Wayback Wednesday: NBA 2K17 All-Time College DLC Revisited

[Andrew]

Wayback Wednesday: How Free Agents Enhanced Roster Modding

A pool of free agents and the ability to sign and release players is just one of those things that we take for granted in basketball video games. After all, it's a concept that goes back to games released in the 90s, making it a well-established staple of roster customisation that we expect to see. Indeed, if you got into basketball gaming during the 2000s at the earliest, you probably haven't played many sim games that didn't represent free agency in their roster customisation functionality, or at least their season or franchise modes.

However, if you're my age and you recall playing the classics of the 90s, you'll no doubt remember how restricted we used to be when it came to modifying the rosters in-game. Even after the ability to trade players outside of season modes was added, it still took a couple of years to implement the free agents pool. It was longer still before that pool was frequently filled with players to sign! Needless to say, the addition of the free agents pool and subsequent inclusion of a selection of free agents every year significantly enhanced roster modding. Let's take a look back...way back...

[Andrew]

Wayback Wednesday: Tecmo Super NBA Basketball

Despite being old enough to have played it when it was new - or at the very least, recent - Tecmo Super NBA Basketball is another classic hoops title that I didn't play until years later. As you may know from our podcast and my previous articles, I didn't become a hardcore basketball fan and gamer until the mid 90s. This means that my introduction to the virtual hardwood was through games such as NBA Live 95, NBA Live 96, and NBA Jam Tournament Edition, rather than the likes of Double Dribble, Lakers vs. Celtics, Bulls vs. Blazers, and of course, Tecmo Super NBA Basketball.

I'll admit that this made it difficult to truly appreciate those games the first time I played them. After all, they felt like inferior versions of games that I was actually nostalgic for! I respected their place in the history of the genre, but it was tough to get into them. They were intriguing though, and over the years, I've given those classics another chance. This has led to some fun retro gaming sessions where I've come to see why they're so beloved, and discover aspects that were ahead of their time. That includes Tecmo Super NBA Basketball, so let's take a look back...way back...

[Andrew]

Wayback Wednesday: NBA 2K17 All-Time College DLC Revisited

It's funny what will prompt you to revisit certain games, and then keep playing them. Content creation is undoubtedly a factor. Revisiting NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 4 on a whim led to a retrospective of MyCAREER, and in turn an ongoing adventure and an overdue appreciation for an amazing game. Hoping to grab a screenshot for an article, I dusted off NBA Live 18 to play through The One. It was a blast, and I once again developed a greater fondness for an older release, while also lamenting its wasted potential. I didn't get the screenshot I wanted, but I ended up with something better.

I don't take that for granted. In an age of disposable games, I appreciate any unique content and modes that remain available years later. That brings me to the All-Time College DLC for NBA 2K17, which inspired me to spend some more time with an old favourite after revisiting it for research. I did cover the DLC back in 2018, but I'm not entirely satisfied with that feature. Also, with EA (and apparently 2K) developing a new college basketball game, it's seems only apt to revisit the last time that collegiate content was available outside of a specific mode. Let's take a look back...way back...