Wayback Wednesday: NBA 2K6 Retrospective (Xbox 360)

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the Xbox 360 version of NBA 2K6.

As I’ve said before, as someone who grew up with NBA Live, it took me a while to truly get into the NBA 2K series. There was a sense of brand loyalty, but beyond that, I was accustomed to NBA Live’s approach to controls, gameplay mechanics, and modes. I remember trying out the PlayStation 2 version of NBA 2K6, and feeling somewhat underwhelmed. If nothing else, I disliked the Isomotion controls, which remained a barrier to getting into NBA 2K for years to come. I preferred to make the best of some rough NBA Live releases, rather than acclimate to a different game.

Obviously, I’ve had a change of heart! A handful of NBA 2K titles over the past decade now rank as some of my all-time favourite basketball video games. I’ve also been able to revisit older NBA 2K titles, and really enjoy them. One older 2K release that I’ve grown rather fond of is NBA 2K6 for Xbox 360. It seems only fitting, since I’ve also warmed up to the Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06 after giving it another look. However, while NBA Live 06 for Xbox 360 may be slightly underrated at times, NBA 2K6 is definitely a stronger all-around game. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Before the seventh console generation, I don’t remember the term “Next Gen” being used all that often. It was around, but it feels like it really took off with the hype for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It makes sense of course, as the new hardware facilitated a significant leap in graphical quality. There had been steady improvements with both console and PC hardware over the years, but around the mid 2000s, games were really starting to look better than ever before. For hoops titles, this meant more detailed and realistic environments, jerseys, and faces, not to mention sweat now dripping off the players. Indeed, sweat effects have since become synonymous with Next Gen leaps!

This is an area where NBA Live 06 for Xbox 360 made a better impression, and I’d still give it the nod over NBA 2K6 today. That’s not to say that the Xbox 360 version of NBA 2K6 looks terrible, for its time or even now. However, faces in particular still resembled their sixth generation counterparts in their level of detail, with some oddly angular head models. Side-by-side, NBA Live 06 is more graphically impressive. It’s the opposite of what would happen with NBA 2K14 and NBA Live 14 come the next generation, where 2K’s game’s graphics blew away its predecessors along with the competition, with EA’s game now looking like a slightly better prior gen release.

However, graphics are not the be-all, end-all when it comes to video games. The deeper you dive into NBA 2K6, the more quality that you’ll find compared to its counterpart on Xbox 360. Gameplay will always be paramount, and NBA 2K6 is still fun on the sticks to this day. It’s interesting though, because it’s a game that I can be incredibly frustrated by one moment, and then really be enjoying the next! There are moments where the AI feels cheap, knocking down contested shots while I miss easy ones, but then I’ll pull off some very satisfying plays. I had a comeback win over the Knicks with the Bulls that instantly became a very fond basketball gaming memory.

Although it can manifest itself as cheapness and imbalance, I like that NBA 2K6 is capable of providing a stimulating challenge, even on lower difficulty levels. Many basketball games over the years have erred in this area, alternating between being too easy and ridiculously hard, unless you make a few slider adjustments. The default settings in NBA 2K6 have served me well to date. The CPU is a bit too adept at drawing charges at times, and the pace is admittedly too high for a game set in the mid 2000s, but the latter issue is not uncommon for games of that vintage. Most of them were trying to be a bit more action-packed, while still remaining realistic.

NBA 2K6 for Xbox 360 definitely succeeded in that respect. Shot distribution and stats tend to be realistic and logical, without the need for any slider adjustments. Players attempt to make moves off-ball even without calling a play, rather than just standing around while the user isolates. The AI is aggressive and competent, but savvy play will be rewarded. Playing the game today will remind you of just how long psychic interceptions and cheap turnovers have been an issue in NBA 2K, but it is still possible to take care of the ball and make some crisp passes. Even when there is a frustrating moment, it usually isn’t too long before you make a play that feels good.

Speaking of feel, movement is fluid and the controls are responsive. In many ways, NBA 2K6 feels far better on the sticks than much newer games in the series. Foot planting is good for the time, though there’s some noticeable sliding, as well as jerky animations when changing direction. It’s far from terrible, but it does understandably show its age in those areas. Even compared to its contemporaries and immediate predecessors, there are some animations and mechanics that hadn’t quite improved upon the prior generation yet. To that end, it might feel too dated for some basketball gamers to enjoy today, but I personally think it does hold up quite well given its age.

