Home
Feature Article
NBA 2K11: What Needs to Stay

People always enjoy knocking a game. They love complaining about it, they love criticizing it, and they love giving their opinion on it (OS is in the midst of an ongoing feature like this right now).

But do people praise games often enough? It never seems to be what should stay the same but rather what should change. Regardless, here is what should not change in NBA 2K11.

1. Custom Music

For those of you who do not use this feature, you are missing out. You are not losing anything by not using it, but if you do use it, you will gain so much. Any game can put itself in a win-win situation as long as the word custom is somewhere to be found. This year, 2K added the custom music option -- only for Xbox 360 owners -- to allow gamers to play their favorite songs or the actual songs at each arena in the game.

The feature adds another angle of realism, which is what all sports gamers are dying to have. If you have not used this feature yet, or do not know how to use it, visit these two threads on the OS forums.

2. Rookie Ratings

I was half tempted to put all ratings on here, but a few players pre-NBA Today were just bogus (Amar’e Stoudemire only an 82?). Either way, the rookies were spot on. Seeing all those big-time rookies sitting in the 60s or barely at 70 overall made me smile. Too many times have people traded away stars for rookies with high potential, only to reap the benefit of a rookie starting five just one year later.

Sure, Blake Griffin came in at a 76, but nobody can blame the developers for that one. James Harden also hopped into the video game world with a 76, which some people might argue -- but also might forget that he was considered the most complete player in the draft. Tyreke Evans was a 71 out of the gate, which pissed a lot of people off, but he is a rookie. Rookies should not be assumed to be good enough to start right away, and 2K gets that.

3. NBA Today

Continuing off of the rookie ratings and Evans’ low 71 overall rating, let me talk a bit about NBA Today (NT). Fans can now start their Kings franchise with a nicely polished, 80-rated Evans thanks to NT. NT freshens up 2K on a daily basis. Though ratings do not change drastically over one day, they have certainly changed a great deal during the entirety of the season. We have seen huge jumps to huge drops, but they have all made the game more enjoyable.

Taj Gibson, Darren Collison and Omri Casspi have all reaped the benefits of NT the most, each improving their overall rating by 15 points. On the other hand, Devin Harris and Kevin Garnett have taken the largest hits, dropping eight and 10 points respectively.

And do not forget the commentary. How often do you see threads screaming for the death of the lackluster commentary? With Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg giving us new commentary often, the game does not feel as stale as it has in the past.

4. My Player

I know there is next to no chance that this game mode is not in the game next year, but what I am getting at here is that I hope 2K does not turn My Player into Madden’s superstar mode.

My Player, just like any other solo career mode, has more potential then an 18-year-old LeBron James. Yes, there are kinks to work out, but at least try to work them out. This mode is fun, it is addictive and it adds yet another sense of realism when you get stuck in the D-League.

5. Custom Draft Classes

Unlike other OS'ers, I do not feel this is a guarantee to stay next year. To my surprise, many people have had issues with this feature. But this feature has brought back association mode for me. I hated playing NBA 2K9 and finishing a season because it felt like the end of the game. With the custom draft classes being shareable (thank you 2K Share), association mode has been revived.


What do you think needs to stay in NBA 2K11? Also, stay tuned next week as I will look at the top five things that need to stay in NBA Live 11.


NBA 2K11 Videos
Member Comments
# 1 jaosming @ 04/09/10 04:05 PM
Gotta say it again, but Blacktop needs to stay, even if it goes unchanged. It still provides a great diversion to the real game.

Classic jerseys that aren't being used anymore but are still in the game should stay, Can't really go wrong with too many jerseys.

Situation mode should stay, great tool for seeing rare animations and allows you to setup "classic" moments.

Sharing Created Players over 2kshare is the most likely candidate for getting the ax next year I think, but for console users i think it's a must have/keep.

All Practice modes need to stay as well. Scrimmage, Post, Tutorial, Plays and Freestyle, all of it. If anything they should add a team practice with a squad v B squad but the practice modes have also provided a nice diversion from quick games for me as well.
 
# 2 jeebs9 @ 04/09/10 04:35 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaosming
Gotta say it again, but Blacktop needs to stay, even if it goes unchanged. It still provides a great diversion to the real game.

