To get a precise number you'll need to invest in some of those crucial scouting reports.ĢK Sports has also tweaked the financial and trading systems to make them a bit to be more authentic. Gone are the specific number ratings for every player and they've been replaced by more generic letter grades. More new stuff in The Association 2.0 is the ‘Under the Hood’ addition, which allows you to scout players to get the extra edge for an upcoming game. It is only the off-the-court presentation gaff that cripples the mode, ultimately becoming the weak point of the game. But to fault it, navigating around these specific menus seems anti-user, and only slowly becomes bearable as time wears on. It is hard to fault even the concept that could only be dreamed of a few years back - not only roster updates (touted ‘Living Rosters’ - recent trades/signings), but even players attributes and ratings being updated frequently throughout the season (via Xbox Live) depending on season form. The immediate change to the mode has to do with the user interface which now incorporates NBA.com into the presentation. The Franchise mode, The Association, or this year round - The Association 2.0, has had significant upgrades. It's these little touches that help push 2K9 beyond what we've seen elsewhere. Run out of bounds and run into the mascot and there's an animation that plays there too. Get knocked down and they'll help each other up. If the refs make a call, a player will get upset. They're realistic, they almost never falter and the little integrated actions that you see when players interact are great. The animations, like in all NBA 2K games, are great to watch. Benefits of this come on the fast-break for a quick and good looking basket, (albeit sometimes painfully annoying when the player doesn’t carry the momentum when catching the ball) but seeing two players explode down the sidelines and calling for an outlet pass on a rebound is authenticity at its finest. So the changes that have been implemented, surprisingly enough, are on the hardwood.įirst up, the speed of the game has been cranked up a bit, making players movements on a par with what you would see watching the action live, but all the while managing to keep the simulation in-check. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it right? Good.
#Nba 2k9 reviews series#
There hasn’t been an overhaul of what we’ve already seen in the NBA 2K series by any stretch, most of the menu options having basic graphical changes to merely distinguish itself. With this fresh dominance atop the NBA gaming world, 2K9 has now maintained its consistency with another issue worthy of your commodity funds. To even compete with the EA giants is one thing, but now to supersede them, kudos must be given. 2K9 is only 2K Sports fourth NBA game ever produced, coming into the market battling the long time incumbent of EA's NBA Live series. If you were to put a punt on what is essentially a two-horse race in terms of basketball titles, 2K9 is the odds-on favourite.