NBA 2K6 review

Of all the sports that are big in North America, such as baseball, ice hockey and American football, for me basketball is the best one. Fast-paced, tense, fun to watch, fun to play, it’s got it all. It’s a game that’s simple enough for anyone to have a go at, but at the same time it’s difficult to master, and to play it professionally takes a lot of skill. Sadly, the sport’s not as popular as it could be in Europe, but thankfully that doesn’t deter videogame publishers from releasing new basketball games every year.

The problem though is that because basketball isn’t amazingly popular, a game has to be REALLY good to stand out and get people interested. EA’s NBA Street games have been among the most successful, alongside Visual Concept’s 2K series. Is NBA 2K6 one of these great basketball games then, or does it shoot and fail to score? (Sorry…).

Looking Good?

The quickest way of getting some action going on the court is via the ‘Quick Game’ mode, which sees you choosing a team to play as, your opposition, and then getting right into it. The fairly lengthy loading time holds things up for a while, although player introductions are done in the background to prevent boredom setting in too much. Once the game’s finished loading though, you’ll be greeted with some solid, and fairly realistic, visuals. The arenas are of a decent size, with some of the crowd in 3D. Admittedly they look like extras from a horror movie, with dodgy textures and ropey animation, but seeing some fleshed out, animated fans is a nice touch. The quality of the player models however is a whole different story – they’re individual looking, smooth and well animated. Some nice lighting shows up the sweat on the player’s bodies, the reflections of lights on the court, and makes it all look very, very good. Replays are even better, showing some really solid models, decent textures and good animation in close up and slow motion. The game’s certainly nice to look at, and it all has the feel of a basketball game to it; busy arenas, excited fans, and the players and coaches doing their thing.

The sound and music in NBA 2K6 only adds to the authenticity of it all. The unsurprisingly hip-hop based soundtrack is fairly unremarkable, but the actual in-game parts are done very well. Commentary is decent and less repetitive than previous versions, although it’s nothing special and doesn’t warrant much attention; it’ll mostly pass you by as you concentrate on the action. Crowds are lively, the announcer energetic and the familiar sound effects of shoes squeaking on court, whistles blowing and claxons going off are all present.

Swish!

There are a wealth of game modes to keep you entertained in NBA 2K6, and it’s where the game really shines. Alongside the aforementioned Quick Game mode, there’s street mode, tournament, online, season, 24/7: Road to the EBC and ‘The Association’, which is the game’s main mode. It’s essentially a franchise mode - letting you tinker with all aspects of a team’s set up. It involves training players, hiring staff, picking drafts and all the coaching and tactical jobs too.

It’s very deep and comprehensive, as ever, and will keep any aspiring basketball coaches very happy. If all of that wasn’t enough, as you play NBA 2K6, you’ll earn Crib Credits; these allow you to purchase music, mini-games or buy things for your Crib – an interactive environment where you can walk around and, well, interact with things. Some heavy marketing presence means you can even buy products from a certain company’s vending machine, and you’ll also see their company name pop-up during some in-game replays.

Control the Play

With a game as fast-paced as basketball, you need to have control over your players in an instant, making them pass, shoot, steal or foul in an instant. Again, NBA 2K6 comes up trumps with a very effective and intuitive control system. If you’ve played previous games in the series, it might take a while to adjust, but it’s worth sticking with, even though the ‘old’ control scheme can still be used. The best feature comes in the form of being able to use the right analogue stick for shooting. Immediately, different shot types are a flick of the stick away, and it also lets you choose the direction of your shot with ease. Combining the right analogue stick with some passes and clever runs can produce some impressive plays, dunks, lay-ups and the like; smugness is a common side effect. Dual player control and lead passes help give you even more control over what happens on-court, and it all works very well. In terms of defence, the right analogue stick is used for intercepting passes and stealing, letting you choose the direction in which you jump or lunge for the ball, and making for some sneaky interceptions. This isn’t quite as effective as it is when attacking, but it’s still better than previous iterations and allows for more freedom in terms of what you want your players to do.

Happily, NBA 2K6 continues the series’ legacy of producing the best basketball games around. Everything is solid, fun to play, and there’s lots to it. If NBA 2K6 were a shot, it’d be a three-pointer that gets nothing but net. If you’re after a basketball simulation, NBA 2K6 has no comparison.