@Zabant said:

@rmanthorp: you say that as if the same dev made both games.

Haha yeah it comes across like that huh? I just meant for expecting greatest out of Batman I'm also happy this did well :D

Now Rocksteady's NBA game, that would be TIIIIIIIGHHT!

Too bad that I dont like B-ball, it looks great.

@H2Oyea said:

@Rolyatkcinmai said:

@Thiemen said:

They review this but not FIFA? ;___;

Who cares about FIFA? Doesn't Eurogamer or something review that?

More people care about FIFA than NBA.

That's great but no Giant Bomb reviewers care about soccer in the slightest so what would be the point in reviewing it? I doubt they know even all the basic rules of the sport. Alex is reviewing some sport games and that's cool but he at least seems to have a base level of interest in the sports as well. Giant Bomb has never really been a resource for reviews on sport simulations.

@Bobby_The_Great said:

@groin said:

@Thiemen said:

They review this but not FIFA? ;___;

In general, US citizens do not care about soccer. Giantbomb barely covers sports games anyway so why are you expecting a FIFA review?

What he said. Giantbomb is US based. We're the only country in the world that doesn't care about FIFA/Soccer, and I like it that way.

Fifa still sells great in the US, the issue is probably that know one at GB cares enough that they feel they can do a worthy review. But Fifa 12 is amazing, go buy it, there's your review

Some of the players in 2k 12 still look really weird by the way, that engine still needs some tweaks

@Mumrik said:

2k11 really needed at solid training mode with detailed instructions and specific challenges etc. (like PES back in the day). I never got into it because the learning process was so frustrating. Not sure I'm going to give 12 a shot.

nba 2k12 has a training camp that covers all the controls grouped by different categories like shooting, passing, post-game and defense. They show you how to do a move and then you have to replicate it. At the end of a category you get a challenge 1 on 1 to use these moves and score enough points to proceed to the next category. When you get through all of them you can boot the seperate categories up again. It helped me a lot, and I will revisit this mode quite a lot until i can remember all the different moves, there are so many!

Since I am such a beginner I set the difficulty to rookie and play with an all-star team against one of the lower ranking teams and I have been able to win some and just generally having fun. It will take me a lot of time to master this game but it seems worth it.

Could somebody explain to me what's happening on the box art? If it's supposed to be Jordan, then why is his jersey # 30-something?

NBA 2K has basically been the most consistent sports game in recent memory.

Improvements made without taking parts of the game away that made it enjoyable? Finding ways to keep the controls polished and features fresh? Take notes EA. This is how you make a basketball game.

After playing 2k11 so much, it was hard to get into this version of the game because its predecessor was so arcade-y, even though it was awesome. This one is more sim-y and is therefore more challenging... at the same time though, it's very rewarding when you pull things off. Plays and getting open looks are very important in 2k12.

I'm just kinda bummed that Dominique Wilkins wasn't one of the Legends you can play as in the challenges.

"Bill Walton's Celtics"

He did so much excellent towel waving those years. Are Dominique Wilkins' Celtics in here too?

@TheClap said:

The PC version is half priced. Are there any differences?

PC version is identical to the console version, as far as I can tell. No real graphics options to make the game look better than the console versions, other than resolution and anti-aliasing. But otherwise with a 360 controller plugged in, it's exactly the same. I haven't found any bugs, either. Go for it.

I'm not sure why people are shocked about the review. NBA 2k11 was just as good.

Not surprised at this score. Loving 2K12. Easily the best hoops game of all time. Don't know how 2K does it.

@H2Oyea said:

Yeah, I never said they should review it. Just a response to the "who cares" portion.

Fair enough, FIFA is easily one of the biggest franchises in video games I mean it is the best selling sports game for EA year after year. I live in England literally 90% of people I know who play games buy FIFA religiously.

@JCTango: yeah kind of a bummer for sure. I also hate that you can't play with 2 or more people in those challenges. That being said you can unlock Wilkins and the rest of the hawks if you beat the Larry Bird Challenge.

great review. i'm happy the series has been getting proper recognition the last 2 years.

Ive bin playing through the my player mode and i must say im having a blast.

When you get good enougf though the coach keep you in for almost the entire game and i wish there was an option to be subbed out, simulate stale minutes where you already have an a+ rating and the game in the bag

Great Review, Alex

@Sander said:

Could somebody explain to me what's happening on the box art? If it's supposed to be Jordan, then why is his jersey # 30-something?

It's 23... you can see the two if you look closely.

