By:
Cory Bennet (CoryB23) General Gameplay
I’ve been hooked on hoops videogames since I played Dr. J vs Larry Bird 1 on 1, and have played almost every possible basketball videogame available since that title. In short, NBA 2K7 for the XBOX 360 is the best game of simulation hoops I’ve ever played. That’s not to say it is without fault, but the positives far outweigh the negatives, and it has a fun-factor that cannot be matched by any other game of hoops.
2K Sports has captured the playing style of nearly every player in the NBA, and with it provides signature animations for all of their shooting styles and a number of other animations that set this game apart from NBA Live 2007, and all previous hoops videogames. This might not mean as much to the casual fan, but to someone who is familiar with the NBA, you’ll be blown away by how perfectly 2K Sports has captured the styles of the individual players and teams. You’ll see King James chewing his nails during the game, 2-time reigning MVP Steve Nash making no-look dishes and pulling back his trademark long hair (yes, they failed to give him his new buzz cut), D. Wade spinning like a cyclone through the lane, Shaq Daddy bobbin’ and weavin’ like he’s on Soul Train, and lesser known players like Deron Williams sporting true to life ink and playing the game their way. Teams like the Suns will run you into the ground, while teams like the Spurs and Pistons will grind it out and play a more defensive-minded game.
The game is easy to pick up and play, the feature set is what you would expect from a next-generation sports title, and the only real negative aside from occasionally predictable AI and some faulty collision-detection is the extremely poor menu navigation system.
Tech Specs
The graphics in NBA 2K7, for the most part, are the best I’ve seen in a basketball game to date. Most players – especially the stars – look very close to photo-realistic. The sweat looks much better than last year and hair physics join cloth physics as another next-generation sports must-have. The quality of the animations along with the sheer quality of animations in the game will astound. 2K Sports finally removed most (but not all) of the old animations that I found annoying and the new additions are very impressive.
Unfortunately not all players – Dirk Nowitzki for example – look true to life. Though his shooting form and dimensions are spot-on, Dirk’s facial features, as well as many of the other recognizable white players look rather blasé. Another negative is the occasional clipping that occurs.
The sound in the game is hit or miss. NBA 2K7 makes great use of Dolby Digital surround sound for ambient stadium and crowd noises but the commentary is very lackluster. Phrases are repeated to the point that you’ll consider turning off in-game commentary altogether.
To get the most out of NBA 2K7, you’ll want to play on a High Definition capable display with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Though the XBOX 360 version does boast more animations and style changes than its previous generation brethren, an HD display makes a huge difference visually, although surround sound is not a must, but definitely a plus.
Game Rage
The difficulty and game control sliders will make the game as easy or difficult as you want it making it perfect for casual and hardcore sports gamers alike.
Butt Groove
If you like basketball, you’ll be hooked from the tip-off. If not, don’t waste your time or money.
Bedtime Rating
NBA 2k7 is rated E for Everyone and the content is suitable for children and adults alike.
Multiplayer
Trust me when I say you’ll enjoy playing NBA 2K7 via XBOX Live. The previous statement only applies when you’re not playing me.
Achievements
Finally 2k Sports did it right. The achievements are plentiful and much more difficult than in 2K6 (where you could easily earn all 1000 Achievement Points by playing a game with 8-minute quarters).
Category Ratings General Gameplay 
Tech Specs Game Rage Butt Groove Bedtime Rating Multiplayer Achievements Overall Couch Count: 4 out of 5 
Linear Mode
