A Rundown of NBA 2K9
By: Eric M. Martin |
Friday October 10, 2008 |
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A brief and succinct list of points to follow when considering NBA 2K9 as your next sports title. |
| Greetings, Sports Gamers! Another year, another basketball season. Unlike car dealerships, at least the gaming community likes to keep its sports releases coincidental with, oh, the actual beginning of their respective seasons. What a concept! Digressions aside, here comes 2K Sports in all of their awesomeness NBA 2K9 is, of course, going to sell a ridiculous amount of copies. However, unlike most sports titles, this one has a good reason for staying on most shelves as opposed to being traded after completion in order for the anticipation of the following year’s title. Sure as salt, especially for those gamers who will truly care about it, NBA 2K9’s biggest feature for the next-gen consoles is going to be updateable rosters. NBA 2K9 will be partnering with NBA.com to deliver the most up-to-the-minute coverage possible. However, it’s going to be much more than just jersey changes and player trades. Players can decide whether or not to download these updates manually or automatically. A highly advanced AI program will translate the updates into both the game’s character models and numerical stats. One of the trailer’s even boasts added animations in relation to player performances during actual games. On top of all that, players and fans can also be kept abreast of any hot rumors or announcements.  Shot Stick controls are quickly becoming a mainstay in the 2K series. Although adaptive players may gravitate toward the Shot Stick style, it is a given that there will be choices for less advanced players or those who are just picking up a 2K Sports title for the first time. One of the permutations on this year’s Shot Stick advancements is the ability to change your shot type while a player is in mid-air. Since 2K Sports highly harps on the realism ticket, this is easily another conformation to real-life improvisation during point scoring. “Analyst Clark Kellogg and sideline reporter Cheryl Miller join color commentator Kevin Harlan to create one of the most knowledgeable broadcast teams in the game.” Straight from the scrollbar of the NBA 2K9 website, this could very well be the answer to the Madden popularity of EA sports titles. Given the aforementioned attention to detail that 2K Sports is accustomed to, there is little chance that these commentators will be dull, annoying, or misappropriated. Furthermore, with the Living Roster updates, chances are that there will be Commentator updates as well. Finally, to the section that needs no explanation, graphics will be more realistic and detailed in this title than the last. Certainly a hallmark of 2K Sports’ everlasting improvements, the addition of HD graphics seem almost superfluous. Model style and texture alone will skyrocket this title into the annals of photo-realism. It’s not just the models or the jerseys either. Everything from “crowd control” to stadium construction is taken into account. “Pretty” is an understatement. “Realistic” comes just as close. If EA Sports is afraid, there’s a reason. |
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