gamer, after all! However, just as I overcame picky eating habits by deciding to try new cuisine, I came to enjoy MyCAREER after giving it a proper shot in NBA 2K13. A year and a new generation of consoles later, the mode introduced a narrative-driven approach, and I felt that it took away from an experience that I was now enthusiastic about. As such, I've been critical of MyCAREER stories, yet also fascinated by them. Now that I've finished all of the stories up to NBA 2K20, I now appreciate what they've meant for the mode.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: Retro Gamers, Follow Your Nostalgia

One of the best decisions that I've made for my basketball gaming habits in recent years - with a considerable assist from Dee, of course - is to break the monotonous cycle of grinding up a MyPLAYER every year in the latest game. Clearly, I'm not sick of the MyCAREER experience, as my ongoing game in NBA 2K14 proves. What I am tired of is being hurtled back to square one on an annual basis, in games that I'm just not enjoying as much as many of their predecessors. Realising that, and revisiting some old favourites both solo and co-op, has reignited my passion for retro gaming.

What's interesting, however, is that I'm not only playing my all-time favourites. In fact, in tandem with expanding my collection of basketball video games, I've been seeking out titles that I haven't played before, or didn't have the best first impression of, to see if they find a place in my rotation. There are many factors that drive me to give a particular game a shot. Perhaps Dee and I played it, and I decided that I'd like to spend some more time with it solo. It might have a rare appearance of a Legend, or a unique mode. Beyond that though, my nostalgia for a particular style of gameplay, or a specific era in NBA history, is often what steers me towards my latest retro kick.

[Andrew]

Monday Tip-Off: NBA 2K Playgrounds 2's Nasty Surprise

I've been critical of NBA Playgrounds and its sequel NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 over the years. Look, call me a snob if you want, but I still consider the best NBA Jam titles to be the gold standard when it comes to NBA-oriented arcade basketball video games, with NBA Street being the benchmark for the streetball-style releases. As games that attempted to be a mash-up of NBA Jam and NBA Street with a few original ideas sprinkled in, the NBA Playgrounds games fell short of the series that inspired them. From gameplay to roster management, they're a poor man's Jam crossed with Street.

At the same time, I have had fun with them, and came to appreciate both a little more after revisiting them in recent years. They're not fantastic and I'm not a fan of the loot box mechanics or the grinding, but they're solid and have their moments on the virtual blacktop. I even ended up playing through a season in NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 a while back. To that end, after searching for a game to play while getting some cardio in on my exercise bike, I decided to dust it off again. Unfortunately, I was confronted by a nasty surprise upon firing up the game for the first since 2023! Frankly, it proved that NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 was even more poorly designed than I previously thought.