Xbox 360 - NBA 2K7

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wooden like their real life counterparts and from what I have seen so far the game captures every detail of the home teams court. The crowd looks lifelike and not flat. The game even has the floor moppers! A lot of attention was given to detail and that translates to great looking game. In addition to the courts, the players look pretty good as well. My only small complaint is that the faces and facial expressions could have been done a bit better. Close ups of the players' faces can look very weird at times, but this does not really take away from the overall appearance of the game.

What good is great graphics if the actual gameplay sucks? Fortunately 2K7 does not suffer from this flaw that many next gen games do. The gameplay in this game is very fun and realistic. Unlike NBA Live, you can't just run it in and dunk every play, nor can you shoot 87% from the field. Shooting the ball is pretty difficult, but at the same time realistic. On average, a "good" shooting night for a player is around 50% - 55% and this game reflects that very well. Don't expect to hit EVERY shot, and even if you are wide open, you may still miss, it can get frustrating at times, but hey, it happens in the real NBA as well. The default quarter length for 2K7 is the standard 5 minutes, but since this is a true SIM game, if you want realistic scoring, you have to raise the minutes to 7 or 8 minute quarters. Don't expect to scors 100+ points with 5 minute quarters as you can do with NBA Live, and I perfer it that way.

The controls of the game can be very cumbersome, expect to be fumbling your fingers all over the controller trying to figure out how to do things, because buttons don't always seem to be in the right place. There is also a shot stick (R-stick), but I rarely use it, because it feels unatural. The left thumbstick controls the dribbling and movement, and you can use it to do fancy moves with the ball based on your player's dribbling skills and signature moves. The shooting takes some effort to perfect, and until you get used to it, you will find yourself bricking seemingly easy shots. Some players like Shawn Marion (Suns) on Josh Childress (Hawks) have very strange releases which makes jump shooting with them even more difficult. Speaking of shooting, free throw shooting is also pretty difficult, you have to have use the right thumbstick to control the player shot motion and since each player has different motions, this will take a lot of practice as well. Another thing about the controls is the the right thumbstick controlling the menus, it is very confusing and frustrating as well.

As I said before, I am not really into the NBA until it comes to playoff time, so I have no idea how accurate the rosters are except for the obvious players. Of course AI no longer plays for the Sixers, but obviously he is still on the Sixers in the game, since the pending trade is VERY recent.

Other game modes include Pratice mode which can be used to perfect your shot. There is also a street mode in which you can play 1 on 1 up to 5 on 5 using any players you like. It even has the old playground favorite of "21" in which you can play against 2 or 3 other guys from the league. There is also a seemingly deep franchise mode, which I probably won't be able to get into since I only have this game for 5 days.

I am HIGHLY impressed with this game, so impressed in fact that I am considering purchasing this game once I turn it back in. Good thing EA didn't buy itself out of competition with the NBA, or else we would be stuck with NBA Live and all the arcadey crap it has to offer. 2K7 is for true NBA ballers that know the game is a lot more than 50 inch verticals, 85% FG percentages, and pretty dunks. This game is HIGHLY recommended if you want a true NBA sim.

Xbox 360 - NBA 2K7

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will no longer be a contract to be honored between them and the NFL.

Xbox 360 - NBA 2K7

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trigger (the one you are already using for running, turbo) and using the left-stick (yes, the one that you are already using for movement). Jabbing the left stick around in specified directions while holding the right-trigger will cause your player to perform crossovers, jukes and other various ankle breakers.

However, if you are like me and you are coming off of Live -- you'll continually find yourself going to the right stick to pull off such moves. Which instead shoots the rock as the right-stick is assigned to the shot-stick (isomotion for a variation of Js, post-ups, lay-ups and dunks). Imagine how frightening this can be at first for former Live players. I'm dribbling down the court with Nash, I go to pull a cross over on my opponent to give me some space to make a run yet instead (accidently hit the right stick) I fork up a brick well beyond the arch. Left astonished and with my pants down, the D grabs the easy board and goes for the fast break on the return. I want to stomp on my controller into pieces before the end of the first quarter of my first game.

Now, don't get me wrong -- the shot stick actually starts to make sense after a few disastrous plays but comes with a heavy learning curve. One that is very awarding when succesful and even more so if ever truly
mastered. But it'll take some time. Your first drained three with your favorite star (ie Nash for Cash)feels like an overwhelming accomplishment in itself. Remember, this game is a sim and a strict one at that. If you are looking for the easy ride and mediocre learning curve, look elsewhere.

This is the golf of NBA video games; Frustrating, demands devotion and will kick your a__ as soon as you think you have it figured out. But with great challenge comes great awards and that couldn't be any truer here. Each play down the court will have to be well planned and executed; this game leaves little room for error. The days of 2nd nature, almost thoughtless gameplay have been throw out the window. Live fans will shreak in horror as I have and will want to run the otherway. Give 2k7 some time, patience and little bit of effort to grow accustom to the controls and you may find this game more awarding than any other you played before it. The shot stick is very intuitive and maybe too much so for its own good. The days of one button for every type of shot are long gone. Yet realize the shot stick allows you (the player) to almost fully control exactly what your player executes that is very dynamic to each scenario. Instance: Take the ball down w/ Nash (ofcourse), I cross-over dribble (pushing the left stick in the opposite direction of my ball hand while holding the right trigger), open up some space, I lead pass (w/ the B button) to Marion who jukes left and spins right (Isomotion glory) and drives to the hole. Shaq comes to meet the drive to the hole, I pump fake with Marion (quick jab on the shot-stick) and throw a behind the back pass (Right trigger + A button) to Stoudemire who throws down a power dunk or reverse or cocked slam (fancy) based on which direction I throw the shot-stick while holding the right trigger. Or I could go for the layup by moving the shot-stick w/o holding the right trigger. Or throw it back to Nash, pull down on the shot-stick and release at the peak of his jump for the tri-facto.

Case in point, the controls are difficult to master but enable endless possibilities and that is where all the thrills and fun of this game come from -- but not without painful frustration to learn them.

Notes: Isomotion can be tough to chew, getting used to the left-stick to both move and perform isomotion jukes, dribbles will never quite feel like 2nd nature. Dunks and lay-ups are way too difficult to pull off,
I love the variety and options but missing easy buckets happen too often. Free-throws are intuitive as you use the shot-stick (pull down and release at the verge of forward momentum for a perfect shot, every player has his own unique style for shooting free-throws).

Update: You can use the X button for shooting, easy buckets in the paint, layups and dunking. The dunks, layups and post-ups are more straight-forward than fancy or controlled but if you want the sure-shot bucket in the paint, its usually best to go with the X button than over-complicating the situation with the shot-stick. The shot-stick comes in handy for tri-factos or mid-range jumpers as holding the right stick and then releasing at the peak of the jump feels more natural. It also comes in handy for wide open fast breaks when you want to devestate your opponents with the windmill, power slam, cocked slam or various other fancy dunks. The shot-stick is also useful if your in a scenario that calls for the reverse dunk/layup, tear-drop or various post-up moves (ie hook, fade).