Just for Gamer

Review by B. Franklin "HealthyMan"

I love everything about this game, except Lebron doesn't choke in 4th qtr very unrealistic. Gameplay overall is better than 2k11. Players animation and signature are awesome. Dirk's one leg , fade away Jumper is right on... Intro presentation is top notch,,,,, (1) Patch Lebron, it will be 5 star from me...I will revise it 5 star after the patch,,,OR (2) Real Lebron stop choking in 4th quarter......,Get it if you have the money....If you are a Lebron fan and doesn't like my comment,,,,please reply and I will respond to ur comment...and if you are pissed off,,,TOO BAD,,HEHE,,,OKAY,,I upgraded from 3 to 4 stars, but I will skip Miami games for Realism...

Review by Tony "Blak T"

First time playing a basketball game on the PS3 platform, and the game is so realistic, its frustrating to get used to. So when you first play this game, dont expect to when, because there is a whole lot of getting used to, especially this being the only NBA Basketball game in the market now.

Pros: The graphics are near perfect. I love playing as classical Jordan. The street mode is still on the 2k Series along with My Player aka. 24/7 series is still there. very traditional for the 2k Series.

Cons: Had trouble with my promotional access code. im beginning to question if it really works. You have a hard time skipping the parts outside of the gameplay, like when there is the rotational substitution, and replays. Its hard to start playing. soon as you put the disc into the PS3 for the first time, you have to sign up for the 2kSports.com stuff, but this is what ESPN.com is for... =/

overall this game is much loved. if 2k was still making football games, id be buying those too... im glad i pre-ordered from Amazon because i got the $10 worth of credit.. Amazon is the best...

Review by Zach

The strongest part of 2K has always been presentation, and they really took it to the next level with 2K12. The court looks amazing, the players seem twice as real and detailed, even with 2K11 doing a pretty good job last year. No more alien faces or generic-looking bench players. The soundtrack is the best I've heard on a basketball game.

Now for the gameplay: The movement is much smoother and feels considerably more realistic. Ball physics are slightly improved, but still not great in my opinion. One thing that really annoyed me in 2k11 was how you would swipe at the ball and knock it loose, but the AI would always grab it before you could. This flaw is minimized, but still exists. The shots are smoother, but it's hard to get used to each player's different release. Proximity of a defender seems to have little to no effect on whether a jump shot goes in or not. I find that I make more contested shots that open ones. I had a wide open fastbreak layup to win the game and the PG completely missed it. Once you get position in the post, it's much easier to make a shot, but it's also extremely difficult to guard the post on defense. I've quadruple-teamed guys several times down low and somehow they got it to go in, followed by the commentator saying how porous my defense is and how wide open the paint was. Defense, even on Pro and even Rookie, is much more difficult than in previous games. Staying in front of the ball-handler is nearly impossible, and it's too easy to accidentally run past your man. My team doesn't seem to listen to the defensive control pad sometimes. I'll tell them to "lock down paint" and they run out to the perimeter to double-team the PG and leave the paint vulnerable to a 1-on-3 mismatch. Also, blocks happen much more frequently and the AI seems to have a slight advantage on the boards, particularly on the offensive end.

In conclusion, this game looks amazing. The presentation will blow you away. The gameplay is fun, but will certainly take some getting used to. I've played a lot of NBA games, and I've found it really hard to win in this game, even on Pro. Some of the AI's impossible makes, especially in the paint, can be frustrating, as can some wide open misses. The defense got the biggest revamp, and I'm not sure whether I like it or not, but it's certainly more difficult. The modes have been improved, but are basically the same, with the addition of create a legend. If you're a die hard fan, you will probably love this game. If you're a casual fan, you might find it somewhat frustrating. Still, I give props to 2K for trying to improve significantly even after 2K11's success. Rosters will be updated if and when the lockout ends. Grab this game to fill that empty void left by the lack of actual NBA basketball.