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Monday, October 3, 2016
12:22 PM - October 3, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero
Last year, you “Lived the Dream.” This year you experienced your “Prelude” to greatness. Both of these modes in Visual Concepts’ NBA 2K franchise were supposed to acclimate and immerse you into the game’s premier mode, MyCareer. Both years had you assume a player whose visage and role you could create, but whose persona was already determined via the story mode crafted by Visual Concepts. I’m not here to talk about the merits of last year’s “movie of the week” presentation (personally, I liked it) or this year’s evolved version that grants you much more control over your player during your rookie NBA season.

I’m here to talk about something else. Just like last year, your guy. You. The President of basketball, aka Pres, flat out SUCKS!

Read More - MyCAREER Has a Realism Problem

Game: NBA 2K17Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes: 14 - View All
Saturday, October 1, 2016
01:14 PM - October 1, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero

The developers behind the NBA 2K series do more to change the user experience year over year than any other annual sports franchise. Some would say that many times they have taken something that wasn’t broke and broken it. In other instances, some would say they took something that was broken, and broke it some more. And then of course, other times some would say they've taken something that was broken and made it much better.

For instance, this year there have been some improvements to the controls that are worthy of praise.

Read More - NBA 2K17 Lets You Run the Point

Game: NBA 2K17Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / PC / PS4 / Xbox OneVotes: 14 - View All
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
10:11 AM - September 7, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero


One week with Madden NFL 17’s Connected Franchise mode has taught me two things: My San Francisco 49ers are going to be in for a very long year (I may have already known that), and I still don’t know as much about football as I thought I did.

While there are no major “back of the box improvements” for this year’s version of CFM, the amount of little tweaks definitely make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. For one, the practice has been revamped to include actual scouting. Not only does this give me an opportunity to learn what defenses and offenses work in a given situation, it also gives me the ability to learn the tendencies of my weekly opponent -- dynamically. If the Colts decide to start running the ball with Frank Gore more than they let Andrew Luck pass, the game will recognize that and you will be able to game plan on defense to stop the run.

Read More - Madden NFL 17: The Little Things Are Piling Up in CFM

Game: Madden NFL 17Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes: 17 - View All
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
01:41 PM - June 14, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero
2K Sports held their very first eSports event June 1. The NBA 2K Road To The Finals event featured the announcement of the NBA 2K17 cover athlete, Paul George, as well as the crowning of the first ever RTTF Grand Champion, the Drewkerbockers HLZDB. Being crowned the champion isn’t a just a meaningless title, the champs also received a $250,000 prize, championship rings and a trip to game one of the NBA Finals. The event overall was a lot of fun. The energy was high for both the participants as well as the audience.

However, all was not golden at the event. There are a few things 2K needs to do in order to become the key figures players in the eSports arena they would like to be.

Read More - NBA 2K Can Still Do More to Improve eSports Experience

Game: NBA 2K16Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PC / PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes: 45 - View All
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
04:36 PM - June 8, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero


Madden is synonymous with NFL football. Madden NFL 16 released to mostly favorable critical reviews. I personally think it’s the best digital version of simulation football ever released. That being said it’s nowhere near perfect. August is right around the corner, E3 is knocking on the door and Madden 17 will be in our hands in no time. Before we step back out on the gridiron, let’s take a look at three things I think would catapult Madden back into the conversation as one of the best sports titles released in any given year.


Read More - Madden NFL: Three Things Which Would Excite Me About Its Future

Game: Madden NFL 17Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / PS4 / Xbox OneVotes: 17 - View All
12:01 PM - June 8, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero

2K Sports’ NBA 2K series has unquestionably entered the eSports arena. The company wrapped up their first high-profile event, dubbed "Road To The Finals," with a major championship event this past week. After two million games played by 100,000 teams, the Drewkerbockers HLZDB were crowned the inaugural winners of the Road To The Finals (RTTF) tournament. Along with the prestige of being crowned the winners, the champs received tickets to Game 1 of the NBA Finals, impressive championship rings (in rotating ring boxes) and a $250,000 prize.

