NBA 2K8

I know that we shouldn't judge games that are not out yet, but we can still compare two demos and tons of gameplay videos of the latest basketball sims: NBA Live 08 and NBA 2K8. As with NBA 2K7, the title is a hit and it's a much better choice than NBA Live 08, that failed to impress me so far. The crowd is good-looking, there are tons of animations included, plus the best dunkin' contest I've ever played and many many hoops. 2K Sports have done it again, beating EA and I'm not the only one to confirm their success, as most basketball fans tend to choose NBA 2K titles over those NBA Live average games.

Concept & Gameplay This is the second next-gen experience for the NBA 2K series and it's guaranteed to make you a fan of basketball if you weren't one already. 2K Sports made sure that we were informed about the technologies they used to create the latest NBA 2K game, so we've checked out a couple of "Making of" video to see what the fuss is all about. We were able to witness superb throws and dunks performed by MVP-s like Chris Paul from New Orleans Hornets, Rudy Gay from Memphis Grizzlies or Gerald Wallace from Charlotte Bobcats. I'm talking about the real players here, who were wearing motion capture devices in order to help the producers of the game include their cool tricks in NBA 2K8. Thanks to that fine little piece of technology we now have the best dunkin' contest ever waiting for us, when the game is launched of course.

What I loved about 2K's latest hit was the fast-paced game and the animations of the crowd, the coach and the players' moves. Some of my fellow gamers saw the demo and stated that the game encourages you to score too much, leaving the whole defensive concept aside. It's somewhat true, as it's ten times easier to score than to protect your "Zone". The demo of the game allows you to play with the Spurs or Cavs, two of the best NBA teams, with a rich history and great players included in the rosters. I wasn't impressed by the AI, but I'm still waiting for the full version to judge it properly. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the CPU players can taunt and dunk as easily as a human opponent does. The only thing that bothered me was that the game is often interrupted by replays, sequences that show the crowd, the coach or even the mascot. This ads a bit of "telly" feeling to the experience, but slows the pace of the basketball match down.

The control system is fairly easy, using almost the same buttons as the NBA Live title, but scoring was a piece of cake compared to EA's latest basketball sim. Some may say that the experience has gone arcade with 2K8, but those many hoops are not exaggerated at all since basketball has evolved into a speedy competition. It sometimes makes you forget about your defense, but as long as you keep scoring, victory's safe. At times I felt frustrated by the number of 3 pointers scored by the opponent, but it seems that AI simply can't miss. I'm a fan of slam dunks and thank God the CPU team allowed me to perform those so often, because they're very varied and they depend on each player's skills or trademark moves.

Some prefer to do a violent slam dunk, others prefer to launch the ball into the air and catch it above the hoop, gently releasing it inside the shiny circle. Penalty shots are taken with the aid of the right thumbstick and they're pretty easy to perform after two or three tries. You'll just have to watch the player's hand as it reaches higher and move the right stick up at the right time. The left thumbstick is used to control the player, while the Y button allows jumping and trying to stop an opponent from scoring. The X will make your player take a shot, while the B button is pressed in order to perform a steal, gaining possession of the ball.

Video NBA 2K8 looks better than NBA Live 08 in all departments but one: player design. 2K Sports could have done a better job designing those players, as their graphics don't match the high quality of the crowd and environments. They may look like their real counterparts, but they're rather stiff and you can't really see those details that we're always looking for, like drops of sweat or an angry face when the defense has gone bad. In this hunt of eye candy, we're pleased to watch the animations provided during the game, but they tend to fragment the match a lot. However, the player's taunts, protests and the coach's reaction to the team's plays will make you feel like you're playing an authentic NBA match. Also, there were times when I left the joystick aside and I just watched the crazy San Antonio Spurs coyote mascot going crazy, rolling on the floor raising the public's spirit and teasing the ladies on the side of the court.

Speaking of which, a couple of cute cheerleaders will always be present near the basketball court and they'll enter it for a few seconds during the break. When EA Sports releases a title that features a poorly designed crowd we're not surprised, as such flaws are typical for the producer, but when 2K manages to surprise us with great crowd animations the decision regarding the best basketball sim of the year is instantly made. Another important new feature of the title comes straight with the aid of Sprite, the NBA 2K reel maker, a tool that allows you to become a virtual director, importing replays and customizing them. You'll choose the camera angles and add audio clips onto your best slam dunking action ever! Afterwards, the fresh new video can be posted on a site, so you can show everyone your ballin' skills.

Sound The game's soundtrack is pretty predictable, the classic rap songs featuring cool new negatives and enough tunes to make you a rapper even if you're the biggest Britney fan. Nothing new in the commentary area, because I'm satisfied with the work of the men on the "mike", who give their best, telling jokes and giving you a live feedback of what's happening on the court.

Multiplayer I gave NBA 2K8's multiplayer mode a spin, in two-player mode for now, only to find out that a human opponent's defense is far tighter than the CPU's. Haven't tried an online competition yet, but we're bound to see some hardcore matches once the virtual championship starts and the game is officially released. The only problem I encountered was the same from the single player mode: you'll almost never be able to steal a decent ball from your opponent, so you'll just have to start your own aggressive plays or wait for a lucky rebound.

Conclusion Choose basketball and choose NBA 2K8! I'm not slamming NBA Live 08 against the wall and denying its great features, but when we have to make a choice, it's good to exercise our free will and not just buy a title because of a great producer's name. If 2K Sports keep going like this they'll be the ones setting the trend in the world of sports sims and not EA Sports. We'll just have to wait till October 2nd to get our hands on this masterpiece.