NBA 2k13

[dbdynsty25]

I play primarily offline. Are there any significant improvements over 2k12 that warrant spending the extra $40? I play pretty close to sim and I know basketball well enough, but 2k games have always felt a bit clunky to me in the past.

To me 13 is actually more clunky to the average user. More and more animations to string together. Yes it looks crazy good but you really need to practice to get the animations down correctly. It is way better than 12 if you put in the time but if you're just a casual player I wouldn't bother personally.

[Inuyasha]

I liked last years' shooting controls too, more simpler. is there a way to go back to them? I don't mind using the shooting controls this year, but I don't like that EA STYLE special dribbling move R stick.

[dbdynsty25]

I liked last years' shooting controls too, more simpler. is there a way to go back to them? I don't mind using the shooting controls this year, but I don't like that EA STYLE special dribbling move R stick.

I've always used button shooting unless I'm in the post and need to do a move, so I am not sure what you're talking about in terms of preferring 12s controls. They are the same to me.

[Inuyasha]

Last year and this year you can use the buttons, but last year, if you used the R stick and pushed up and released, it shot the ball. I liked how the motion of the stick and the time you released matched the player skill.

This year, they changed it, where R stick is the same as that one NBA LIVE feature 'skillz stick' or something like that. So if you press right on the R Stick, your player will do a juke to the right. If you turn the R stick in a circular motion, then he'll do a spin when he's dribbling. And to shoot, you have to Hold down LT while pushing up and releasing with the R stick.

I liked last year's more simplifed shooting with the R stick. I know you have to just hold LT this year with R up, but it doesn't feel as natural.

[wabash97]

Thanks for the feedback. I played the demo a bit last night and found it pretty intuitive. I tend to use the button to shoot too, except in the post; but I found it pretty helpful to use the stick on drives too. The one thing I did like (and this could be related to the difficulty level), was that defenders didn't seem to have the old 2k invisible wall thing going. If they turned the wrong way and I had a step, I could actually get by and drive the lane. I will probably pony up for 13 as I tend to play one game at a time for the season.

[AJColossal]

Really enjoying the improvements made to the gameplay with the new patch.

If you had this one on the shelf for a while, try it again with the update.

[Inuyasha]

Thanks for the feedback. I played the demo a bit last night and found it pretty intuitive. I tend to use the button to shoot too, except in the post; but I found it pretty helpful to use the stick on drives too. The one thing I did like (and this could be related to the difficulty level), was that defenders didn't seem to have the old 2k invisible wall thing going. If they turned the wrong way and I had a step, I could actually get by and drive the lane. I will probably pony up for 13 as I tend to play one game at a time for the season.

Yes, that's was the perfect description, no 'invisible wall' anymore this year. That's why I feel the game feels easier this year and that's makes it better for me. I thought previous years it was too technical and more for hardcore basketball guys. This year it seems like they went a more casual route which makes it more pickup and play.

They also have a card game like EA's Ultimate team this year, but I hear it's broken. You have to wait for the next patch to fix it but it's somewhat promising.

[Brando70]

I finished my first season in MyCareer last night. I was a PG drafted 12th by the Rockets, and I got Jeremy Lin shipped off (unintentionally) when I recommended that the GM trade for Nene after Omar Asik went down with a long-term injury.

Finished tied with the Mavs for the division but lost on tie-breakers, so Houston was the fifth seed and faced off against Dallas. After pounding them in the first game, they ripped off three straight wins to go up 3-1. We then made a 3-0 run of our own to come back to win 4-3 amid the blue-shirted stands of Dallas.

I had no such luck in the second round against the Lakers, who had swept the Rockets 3-0 during the season. After splitting the first two games in LA 1-1, I got pounded in game three, blew a late lead to lose game four, and then kept it close in game five until the Lakers went on a late run. Kobe was unstoppable while Howard and Gasol dominated the boards. It really gave me a sense of what they would be like without egos destroying their season.

This was the first videogame NBA season I finished since the Inside Drive days. I played every game, although I had a lot of in-game simming early in the season until I won the starter's job. It was a fantastic experience, and I may keep 2k13 and play my next season next year.