NBA 2K6

"A Slam Dunk of a Basketball Game"

The presentation in NBA 2K6 is top notch even without any professional license to stand behind it. 2k games does not have the ESPN license anymore as EA has that now but 2k games has showed that they really don't need one to show off their game. The menus and in game presentation are straight forward and easy to navigate and read. The half time shows and stat windows that pop up in game are also nicely done. The only gripe I have is that seeing what visual concepts did with the ESPN license I just wish they had a license so that everything would pop a bit more but I am sure in 2k7 this will be resolved and they will create some better menus and such. All in all I can not complain as it gets the job done and really shows how great VC is as a developer and creating a great atmosphere without a big name company stamped on their game as well.

I was nearly speechless when I first started up a game in 2k6. I saw videos and screenshots of course before hand but they were nothing compared to actually seeing them in the game. It really showed the power of the 360. I believe 2k6 was the best launch game to show a taste of just how good sports game can be. The sweat system in the game is amazing and how it develops on the jerseys of the players is amazing. While it might seem exaggerated at points it still is great. VC has also done a great job of implementing a great cloth system where the jerseys move as in real life and really brings a better element in making the players look that much better and more life-like. The courts look good and with the smaller development time the game had, it really shows just how good the 360. The hardwood shines just as it should and the logos and lines on the court look precise and perfect. Now here goes for the bad of the game. There is not too much of it but of course with this game being their first next gen. basketball game it's there. The arenas in this game are a little bland as there is just no real atmosphere with them. The crowd isn't on par with what a next gen. crowd deserves to be and the coaches, refs, and other characters other than the players themselves are just second gen. models ported to the 360 version. I am sure visual concepts will change these in the nest version but it is a bit disappointing.

The sound in the game is great. You can hear all the sneaker squeaks and the ball very well. You can hear the player chatter and some crowd comments thrown in there. The biggest thing of course is the commentary and how good it is. Well with all sports games you know that most of them get old very quick since most games take a while to finish but in 2k6 the in game commentary is really good. Every game I played in I usually heard one or two new things. The team that 2ksports got for this game is very god and with Kenny "The Jet" throwing in his tidbits every so often it makes the commentary very good to listen to. The music in the game is also very good as it has a mix of all different types of original music and blends them in very well into the game while browsing the menus and such. While I wish there was more of an atmosphere with the crowd throwing there two cents in every so often and the commentary becoming even better next year, so far the sound in NBA 2K6 is superb.

NBA 2K6 is a very fundamentally sound game. The game play is very reminiscent of the Inside Drive series on the original Xbox system and that's a very good thing. It's very smooth to jump from one animation to another and the shot system and dribbling mechanics are dead on. Different superstars in the game have different ways to shoot the ball, while there only a handful, it still shows just how dedicated the team is to looking at individual players in real life and making them as close as possible in the game so we can get the full experience. The team AI is not bad and the defense AI is good as well. They adjust to what's going on in the game for the most part well now it's the end game situations that need work. At the end of games instead of the other team going for that three point shot they need to tie or win they will waste the entire clock and miss the shot completely or go for the three and miss when all they need to do is kill the clock. Now I know that will be fixed nest year but it should just have been tweaked beforehand. The 24/7 mode is fun as well. You make a baller and have him go against NBA stars so you can get more gear for him and have him go against other created ballers online against real people. They threw in a lot of small things here and there that really make the game play in 2k great. It really has the best sim basketball experience on the market.

Overall the game should keep you interested for months and months. With it having a really good franchise mode, which is called the association, and 24/7 mode it should keep you busy for a very good while and I haven't even talked about the online part of the game. The online in 2k6 is very well done and should keep people busy for more than enough time. The in game play is great with almost no lag and while there are hiccups now and then, it plays lag less pretty much. The best part of online play is the league system in which you can join or make a league and run it thru the 360 or at the 2ksports website and it includes game schedules, complete stats and box scores, and much more. It really shows how dedicated the VC team is and how great they will make the next version.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/06/06