Although I don't get involved with the modding scene as much as I used to, I still like to whip something up and release new mods whenever I can. I really enjoyed going back and updating my 1996 season mod for NBA Live 2004, and with some of the great court and jersey mods that Murat has been working on, I'm looking forward to releasing another new version in the not too distant future. These days I'm primarily focusing on content such as articles, videos, and the NLSC Podcast, but I do have a list of ideas for mods that I'd like to make, and there are some in particular that I'd really like to find time for, some of which I've discussed in two previous columns.
Please note that this is not intended to be an announcement, a To Do list, or anything like that. There's no guarantee that I'll be able to make these mods this year, or ever for that matter. However, at least one has already seen a couple of beta/demo releases, and others are ideas that probably wouldn't take too long to create, in between the other content that I'm working on (as well as other site updates, and of course, my day job and personal life). However, when the itch to get back into some modding starts to flare up, these are the mods that I'd be most interested in creating in the near future...time permitting, of course.
Over the years, I've built up a fairly big collection of basketball games. Some I've purchased new upon their release and I still have my original copies, some I've traded in and picked up again second-hand years later, and some I've added to my collection many years after they first came out. I like having full series wherever possible, and it's been fun to check out basketball games that I never got around to playing when they were new. It's also helped in creating content for the NLSC, particularly the Wayback Wednesday features, so I've enjoyed adding to my collection in recent years whenever I've been able to find a bargain on eBay.
My collection of basketball games isn't complete, of course. Some titles are difficult to track down or cost more than I'm currently willing and able to spend, while others are only available on platforms that I don't own, or were never released in the PAL region. As such, there are a handful of basketball games that I don't currently own and very likely never will, but for one reason or another, wish that I did. The basketball games that I'm talking about today are, in no particular order, the top five titles that I'd love to add to my collection, if it were at all feasible.
We all want to see basketball games continue to get better, and eliminate cheesy moves and tactics as much as possible. Well, most of us do, at any rate. Judging by some of the 2K Pro-Am games that I've played in NBA 2K16 and NBA 2K17, a few gamers probably wouldn't be happy if a few of the exploits and loopholes were taken care of! Nevertheless, I feel confident in saying it's what a majority of basketball gamers want to see, and that it ultimately remains a goal of the development teams at both EA Sports and Visual Concepts. If you look back at basketball video games through the years, you can see improvement in that regard.
No game is going to be perfect though, and completely eliminating cheese is easier said than done. Gamers are always going to seek out the most effective tactics, and while these days that usually does mean playing smart basketball, there are still exploits to be found here and there. Throughout all the generations of basketball video games, there have been unstoppable moves and cheap tactics that gamers have discovered and exploited for easier wins. For this week's Friday Five, I've compiled a list of what I feel are five of the most infamous gameplay exploits; indeed, the cheesiest moves you'll come across in basketball video games.
The preview season for NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18 isn't quite in full swing yet, and although the 2017 NBA offseason is underway, a lot of the big names are already off the board. There are Summer League games to catch of course, but I expect that right now, a lot of basketball gamers are choosing to hit the virtual hardwood. Whether it's LIVE or 2K Pro-Am, MyTEAM, MyCAREER, or perhaps a new MyLEAGUE or MyGM game with updated rosters, we're finding ways to get our basketball fix while we wait for news on the upcoming video games, and the start of a brand new season.
Of course, you may be looking for a change of pace, especially if you're feeling a tad nostalgic, or a little bit burned out on the most recent games. To that end, you may want to dust off an old favourite, perhaps picking up where you left off in an old saved game, or possibly engaging in a little Achievement/Trophy hunting. On the other hand, if you're looking for something new to do with a classic game, there's a lot of fun to be had if you get a little creative, and enjoy "What If?" scenarios. If you're looking for a little inspiration, I have five retro basketball gaming ideas to suggest.
In our community, we know the pain of lost files. Mods, especially big projects, have been hosted all over the place throughout the years. As a result of sites being closed down and files being deleted from free hosting services after a period of inactivity, we've lost a lot of releases, especially from the early days. We've salvaged and re-uploaded files whenever possible, but there are a lot of mods that are seemingly gone for good. Of course, in theory, it is possible to create new versions of those mods which may be just as good as, or even better than the originals. Unfortunately, that isn't the case with official downloads, such as patches and downloadable content.
