NBA 2K12: NBA's Greatest Mode and 3 Reasons You Must Own This Game
NBA lockout got you down?
Can't stand the thought of going an entire season without seeing Kobe Bryant drop 50?
Want to see LeBron James win a championship?
Have no fear, NBA 2K12 is here. The latest version of 2K Sports' popular basketball video game will be released in North America on Oct. 4.
The game received a score of 9.5 out of 10 from gaming giant IGN, which is considered “amazing.” What has everybody pumped to play this year's game even though the league it's based on is in a lockout?
Here are the top three reasons you must own NBA 2K12.
NBA's Greatest Mode
Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls against Bill Russell's Boston Celtics. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Los Angeles Lakers vs. Patrick Ewing's New York Knicks. Those two matchups and many more are available to be unlocked in this year's game.
This feature will lead to many extra hours on the sticks, as your favorite modern-day players take on the men who helped build the league into a major sport. Could James guard Jordan one-on-one with the clock winding down? Now we'll find out.
The other cool aspect of this addition is how the games will be presented. If you are visiting the Boston Garden to take on Russell's Celtics, the game will be in black-and-white. Every team is connected to how things (jerseys, court, TV) were during that period of time.
Creating a Legend Mode
This mode was rolled out last season and involved using a young Jordan to travel through a new NBA career. While it wasn't a bad addition, trying to make MJ's career better than the real one was a daunting task. Now, you can take control of any current player and finish their career.
The reason this will be so enjoyable is because we all have players in the league that we like more than the average fan. They aren't superstars, but they caught your eye and now you follow their career. For me, it's San Antonio Spurs big man Tiago Splitter.
Being able to take control of Splitter to help him earn the playing time he deserves but hasn't received from Gregg Popovich is an intriguing proposition. Maybe for you it's Aaron Brooks, Jonas Jerebko or a player from your alma mater who is chasing his dream as the last guy on an NBA bench.
Realistic Crowds and Attendance
One of the things that has always bothered me about franchise mode in sports games was the crowds. No matter if the team you were playing against was 42-10 or 10-42, they would have a sellout crowd in attendance. That's no longer the case in NBA 2K12.
If a franchise is struggling for an extended period of time the crowds begin to dwindle like they would in real life. And if you take control of a team that isn't selling out, you can give the fanbase renewed faith and watch them start showing up again.
It's a minor adjustment, but it will have a big impact on the diehard gamers. The in-game part of every game has a tendency to become redundant over the course of time, but changes like this can help it stay fresh.
So, now you know why you should get the game and some of the features to check out once you bring it home. The only question left is which cover will you choose, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird or Jordan?