Classic jerseys that aren't being used anymore but are still in the game should stay, Can't really go wrong with too many jerseys.

Situation mode should stay, great tool for seeing rare animations and allows you to setup "classic" moments.

Sharing Created Players over 2kshare is the most likely candidate for getting the ax next year I think, but for console users i think it's a must have/keep.

All Practice modes need to stay as well. Scrimmage, Post, Tutorial, Plays and Freestyle, all of it. If anything they should add a team practice with a squad v B squad but the practice modes have also provided a nice diversion from quick games for me as well.
That need to stay big time.
 
# 3 boston3thesequel @ 04/09/10 05:12 PM
Being able to watch the CPU play(with every team) during the association needs to stay forever.

I guess I should've just said keep the league pass feature. For D-League games too.
 
# 4 KChow21 @ 04/09/10 06:23 PM
custom music works for any xbox 360 game, but they should add it for PS3
 
# 5 MVP23 @ 04/09/10 07:06 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaosming
Gotta say it again, but Blacktop needs to stay, even if it goes unchanged. It still provides a great diversion to the real game.

Classic jerseys that aren't being used anymore but are still in the game should stay, Can't really go wrong with too many jerseys.

Situation mode should stay, great tool for seeing rare animations and allows you to setup "classic" moments.

Sharing Created Players over 2kshare is the most likely candidate for getting the ax next year I think, but for console users i think it's a must have/keep.

All Practice modes need to stay as well. Scrimmage, Post, Tutorial, Plays and Freestyle, all of it. If anything they should add a team practice with a squad v B squad but the practice modes have also provided a nice diversion from quick games for me as well.

They should bring back the option of having two players from the same team on the court.
 
# 6 Phreezy P @ 04/12/10 09:07 AM
Blacktop should be renovated with better 3pt and it sohuld saty. 3pt contest is glithced.
 
# 7 Pared @ 04/12/10 12:41 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by KChow21
custom music works for any xbox 360 game, but they should add it for PS3
I'm sure they will.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JerseySuave4
custom music needs to be on the ps3. And i agree, any uniform worn in the past 2 years should be in there and every team should have some sort of alternative uni. The Nets dont have any in the game but there are so many old ones they could have added. Same with a lot of other teams.
Have the Nets worn any alternates this year?
 
# 8 Shinyhubcaps @ 04/12/10 04:53 PM
Never lower your standards to what the real-life Nets do. They ditched everything except their jerseys that say "Nets" on the front because they thought they might be in Brooklyn this year or next.

As for what they need to keep, ReelMaker is a lot of fun.
 
# 9 Pared @ 04/12/10 05:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shinyhubcaps
Never lower your standards to what the real-life Nets do. They ditched everything except their jerseys that say "Nets" on the front because they thought they might be in Brooklyn this year or next.

As for what they need to keep, ReelMaker is a lot of fun.
That's probably while you don't have any alt's for them. A lot of that has to be run through the NBA.
 
# 10 STLRams @ 04/12/10 05:18 PM
NBA Today, nuff said - one of the greatest, stats, commentary, presentation features to be put in a sports game.
 
# 11 shmitty @ 04/12/10 05:27 PM
Completely agree with My Player. I put some things in the wishlist (i dont know if anyone actually reads it) but I think this could be the best part of the game eventually.
 
# 12 JkA3 @ 04/12/10 09:37 PM
Nice write up. I think Blacktop should stay. I never play it, but it's a nice little feature.
 
# 13 kizzle @ 04/13/10 01:52 AM
Low post controls for sure
 
# 14 Daywalker86 @ 04/15/10 10:10 PM
Just give me a MyPlayer mode where your teammates can play defense, and calling for the ball doesn't make you run in beheaded chicken fashion against my will...and I'll lose days in NBA2K all over again...
 
# 15 hokupguy @ 04/21/10 12:12 PM
all of item listed above need to stay and always can be improved on.
 
# 16 cammel @ 04/24/10 10:55 AM
all the stuff should say in the game on NBA today you will have to buy NBA 2k game in till you die
 
# 17 Pared @ 04/27/10 10:23 AM
Using USB to transfer music has nothing to do with 2k, FYI.
 

Post A Comment
Only OS members can post comments
Please login or register to post a comment.