Just as we've tried to preserve our database of unofficial patches and mods over the years, we've also done our best to keep a repository of official downloads. If you browse our Downloads database, you'll find a bunch of the old official patches for NBA Live on PC, as well as demos, manuals, and so on. There are some official downloads that we haven't been able to salvage though, which means if you don't already have a copy of them installed or backed up somewhere, you're out of luck. This week's Five is a list of five official downloads that have been lost to time...at least as far as I'm aware.
Badges have become an important gameplay mechanic in NBA 2K. Like their predecessors, Signature Skills, they provide players with additional traits and abilities in order to realistically represent their performance and playing style. They cover a range of offensive and defensive abilities, as well as mental traits. If you're playing MyCAREER, 2K Pro-Am, or MyPARK, attaining Badges is absolutely crucial if you want your player to be as effective as possible. In NBA 2K17, a Gold or Hall of Fame level Badge makes a huge difference in being able to finish in traffic, knock down long threes, thread the needle on difficult passes, and so on.
As I mentioned in my Wayback Wednesday retrospective on Freestyle Superstars, concepts such as Badges represent continued innovation in terms of differentiating between players beyond their common ratings, and representing individual styles of play. While Badges have generally yielded more realistic results than Freestyle Superstars, at times they can be just as cheesy in their own right. A few Badges in NBA 2K17 are definitely overpowered, and could stand to be fine tuned for NBA 2K18. These aren't the only problematic Badges, of course, but they are five prominent examples that immediately come to mind for me.
After I grumbled about the current state of the preview season at the beginning of the week, we ended up getting the first NBA 2K18 screenshots, and a ton of exciting information about MyLEAGUE and MyGM. Although I stand by my comparisons to the way previews were handled in years gone by, and my point about EA Sports' missed opportunity to keep hyping NBA Live 18, it does seem as though this year's preview season is finally getting into gear. As I said, the news we've just received regarding improvements to MyLEAGUE and MyGM is exciting, and hopefully the good news will keep rolling out for both basketball games in the coming weeks.
Needless to say, for all the promising tidbits we'll hear, there'll be a healthy amount of scepticism. It's understandable, because both NBA Live and NBA 2K have their own frustrating legacy issues, some of which have been bothering basketball gamers for many years. Of course, with new releases coming out every year, it can be difficult to appreciate just how much basketball games have improved over time. Even though we still have valid complaints, basketball games have indeed come a long way since their early predecessors. Let's take a look at the aspects of basketball gaming that have seen the most progress; the biggest improvements in basketball games, if you will.
If you enjoy trivia, raise your hand! I'm going to pretend that I actually see people either raising their hands or keeping them down, and then assume that everyone's hands are in fact raised. That way, I can say of course everyone enjoys trivia! In all seriousness, it's fair to say that most people enjoy hearing an interesting fact or two about one of their hobbies or interests, and in our community, that may well refer to a favourite basketball game. From Easter Eggs to unusual facts and figures, there's some interesting basketball video game trivia that we can talk about.
As you've no doubt gleaned from the title, this is actually a sequel article to a Friday Five column that I posted a few years back. Now, they say that sequels are never as good as, or better than the originals - with a few noteworthy exceptions, of course - but with all the basketball games that have been released over the years, this is a topic that could probably become a series. As such, I'll probably revisit it again down the road, but for now, let's take a look at five more random basketball game facts that hopefully at least a few of you won’t have heard, and will be interested to discover.
We each have our all-time favourite basketball games. Even when they've been surpassed by new titles, it's natural to feel nostalgic towards old favourites. In the best case scenario, some of them may still hold up reasonably well, and be fun to play years later. As far as the sim-oriented basketball games are concerned, my list would include NBA Live 95, NBA Live 96, NBA Live 2000, NBA Live 2004, NBA Live 2005, NBA Live 06, and now that a few years have passed, NBA 2K11, NBA 2K12, and NBA 2K13. In terms of arcade basketball games, there's NBA Jam Tournament Edition, NBA Street Homecourt, and more recently, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition.
