NBA 2K9
DEVELOPER:	Visual Concepts
PUBLISHER:	2K Sports
SYSTEMS:	Xbox 360, PC, PS3

NBA 2K9

Still Great, but Not Better then Last Year

With NBA 2K9 due out for the PC this Tuesday, I figured I'd get my review of the Xbox 360 version out of the way. This will be the first time I'll be able to compare two sports titles with each other, meaning this vs. NBA Live 09 to see which offers the better experience. However, that's another article. Here, we're just going to focus on what 2K9 offers gamers who pick it up.

NBA 2K9's graphics are much improved over last year, in my opinion. Players look more like themselves and I'm really impressed with the improvement in the uniforms and textures. It seems that the 2K-HD marketing gimick isn't as gimicky as it sounded. However, if you've played MLB 2K8, you know that sometimes visuals come at the cost of a smooth framerate, and sadly that's the case here. When the framerate is steady, the game is glassy smooth. However, when the game zooms out to show the whole arena or during replays, the framerate becomes inconsistent, which mars the illusion. Replays have their own problem, actually, in that they're often very, very short and clumsily executed. I like how the game will track assists in it's auto-generated highlights (making watching a Steve Nash highlight reel more realistic), but oftentimes the highlight for a score will start right before the ball goes in the basket and end soon after, making for a very disjointed experience.

The commentary needs a massive, massive overhaul. I'm sick of hearing Clark Kellog saying that I need a Plan B when I get stuffed inside trying to score with a guard, because he says it nearly every time! Cheryl Miller is not an improvement over Craig Sager in any stretch of the imagination, either. Someone needs to get their act together in the sound department at 2K Sports.

Powered by Bravenet.com