This was a star-studded event by eSports standards. Not only were friends and family there to cheer on the teams, but also included in the crowd were a veritable who’s who of the NBA 2K development and community team. In addition, stars from the sports world also made an appearance. Paul George was unveiled as the cover athlete for this year’s game, former NBA great Rick Fox hosted the festivities, and Kobe Bryant was there to represent as the cover athlete for the Legends edition of NBA 2K17 -- and to be, well, legendary.

Read More - NBA 2K16: Road to the Finals Event Recap

Game: NBA 2K16Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / PC / PS4 / Xbox OneVotes: 45 - View All
Monday, April 18, 2016
07:25 PM - April 18, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero

As you progress through your Road to the Show career, there are certain games you “circle on the calendar.” Sometimes it’s because you’ll be playing a division rival or going up against a tough pitcher. If you’re like me, however, you’re licking your chops when you know your team is traveling to a particular stadium.

If you’re a hitter, your eyes get wide for a multi-game home-run derby. As a pitcher, you get hyped to lower your ERA to Pedro Martinez levels. So which stadiums are hitters' havens and which are an oasis for pitchers, you ask? Well, let me hit you with a couple of my favorites on each end of the spectrum.

Read More - MLB The Show 16: The Best Pitcher and Hitter Ballparks

Game: MLB The Show 16Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4Votes: 23 - View All
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
01:58 PM - April 5, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero
The grass has been cut, the peanuts have been roasted, and the hot dogs are grilling. It’s baseball time. While hope springs eternal for your favorite team, your virtual team is primed for greatness. It’s time to play MLB The Show 16! If this is your first foray into this fantastic series, the options at your disposal can be a little daunting. Even if you’re a Show veteran, there is a lot to unpack for the new year.

So here are the top five things you should do after booting up The Show.


Read More - MLB The Show 16: The First Five Things To Do

Game: MLB The Show 16Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4Votes: 23 - View All
Monday, April 4, 2016
12:45 PM - April 4, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero

The NBA playoffs are fast approaching. Watching Steph Curry’s Warriors march on to become the winningest team in history is fun, but if your team is anything like my Knicks you’re left pondering what could have been.

You probably are left asking questions like, "What were the transactions which turned this season of hope into a season of despair?"

If you were in the front office or on the sidelines what would you have done differently?

In Wolverine Studios’ Draft Day Sports:Pro Basketball 16 you’ll have the chance to find out. DDS:PB16 is one of the few text sim basketball games available. Even though the pickings are very slim in this genre, the question remains: Is this game worth your time and money?

Read More - Draft Day Sports: Pro Basketball 16 Review (PC)

11:51 AM - March 4, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero

The sports gaming season is quickly approaching. We’ve got two hotly anticipated titles releasing this March in the form of EA Sports UFC 2 and MLB The Show 16. Golf and hockey have returned in very real ways. There are even sports that have multiple publishers vying for consumer dollars. What an exciting time to own a console.

But where's the love for tennis games?

The only place to play tennis on the current generation of consoles is in the parks, homes and country clubs of Los Santos in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V. It’s a very passable representation of the sport, but I would rather my post-match decisions dealt with upgrading my attributes rather than deciding what car to steal.

The last tennis simulation to appear on consoles was 2K Sports’ Top Spin 4 way back in 2011. It was critically acclaimed and 2K Czech won many awards for their efforts. So why are we five years removed with still no tennis game on the horizon? It seems to me that the problem is twofold: Tennis games don’t sell well, and development costs are very high.

Read More - Where Are the Tennis Games?

Wednesday, February 24, 2016
11:13 AM - February 24, 2016. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Cicero


The modern sports gaming landscape is filled with AAA games trying to please everyone all at once. Having said that, there's an expectation that every sports game must deliver to the consumer in a multitude of ways. However, this also means a lot of sports games end up having the same types of modes.

But if so many of the games we play do similar things, what makes them unique, besides the difference in the sport? Well, I feel each one of these major yearly titles has one feature that makes them unique. Let’s talk about them.

Read More - The Best Features in 2015's Biggest Sports Games