I'm nostalgic for those titles because they rank among my all-time favourites, but then there are also basketball games that I feel an affinity for, even though they wouldn't make my personal top five or ten. Some of those games are quite flawed, or at the very least haven't aged too well, yet there's something that draws me to them. Sometimes it's the general atmosphere, sometimes it's an ultimately inconsequential detail such as the soundtrack, and sometimes it has more to do with when they came out and where I was at in my life at the time. Whatever the case may be, these are five basketball games that I'm oddly nostalgic for, given the circumstances.
I guess I'm in the mood for sequels at the moment. After following up an older Friday Five with another list of random basketball game facts a couple of weeks ago, I've got another Part 2 column for you today. Back in October of last year, I talked about five basketball game features that were ahead of their time. Since the list is obviously much longer than just those five, and we're in the midst of learning about the new additions and innovations in this year's games, I thought I'd take the opportunity to discuss five more basketball game features that were ahead of their time when they made their debut.
Like I said in my previous column, it can be surprising to see how long ago it was that certain features made their basketball game debut. Conversely, it's also somewhat disheartening when you remember that some of them can't be found in more recent titles. On a more positive note, some features and gameplay mechanics have definitely been enhanced since they were first implemented, or paved the way for similar and ultimately superior concepts. With that in mind, here are five basketball game features that demonstrated great foresight and technological achievement.
Tomorrow marks my sixteenth anniversary as webmaster/administrator of the NLSC. I took over the site from Tim on August 26th 2001, a little less than two months before my seventeenth birthday. In other words, at this point I've basically been running the site for half of my life, which is kind of an overwhelming thought to be honest! I've had my ups and downs during that time - personally, professionally, and with the NLSC itself - but I don't regret taking the gig for a minute. It's given me a lot of creative satisfaction, fascinating insight into one of my favourite hobbies, and some tremendous opportunities.
Like a lot of people, I often look at milestones and anniversaries as an opportunity to reflect and take stock of things. It doesn't pay to dwell too much on the past, but no matter what you're doing, it's important to learn from experience. One of my goals is to keep the NLSC relevant and maintain a certain level of quality, while also looking to get even better. I'd like to think that I've had some success in that regard, but at the same time, there's still work to be done. I may be covering some familiar ground here, but as I look forward to bigger and better things, here are five changes that I'd like to make to the NLSC and our corner of the basketball gaming community.
We're just a couple of weeks away from the release of NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18! Although I anticipate spending time with modes like MyCAREER, The One, 2K Pro-Am, MyTEAM, and Ultimate Team, I'm also looking forward to returning to my roots as a franchise gamer. Given its incredible depth, MyLEAGUE will likely be my mode of choice, but I'm still undecided as to which team I'll use. My beloved Chicago Bulls are naturally always an option, but with the team entering a rebuilding phase, they're not exactly the most appealing squad. I can't help but think back to my attempts to play Franchise Mode with the Ron Mercer-led Bulls in NBA Live 2001!
MyLEAGUE does offer the flexibility of controlling multiple teams, switching control of teams, and of course, creating a brand new expansion team. However, I must admit that I'd personally prefer to take control of one franchise, and a real NBA team at that. I can't rule out trying to make things work with the Bulls, but there are quite a few interesting possibilities heading into the 2018 season. If you're looking for a team that can be competitive out of the gate, but also provide options in terms of wheeling and dealing, here are five teams that you may want to consider using in the franchise modes of NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18.
Last week, I discussed some of the most appealing options in terms of teams to use in this year's franchise modes. This week, I'm looking at some of the more challenging options, in the form of teams that are currently rebuilding. Admittedly a couple of the teams that I mentioned last week are in rebuilding phases themselves, but they also happen to have a bit more talent on their rosters, including players with definite superstar potential. The teams I'm focusing on this time around generally aren't quite as talented, but still present some interesting scenarios for franchise gamers.
