48. NBA 2k11

NBA 2K11 (2K Sports) 2011

Genre

Video Game (Playstation 3)

Review

NBA 2K11 is 2K sports annual NBA Basketball video game featuring rosters from the 2010 NBA season.  The game's cover features Michael Jordan who last played basketball in 2003.  This suggests, correctly, that the game will be somewhat backward looking.  Indeed, there are a series of classic team lineups that players can choose to use -- including the 1995-96 Seattle Supersonics (the Supersonics moved to Oklahoma and became the Thunder in 2008).  These classic lineups mean that you can control retired players like Jordan, Gary Payton, Larry Bird, Dominque Wilkins, Bill Laimbeer, and Magic Johnson.  The game includes a number of play modes: you can select a team and play/simulate full seasons, you can play against a friend, you can play online, or you can play a series of scenarios from Michael Jordan's career.  You can also create your own players.

Opinion

Like many sports games, the NBA 2K series is annual, meaning that this game has been "replaced" by 2K12, 2K13, and soon 2K14.  Still, this particular entry may have more appeal for parents of tweens (who may have been fans of Larry Bird or the Seattle Supersonics).  On Playstation 3, it takes awhile to get used to the controls if you are an avid player of the NBA 2K series, because 2K changed the configuration for this entry.  The graphics and sound are superb with announcing from Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg. 

Ideas

This game might be a great choice for a family gaming night at the library.  Many people over the age of 30 play video games, and this game might be a fun one for connecting parents and children.