NBA 2K7

Talking about an annual franchise like NBA 2K7 is always hard as most of the time (as is the case here) later games improve on what the current game offered. While that is the case, I have to say that this is still a fun game of basketball and while it does show its age compared to some of the newer games. These older games manage to be realistic, but not at the expense of having a tough learning curve or at the expense of the fun either.

Stunning Next-Gen Basketball

NBA 2K6 was released on the Xbox 360, but when NBA 2K7 came to the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, it truly did feel like a massive leap in comparison to what the PlayStation 2 era could offer. This wowed people with the TV-style presentation. It is the little things, such as the sweat on the players, the fist-pumping when fouled, and the diving for loose balls that give the game a real level of authenticity. 2K already made great-looking basketball games, but at the time this one stood out from all the rest.

Deep, But Accessible

The modern NBA 2K games must be a nightmare for someone unfamiliar with the series to play. Do not get me wrong, I love this series and appreciate how deep and challenging the gameplay has become, but there is a real barrier of entry and a learning curve that can be tough. With NBA 2K7, they have a game that is realistic and offers you things such as calling plays, direct control over your dribble, skill-based shooting, and so on. However, it is rather easy to figure out and it does not take a ton of time to learn.

Running The Game

The main gameplay mode of NBA 2K7 is the General Manager mode where you have complete control over an NBA franchise. This means you do not just control what happens on the court, but the coaches, staffing, and player trades and signings. This has a fair bit of depth to it and it is always a lot of fun trying to take your chosen team to the top of the NBA.

Remember When Creating A Player Used To Be Fun?

These days the My Player mode in the NBA 2K series is my idea of a freaking nightmare. This mode has become nothing more than a cash grab in my opinion. NBA 2K7 though lets you create a player and just worry about having a good time. The idea here is that you take it to the streets and play street ball against various NBA players. In going back to play this game for this review, I forgot how much fun this game mode was. It is so much simpler than what we have now and I like that!

Pros:

• The gameplay is fun
• While the gameplay is deep it is also very accessible for new players
• Some of the player models look fantastic
• The streetball against NBA pros is a ton of fun

Cons:

• Sometimes a big ass Gatorade advertisement gets in the way!
• I do feel that many of the later games in the series are better