Assuming control of a rebuilding team in a franchise mode can be an unusual experience. Depending on your skill on the sticks, lottery-bound teams can greatly overachieve, even pulling off unlikely championship victories in year one. Of course, you'll certainly have your work cut out for you, and the rosters of teams who are bottoming out or trying to claw their way back to respectability aren't always fun to play with. At the same time, the challenge they present can be an enjoyable change of pace. With that in mind, let's take a look at five teams that you can try to rebuild in the franchise modes of NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18.
As I noted earlier today, with the release of NBA Live 18 and NBA 2K18, a brand new season of basketball gaming is now underway! My pre-order of NBA Live 18 downloaded a couple of days ago and then unlocked at midnight Australian Eastern Time, so I stayed up quite late playing the game and sharing some initial impressions on Twitter. As of this writing, the day one patch for the PlayStation 4 version of NBA 2K18 has just finished installing, and I've almost finished downloading the PC version on Steam as well. I anticipate that I have a big weekend of basketball gaming ahead of me.
With any luck, we're all in for twelve months filled with fun basketball gaming experiences. I've felt optimistic about this year's releases through most of the preview season, and I came away from both the NBA Live 18 demo and The Prelude to NBA 2K18 with some positive impressions. I'd like to spend more time with the full versions of both games before I offer up some in-depth impressions (and eventually, comprehensive reviews), but as I look ahead to the 2018 season of basketball gaming, I do have a few hopes for the experiences that will be on offer in this year's releases.
A combination of burnout, different priorities, and less free time has seen my modding efforts dwindle over the years. I do like to release some kind of mod every now and again when I can find the time though, because it's something I've really enjoyed doing for the basketball gaming community. Although modding can be time-consuming and sometimes a chore - that is one of the reasons I became burned out on the hobby, after all - there is a lot of creative satisfaction in it. Whether it's been the current rosters for NBA Live, dabbling in making some art updates, or finding other things to mod, it's been great messing around with several different games.
Of course, when it comes to modding, not all games are alike. While the process may remain largely unchanged from game to game, and sometimes we've been fortunate enough to have a large amount of file compatibility to work with, each release has its own idiosyncrasies. Sometimes the files are easier to modify, other times there are limitations on what can be done with texture sizes or the roster databases. Just how much you enjoy modding a game can also depend on how much you like playing it in the first place. Looking back on all the games I've created mods for over the years, these five are the ones I've enjoyed tinkering with the most, in chronological order.
Since I reflected on my favourite games to mod last week, it only makes sense that I now take a look back at some of the hoops titles that are among my least favourite to tinker with. As I mentioned in last week's feature, some games are relatively easy to mod, while others are very cumbersome to work with. Even when you know what you're doing and have mastered the techniques, the general difficulty or lack of flexibility with the files often makes modding more of a chore. Also, just as your favourite games are more fun to mod, the games that you don't enjoy as much can be very unappealing to create content for.
With that being said, although these games are not among my absolute favourites to mod, I can't say that I've never had any fun modding them. When it comes to a few of these games, I did spend quite a lot of time working on updates for them, and even returned to create new mods for them years later. It's not that I absolutely hated every moment of modding them; if that were the case, I simply would've stopped sooner than I did. It's just that of all the games I've messed around with over the years, they're not among my favourites. Without any further ado, here are my five least favourite basketball games to mod, in chronological order.
It's time once again to indulge in a bit of creative writing and fun speculation! Last November, I wrote a Friday Five that took the stories that NBA 2K has implemented in MyCAREER, and twisted them around with some theories and interpretations that somewhat altered their tone. It's still one of my favourite articles that I've written, as reimagining the MyCAREER stories in a darker or more dramatic light turned out to be a fun exercise. NBA 2K18 has provided us with another story to pick apart, and I have a few more ideas, so it seems like an opportune time for a follow-up article.
Once again, I do have to stress that I don't actually believe these interpretations and theories, even though I do feel that a couple of them actually fit quite well. In fact, if you told me that the first theory was indeed intentional and what's actually going on, I wouldn't be entirely surprised. This is all meant to be in fun though, so don't take it too seriously. With that being said, you may find that a couple of these theories make a little too much sense. At the very least, I hope it'll be an amusing read to take you into the weekend. Let's once again go tumbling down the rabbit hole; tinfoil hats are of course welcome, but completely optional.
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