My very first foray into
basketball video gaming was with a little title called NBA Jam. To this
day, it is till my favorite basketball game. Not only was it one of the first
sports titles to focus on player likeness, but the fun and often
out-of-control style made it a game demanded to be played (jumping in the air
so high you can stand on the basket is still a highlight left to be seen on
ESPN). On the flip side, NBA 2K7 is the closest thing to the genuine
basketball experience I’ve ever played. The presentation is top notch, the
enormous amount of game modifications and modes borders on mind-numbing, and
the gameplay, while dated, still puts up a decent
game of b-ball.
I must admit, when I first started
up NBA 2K7, I couldn’t figure out how to start playing. The menu
interface has gone through a complete makeover. That is, if you call a
soldering iron and sandblaster to the face a makeover. You navigate using the
right thumbstick, which really adds to the
confusion, especially with a lack of a main menu
(Visual Concepts integrated the central menu into a “pause window” fashion
that looks awkward).
Luckily, if you bought this game
for the basketball and not the menu surfing, you won’t be disappointed. The
developers have added new moves thanks to Isomotion,
a precise control system that offers all kinds of spins, crossovers, hops, and
more by holding down the Aggressive modifier (right trigger button) and left
thumbstick in a particular direction. It may take
some time to fully grasp all the dribbling moves
Isomotion has to offer, but once you do you’ll be tearing up the courts
and leaving the defense scratching their heads.
That’s not to say that the
opposing teams plays easily. NBA 2K7 has a very impressive defensive AI
system which work toward keeping you away from the hoop. Steals, rebound
returns, and double teams occur often … sometimes too often. Because of this,
it’s very important to know who you are passing to before pressing the
A-button (holding the right bumper button down displays which player is
available for a pass). Shooting has also been revamped with advanced
techniques controlled by the right analog stick. Called the Shot Stick,
flicking it in a particular direction will execute a special toss including
layups, dunks, and post ups. Although I applaud
the use of alternative controller setups, the Shot Stick is not very
advantageous considering the number of missed shots that result from its use.
One problem I ran in to while
playing was the unnecessary slowdowns that come from advancing the ball down
the court. There is really no such thing as a fast break with NBA 2K7
thanks to a lack of consistent momentum when catching passes. Furthermore, the
court can become jumbled up and very hard to navigate through. Teammates
compete for the same floor space, passing becomes nothing more than a handoff,
and the team generally doesn’t keep in step with the speed of the game. There
is also an inordinate amount of foul calls. The D-Pad has found use as a
coaching tool for on the fly substitutions, play calls, and setting the pace
of the game.
Visual Concepts had a keen eye for
player style when developing NBA 2K7. Everything from Steve Nash’s
finger-licking dribble sessions to Shawn Marion’s uniquely awful shooting
technique is in here! Player-specific moves makes this the most realistic
basketball video game I have ever played. This doesn’t necessarily translate
well to the free throw line. Simply put, the free throw mechanics don’t work.
Instead of basing shot accuracy on a meter or reticule, you must sync up right
analog stick motion with how the player sets up and releases the ball. The
problem really stems from a lack of consistency;
Shaquille O’Neal takes his time aligning himself for an almost certain
miss while Peja Stojakovic
just steps up and sinks the ball. The game offers a practice mode specifically
for free throws, buts it’s kind of pointless.
There are numerous game modes:
Association, Tournament, 24/7, and Streetball.
Association is a franchise mode that gives you a great deal of team and player
controller on and off the court with practices and drills. The more you work
your team, the better they get. Pushing them too hard will add fatigue that
could affect their performance. 24/7 acts as the
storymode of NBA 2K7 where you take on a young
streetballer with NBA aspirations. The plot is
downright silly: while hanging out with your loud-mouth friends in a Miami
park, you run into Shaq practicing and challenge
him to a free throw competition. Apparently accepting any fan challenges is a
clause in player contracts, so Shaq agrees. When
you beat him (if you don’t, you might consider picking up a different game),
he hands you a flyer to a gym tryout for an NBA contract. The majority of the
mode is spent playing objective-based games with other NBA hopefuls. It got a
little boring three hours into the mode, buts it’s a good side attraction to
the main game. Online play works for the most part. I experienced lag in some
games to a point of being unplayable. But overall, there are multiple options
to make your Xbox Live experience a positive one.
The presentation value of NBA 2K7
is incredibly immersive. The arenas are massive and
detailed, the effects such as the floor reflection and light
illumination is beautifully implemented, and the number of extras (mascots,
cheerleaders, ball boys, and spectators finding their seats) makes this one of
the best looking titles I have ever seen. Sadly, player likeness is
hit-or-miss; well-known players like Kobe Bryant and Dirk
Nowitzki look amazing while other players have mugs not even their
mothers would love.
The sound features quality
commentary from Kevin Harlan and Kenny Smith. Sure it’s a little repetitive,
but their analysis and game breakdowns beat John Madden’s
delivery. The half-time report featuring Kenny Smith is cool at first, but his
“stamp of approval” gets old. Luckily, you can skip past it. The audience
sound effects follow the pace of the game with claps, hollering, and booing.
The soundtrack is made up of a variety of hip-hop artists but you barely hear
more than a couple seconds of a track each time.
NBA 2K7 puts up a mean game
of basketball. Sure, some things need tweaking and other elements just don’t
work. But the core gameplay is still solid and the
focus on player-specific moves is absolutely amazing. If you are looking for
an incredibly realistic basketball game to play alone or with friends, NBA
2K7 is worth your time and money.
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Gameplay: 8.3
Player-specific moves are astonishing and Isomotion
work quite well. The shot stick, free throw mechanics, and team AI needs work
though.
Graphics: 9.0
NBA 2K7 is presented beautifully. The developers have not skimped
on any environmental detail. NBA star players are justly recreated on screen,
but the rest look pretty disturbing.
Sound: 8.0
Repetitive but solid game commentary, hardly noticeable
soundtrack, and realistic audience sound effects.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Concept: 8.0
Some of the new additions don’t work very well, but it’s
still a solid title.
Multiplayer: 8.4
Despite lag issues, I’m impressed with what NBA 2K7
has available on Xbox Live.
Overall: 8.4
There is so much to this game, it will take you a
little bit of time mastering the gameplay. It’s
not as polished as I hoped for and it’s hard not to notice the shortcomings.
But playing NBA 2K7 (especially with a high-definition, surround-sound setup)
immerses you in the experience of playing real basketball. If this is the
beginning of next-generation sports gaming, I can’t wait for the future!
