NBA 2K10 (Xbox 360)

This game is instantly aesthetically pleasing. Boasting great likenesses to real players, a fun and modern interface, and some very cool features including updates on everything that's going down in the NBA, this game has a wow factor right out of the box. Play is conducted in a much more realistic manner than previous editions of the series, and you start feeling like you are really playing the sport of basketball. However, the game is not without its downsides. There is still obviously a lot of work to be done on the AI and fixing of framerate issues that sometimes rear their ugly heads. But all in all, the game is much more lifelike than its predecessors. The main attraction of this game for me though, was the inclusion of the new feature, 'My Player', to rival EAs 'Be a Pro' that they have implemented across their sporting range. Needless to say, it's very fun. The essense of the game of basketball is definately captured in this feature, whereby you create yourself and try to make it big in the NBA. It takes a high basketball IQ to succeed however, so prepare to adjust your game to a more well rounded one, or you'll end up staying under the radar in a mediocre D-League team. You get targets for every game, and subsequent rewards for hitting them. Your coach will tell you how well you've done in certain areas, and how poorly in others, in charismatic audio feedback. You have lots of options on how to train your player, ranging from shooting, to post defence, to rebounding, all of which potentially improve your stats if you perform well. I'd like to see the addition of team based drills, but I suppose that would be too much to implement at once. Look for that in later editions of the series. Learning set plays would make it the ultimate experience and as close as it gets for those who aren't stars on the real court. Ultimately, this is where the game is headed and I couldn't be happier that it is. Expect a lot of gaming hours on this addictive part of the game. A great aspect of the 2K series is the 'Living Rosters'. With a LIVE connection, player attributes are automatically updated to match how well they are peforming in the league. I can't wait for the first update, as the original ratings are not only super low, but in some cases just plain wrong. There are so many examples of this, but hopefully they will cease to exist if 2K do their homework this season. On the welcome screen, you are shown the NBA fixtures for that evening, with the option to boot into the matchup in a quick game instantly, a simple but nice touch, I think. All in all, this 10th anniversary release of the 2K sports series lives up to it's expectations: a fun but realistic basktball simulator with plenty of new features and updated older ones. I definately recommend buying this, even if it's just for the 'My Player' feature: it's definately a cracker. It shows promise for the future, with 'My Player' expansion on the cards, and a need of better gameplay. However, a lot of previous issues are fixed. Players now attack the hoop in a realistic way, and don't jump back to the 3pt line to throw in an easy put back. 2k still cuts it high above EA.

NBA 2k10 has definitely stepped up! After playing the demo i was uncertain but comparing it to the NBA Live demo i decided 2k was the better option and i haven't regretted it yet!2k10 has got everything, live rosters, real to the day games, online games, online leagues, offline season, the association (like the season mode but more in-depth and last longer than just a single season), black top (dunk contests, street ball, 3 point contests etc)and the all new My Player mode which i simply can't stop playing!Ok so lets have a run through of the new game mode; My Player. First of all you have to create you guy just like a lot of other games where you have a character creation mode. Pick some funky hair, make him 7 foot tall, whatever you want him to look like you do it now! Next you pick what position he will play and sort out what style of player he is. Once your done click start and your away! Theres lots of options open to you once you get to the my player menu, first thing i would head to is the drills though. Try to earn yourself some skillpoints or an extra stat if you get gold in your drill. To explain, Skillpoints are key to the progression of your player, you use them to buy and improve a stat on your player.For example, i've just won 650sp (Skill Points), go to your skillpoints section and a menu will appear with different sections of your players game (offence, defence, general attributes ect). If i want to improve my steeling it might say 300sp next to it, which means it will cost me 300sp to increase the steal stat by one, after i have bought one however the price for another will increase slightly, for example: 317sp. This means i can only afford the two and have 33sp left over, not 50sp from my original 650sp.You don't only earn sp in drills though, u earn it in game by either completing your goals or by being a good player perfomance wise and a good team mate. You get graded during play and depending what this grade is depends how much you will earn. You start at C and if i say set a stole the ball, filled the lane correctly on fast break and then either scored or got an assist on a fast break point this would gain me several good decisions which will add to my grade C and might bump it up to C+. It's all about making good decisions, and helping your team instead of just being a one man show all the time. Eventually you'll become better and better and role up the "ranks" until your a well known pro and people will be shouting your name... quite literally i've heard my name been shouted in game once! With your "My Player", you can join a team of other people and of course still be only controlling your own player but be playing along with others, possibly make up a team of friends vs another team of friends! If they can all afford the game...The game has so much to do and so far i have only explained the my player mode! Assosiation like i said briefly before is like a season mode but has a lot of depth into running the team and it also lasts longer than a single season. Also the game features NBA Today and Live Rosters so your always up to date on what the players skill is like and what team they have just moved to. NBA blacktop is all your extra stuff such as dunk contests and streetball stuff, and is a bit of extra added fun, almost another game within a game. If all that isn't keeping you occupied then you have all the online modes: ranked matches, leagues, the whole shizz ready and waiting to be played!What are you waiting for, BUY THIS GAME!

Those of us weaned on the wonders of NBA Jam on the Sega Megadrive in the early 90's, have probably struggled more than most to adapt to the realism that has continued to encroach sports-sims. The latest instalment of 2K is a great game with great depth. Myplayer mode is a huge challenge, one that I have failed 3 times already with 3 separate players! Even on a low difficulty level, don't expect to be able to breeze past the Lakers in a playoff series if you've picked Golden State as your team! There are so many offensive and defensive moves and sets to learn, I doubt I've even scratched the surface. NBA Today, for those of us who are massive fans of the sport in general is a great way of keeping game stats and player movement up-to-date, though does make me wonder whether I'll buy the 2011 instalment as a result!Overall a fantastic game, though a word of caution that it is not universally accessible due to its difficulty, which is perhaps its one weakness.

Def a step up from 2k9 with improved gameplay, graphics and realism, the crew mode is great and the online is still solid; however lags and bugs should be fixed when the patch is released. Really good soundtrack this year, a great mixture of rap, rock, indie, hip hop........Overall a great next installment. If you loved 2k9 def get this, even if u havent played any previous 2K B-Ball games and are into Basketball, i still recommend you get this.My only flaw with this in comparison to 2K9 is they havent bothered altering or improving the Blacktop at all, its basically copy and paste from 2k9, but overall the fun is still there. 8.5/10