'NBA 2K9' is worth your $60

The game adds a lockdown feature and "Living Rosters."

By Derek Reagan

Published Oct. 17, 2008

 With the Earth traveling around the sun once again, 2K Sports has released another rendition in the NBA 2K series, "NBA 2K9."

The NBA 2K series has dominated the sports gaming world for several years, becoming the No. 1 rated and selling NBA video game in the United States. By staying on top of the market, the game has almost dominated basketball games as Madden does with NFL games. With this year's version of the game, 2K Sports has made another great game that is much more than just a roster update for $60.

The gameplay that has become familiar to previous fans of NBA 2K is still here, but there have been several changes for the better. Improvements to the gameplay include game speed increase and a higher level of AI challenge. The computer players make more shots to make things more competitive, a welcome addition to a game that certainly felt a bit sluggish last year.

At the same time, the lockdown feature is present again this year but has been tweaked so that bigger, slower players like Shaq can't keep up with quicker players like Chris Paul.

Already one of the better-looking sports games available, its presentation and graphics have once again improved. The player models are unlike that of any other game, with the same detail being given to rookie Robin Lopez that is given to All-Star LeBron James. The interactions between the players, coaches and referees make the game feel as realistic as it can possibly get.

The association, or the franchise mode, is back and deeper than ever. Countless sliders allow you to run a franchise exactly how you want to. The general manager feature of the association has been tweaked, making trades almost as difficult as they are in real life. Not only do you have to trade players so that both teams can stay under the salary cap, but now players in the game have the ability to waive trades if they don't agree with them. This adds to the realism of one of the most realistic sports games on the markets.

The only drawback is that the navigation screens in the association lack polish and don't flow very well from menu to menu.

The online play is easily some of the best in sports video games. The gameplay has almost no lag and is very addictive. This year the developers have created co-op online play where friends can team up and play against other co-op teams. And this time around there are "Living Rosters," which are supposed to keep up with NBA transactions and player hot streaks that are occurring daily. While this can't be tested yet because the season hasn't started, keeping up on surprise players rising to stardom will definitely keep gamers interested throughout the season.