NLSC Podcast #506: Slogans, Lawsuits, & Not Feeling Zen

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #494: First Impressions of NBA 2K24

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

NBA 2K24 is out now on all platforms! We've spent some time with both the PC and PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X versions of the game - including a head-to-head game on PC that ended in dramatic fashion - and have some initial impressions to share. While we're mostly focusing on gameplay this week, we also discuss our thoughts on the modes, features, and content that we've had a chance to check out, as well as react to some of the issues with MyTEAM and MyCAREER that several gamers are reporting. We also open up the mailbag to see what the community thinks of NBA 2K24 so far, and offer our early recommendations as to whether the game is worth picking up at this stage, or if it would be best to hold off for now or even skip it altogether.

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Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

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[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #495: A Second Look at NBA 2K24

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

Now that NBA 2K24 has been out for over a week, how do our second impressions compare to our first look at the game? This week we join the community in discussing how we feel about the gameplay after more time on the sticks, and it's fair to say that we've noticed a few more issues! Having dived into MyTEAM and MyCAREER, we've also got some thoughts on the disappointingly greedy approach in both modes, as well as the difference between fair challenge and artificial difficulty. In addition to our ongoing NBA 2K24 coverage, we also take some time to catch up on what we've been doing in NBA 2K14, NBA 2K19, and NBA Live 06, while getting far too excited reminiscing about former NBA big man Chuck Nevitt.

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Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #496: NBA 2K17, NBA Live 06, & Community Favourites

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

Many of our all-time favourite basketball video games are still in the rotation, and this week we connected on Parsec to revisit two of them: NBA 2K17 and NBA Live 06 PC! We reflect on the strong points of each game and why they hold up so well years later, as well as the satisfying feeling of playing them with mods that we created! We're also interested in the community's all-time favourite hoops titles, so in this week's mailbag, our listeners tell us which ones they still hold close to their hearts. We've also got some tips regarding affordable cards in NBA 2K24 MyTEAM - while advocating for No Money Spent, of course - and a couple of customary cheap plugs.

Tune in here!

Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #497: Where Are All The Basketball Games?

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

NBA 2K24 has been out for almost a month now, and honestly, we're not exactly having a blast with it. To that end, we join our listeners in giving the game a score out of ten, at least as it stands right now. Our disappointment with NBA 2K24 leads us to reflect on the lack of choices in the basketball gaming space, compared to the array of titles that we once enjoyed. We speculate on the reasons why no one is stepping up to offer an alternative - from design challenges to intimidation and gatekeeping - and the community also weighs in with their takes on the matter. We also note some similarities in the attitudes towards basketball gaming and real hoops nowadays.

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Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #498: Mods vs. MyNBA Eras, & Overdue Call-Outs

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

After revisiting NBA in the Zone 2 over Parsec last week, we recap a fun showdown as we took on the Nuggets with the SuperSonics, while reflecting on the sim-arcade hybrid approach and comparing the game to NBA Live 97. We also played NBA 2K13 using the 1993 season roster from URB, which leads us to compare the attention to detail in retro mods to the lack thereof in MyNBA Eras. Speaking of inaccuracies, the WNBA Players Association called out NBA 2K24's terrible player likenesses, a move that we wholeheartedly support. We also imagine the ideal gameplay for NBA 2K and NBA Live by combining our favourite mechanics from previous games in both series, and give a heads up on a great PC gaming deal.

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Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #499: How Not To Make A Basketball Game

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

Last week, we imagined the ideal gameplay for NBA 2K and NBA Live by combining our favourite mechanics from previous games. This week, we’re imagining the worst possible NBA Live and NBA 2K by cobbling together our least favourite mechanics; in other words, we’re describing how NOT to make a basketball game! We also revisited NBA Live 07 and NBA 2K18 ahead of that exercise, and suffice to say, that helped us with some of our selections! On a more positive note, we reflect on some fun sessions with NBA 2K6, Blacktop in NBA 2K14, and NBA Jam: On Fire Edition using the Legends On Fire Edition mod, and a recently released fixed roster for NBA 2K10 PC.

Tune in here!

Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #500: NBA 2K10 & A Huge Milestone

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three
Archival Recordings: JaoSming, Leftos, Arcane, Kenny, Pdub, Qballer, Da_Czar_Tim Kitzrow, Tim Tschirner, bigball12

We’re celebrating a huge milestone this week, as it’s the 500th episode of the NLSC Podcast! To mark the occasion, we’re dipping into the archives to find some classic clips from over eleven years of shows, from the original test pilot in 2010 to interviews with a couple of fantastic guests. We’ve had a ton of fun over the years, and we promise that we’re not done yet! We also recap a couple of sessions with NBA 2K10 PC that we played with the recently-released fixed official roster, and reflect once again on how the game is often overlooked due to the brilliance of NBA 2K11 the very next year.

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Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #501: 2024 NBA Season Tip-Off & Halloween Treats

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

The 2024 NBA season has tipped off, and this year, we've resolved to follow it with more enthusiasm from the very start! To that end, we're sharing our thoughts as the new campaign gets underway, from our early picks for contenders and pretenders to what we expect from our favourite teams, namely the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. We also react to Victor Wembanyama's first few official NBA games, and discuss other players we're keeping an eye on. Also, since it's Halloween, we reflect on some spooky moments on the virtual hardwood, including an overlooked horror-themed hoops game released for the Sega Master System.

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Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #502: Hoop Land & NBA 2K24 Ennui

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

Koality Games has released a new version of Hoop Land for mobile devices, and having followed their progress reports in the NLSC Forum, we were keen to give it a try. After doing so, we're hoping to see it come to PC via a Steam release! Unfortunately, we're far less excited about both versions of NBA 2K24 right now, and based on the responses to this week's community question - to say nothing of the lack of mods, highlights, and discussion - we're not alone there. On the bright side, we've been having a blast with other games in our rotation including NBA Live 10 and NBA 2K14, and so spend some time catching up on our recent sessions.

Tune in here!

Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #503: Good Vibes, Free Mods!

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

We're all about good vibes and enhancing everyone's basketball gaming, from recommendations about an Android emulator that allows you to play mobile games on your PC, to advocating for freely available mods! Fortunately, we do still have people releasing some great projects free of charge, including wiscard_rush who has just completed a great 2009 season roster for NBA Live 10 PS3. This leads us to join the community in speculating on why we're not seeing anywhere near as many mods for NBA 2K24 as we have for previous games. We also ask the community which console they'd choose if they could only have one for life, and what they consider to be the turning points for NBA Live and NBA 2K.

Tune in here!

Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #504: NBA 2K14, Ten Years Later

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

If you can believe it, last Wednesday marked a decade since NBA 2K14’s release on PlayStation 4! As such, this week we’re celebrating the tenth anniversary of a truly iconic game, and a personal favourite. That includes looking back to our first impressions of both versions of NBA 2K14, reminiscing about the countless hours we’ve spent with them right through to today, and reflecting on the PC modding scene. We also read out some memories of NBA 2K14 that the community shared with us. Additionally, we have some fantastic basketball gaming sessions from the past week to catch up on, including a game of NBA Live 16 that makes us wistful about yet another missed opportunity for EA Sports.

Tune in here!

Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #505: The Worst Arcade Game We’ve Played

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

Is Slam 'N Jam 96 the worst arcade basketball video game that we've ever played? After connecting for a co-op session with the PlayStation version this past week, it's definitely a candidate! We compare it to Konami's NBA Give 'n Go, which we remember as a superior take on the sim-arcade hybrid. On the plus side, we had a much better time revisiting NBA Live 16, and continuing our Road Trip in NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. In this week's mailbag, we join the community in sharing stories about who we most enjoy playing basketball video games with, and also solicit suggestions for basketball shoes.

Tune in here!

Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.

[Andrew]

NLSC Podcast #506: Slogans, Lawsuits, & Not Feeling Zen

Hosts: Andrew & Dee4Three

A class action lawsuit is accusing Take-Two of theft, specifically in regards to NBA 2K's predatory practices. In particular, it notes the loss of VC balance when the servers are shut down after 27 months. While we aren't lawyers, we certainly do have some thoughts on the situation, as does the community! We also discuss the use of Cronus Zen controllers, and other methods of cheating in NBA 2K online. After all, as much as a technical fix is in order, there are other contributing factors that must be addressed. Meanwhile, comments on our YouTube channel have proven that people have some interesting interpretations of EA Sports' famous slogan.

Tune in here!

Join in the conversation right here in the Forum! Additionally, feel free to hit us up with any feedback on the episode, as well as mailbag questions and topic suggestions for future episodes. The show also comes out on our YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe for future episodes and other video content.

Never miss an episode by subscribing to the NLSC Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! You can also find us on Stitcher.