The opening paragraph is kind of insulting to NBA fans. This last season was the most watched in history and how can basketball have too many teams when the NBA, NHL and MLB all have 30 teams? The only "doomed" part of the NBA is the way the league is structured in terms of finance, and that's all stuff that's worked out behind the scenes. The actual quality of on court action is fantastic and the players of today are on average more athletic than those that came before them, so the entire critique just smacks of "I watched basketball when I was 12 but then Michael Jordan retired so I refuse to watch anymore".

All that being said I'm glad this game is every bit as amazing as 2K11. Problem is I own 2K11 and I still can't really say I'm bored of it so I don't wanna pay full price for some game mode additions. Maybe in a few months when the price drops... if it drops.

Suprised at the score!

@jozzy:

Thanks. That sounds like everything I was surprised and annoyed to find missing in 2k11.

@Greenlight13 said:

The opening paragraph is kind of insulting to NBA fans. This last season was the most watched in history and how can basketball have too many teams when the NBA, NHL and MLB all have 30 teams? The only "doomed" part of the NBA is the way the league is structured in terms of finance, and that's all stuff that's worked out behind the scenes. The actual quality of on court action is fantastic and the players of today are on average more athletic than those that came before them, so the entire critique just smacks of "I watched basketball when I was 12 but then Michael Jordan retired so I refuse to watch anymore".

All that being said I'm glad this game is every bit as amazing as 2K11. Problem is I own 2K11 and I still can't really say I'm bored of it so I don't wanna pay full price for some game mode additions. Maybe in a few months when the price drops... if it drops.

This is 100% correct. Much more succinct than the review from Alex I didn't need.

Great job on there review Alex. Your description on 2K12's online issues was spot on and hilarious.

I love this game.

@groin said:

@Thiemen said:

They review this but not FIFA? ;___;

In general, US citizens do not care about soccer. Giantbomb barely covers sports games anyway so why are you expecting a FIFA review?

Well FIFA now has most of it's sales in the US. So obviously some yanks like it

Well I'm not insulted and considering buying the game. :) While I love watching real NBA I have very little experience playing basketball games. Is it tough on hoop noobs?

Your written reviews are always such a joy to read! I'm not really into sports games but maybe I'll give this a shot. Even if it somehow doesn't float my boat I'm sure my brother will love it, especially if the current season is looking as dire as you say for basketball. He's very much into career modes and create-a-player stuff, making the My Player mode sound especially awesome. Please continue to write as many reviews as possible for Whiskey Media.

@Chewii101: I acknowledged the financial structure sucks, but these things will get worked out eventually, even if we lose a season in the progress. I don't know how the other leagues work, but dividing up shared revenue from the entire league amongst the players is a ludicrous idea in the first place, and agreeing to give said players more than 50% of that revenue is down right laughable. Sure, people pay to see stars, but those stars have a shelf life. In 5 years Kobe will probably be gone, but the Lakers will still be there. How players can make demands that will continue to worsen the financial shape of their teams I do not know. I agree that it sucks that only 5 teams draw free agents, but there's still more variety than in England's premier league, in which only 3 teams have won since about 1996. There needs to be one fixed, hard cap otherwise why even bother capping salaries in the first place if certain teams are just going to go over it continually.

Anyway, I was merely trying to point out Patrick's opening paragraph was a little more damning than is justified. I think we can all agree this game is great and that the real life NBA has some issues that need working out.

@Capt_Ventris said:

@groin said:

@Thiemen said:

They review this but not FIFA? ;___;

In general, US citizens do not care about soccer. Giantbomb barely covers sports games anyway so why are you expecting a FIFA review?

Well FIFA now has most of it's sales in the US. So obviously some yanks like it

Perhaps nobody on the staff is a fan of football?

Right now I would give it 4/5. Too many bugs, and the update that was just released to fix the online lag and disconnects makes the offline game lag. I really hope they fix this game, because I played 2k11 for an entire year without having feelings of being disappointed as I am with 2k12.

Looks like a great year for sports games, too bad there won't be that much real life basketball to go along with the game.

I was able to grab a Larry Bird cover despite not pre-ordering and I absolutely love this game. After completing the Legends Mode I was able to assemble my "Ultimate Celtics" team with Bird, Russell, Havelicek, McHale and Rondo my starters and I've been having lots of fun with it.

I have to question whether FIFA is selling more in the US than anywhere else. The worldwide sales are no doubt impressive and the US sales have improved from last year's iteration BUT nowhere near as impressive as Madden 12 in the US. I am a natural born US citizen and like most really don't care for soccer. Popularity has spiked somewhat but I don't expect a US soccer revolution anytime soon. If Pele couldn't pull it off then no one can.

Am I the only one who wanted Mugsy Bogues on the cover? Other than that giant oversight, great game!!!!!