There are some interesting comparisons to draw between the Xbox 360 versions of NBA Live 06 and NBA 2K6 as far as their animations. Some of the animations in NBA 2K6 are clunky compared to NBA Live 06, especially when it comes to rim interactions. However, NBA 2K6 has a significant advantage in animation variety. There are more dunks and layups, as well as contextual shots in the post and under the basket. This means less awkwardness and warping due to a contextually inappropriate animation being triggered. You’re also not seeing the same few moves quite as often! NBA 2K has continually improved in both animation variety and realism since then.

Whether you’re on the break, posting up, catching the pass after going back door, or exploding by a defender after isolating, finishing at the rim is extremely satisfying. I enjoy the mixture of powerful poster dunks, quick flushes, and rim-grazing finishes. While it may seem strange to complain about spectacular dunks, NBA Live has too often focused on highlight slams to the point where it’s difficult to finish with a quick, simple throwdown in the paint. NBA Live’s dunks have also tended to favour driving scenarios, making them unsuitable under the rim. Even though there are some old, clunky, sixth gen animations in NBA 2K6, they had the right idea with its variety.

Despite growing accustomed to the gameplay and generally having a blast with it, controls in NBA 2K6 for Xbox 360 are a mixed bag. Let’s get to the biggest issue first: dribbling. Although I’m used to it and can make it work, the original take on Isomotion was not a good idea. It’s puzzling that 2K stubbornly stuck with their vastly inferior dribbling controls, even after NBA Live demonstrated the benefits of using the right stick. I understand wanting to do things differently to NBA Live, and that there’s hostility after Visual Concepts’ relationship with EA Sports soured, but that stubbornness resulted in NBA 2K having subpar dribbling controls for far too long!

It’s not that I don’t understand how they work. I get that by holding the right trigger as a modifier, the dribbling moves are meant to marry up with the player’s movement on the left stick. However, controlling a player’s movement with the left stick and their hands with the right stick just works so much better! Isomotion made it too easy to shoot off in the wrong direction, or conversely remain stationary, while trying to execute a dribbling move. Again, I’ve been able to adapt to it, make it work, and really enjoy myself when hitting NBA 2K6’s virtual hardwood and blacktop. Still, revisiting older NBA 2K games emphasises the advantages of right stick dribbling.

Something else that you’ll notice when you dust off NBA 2K6 for Xbox 360 is the lack of Green Releases. The funny thing is that while I don’t hate the concept of Green Releases, I don’t actually miss them in older games! The fact that I’ve been playing so much NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 4 – the last game in the series to not use them – is probably a factor here. Still, I believe the old approach does work. Yes, there are frustrating moments where multiple perfectly-timed releases will brick, but it also feels balanced; especially as slightly early and late releases are still effective. Despite similar mechanics, it also feels more sophisticated than shooting in NBA Live 06.

I’ll also give the edge to NBA 2K6 in free throw shooting. NBA Live 06 tries to mimic a shooting motion by requiring the stick to be pulled back and then pushed straight up. Both the timing and aiming are very sensitive, and there’s also a lack of onboarding and feedback. In NBA 2K6, it’s just a matter of pulling down on the right stick, and properly timing the release. It’s much simpler, and that’s how free throw shooting should be. The ability to practice free throws is also a huge advantage over NBA Live. It wasn’t the first or last NBA 2K with free throw practice, but it’s weird that to this day, no NBA Live game has provided us with that useful functionality.

The Shot Stick made its debut in NBA 2K6, and although it isn’t as sophisticated as the Pro Stick in modern releases, it still offers a pleasing amount of control over shooting. I’d obviously prefer right stick dribbling, or the combined approach that we now have, but being able to finish left or right, or choose the type of dunk to finish with, gave us more control than NBA Live 06 did. In hindsight though, the Shot Stick shouldn’t have had a reverse dunk control. Not every player could perform one, and even those who were able to would too often perform a 180 floating reverse layup, if you didn’t trigger the dunk in just the right spot. Still, the Shot Stick was a great idea.

It was effective in the post too, and while playing with 90s Legends in Street mode, I couldn’t get enough of backing down with Shaquille O’Neal, and hitting my opponent with a drop step before a huge Shaq Attack! Some of the controls are contrived; for example, performing a drop step if you aren’t winning the post up battle requires you to hold the left trigger to post up, hold the right trigger to aggressively back down, and then quickly pull and release the left trigger twice. Along with Isomotion, these are the kind of controls that made NBA 2K less accessible to me back in the day. I can appreciate and use them effectively now – for the most part – but they can be clunky.

Exclusively using the right stick on defense to attempt steals may not have been the most intuitive design, but once you realise there’s no steal button (or you read the manual!), it’s not an issue. I haven’t mastered Dual Player Control in NBA 2K6, but it’s handy to be able to direct teammates on top of their normal off-ball movement with the use of Y and the D-Pad. Alley-oops, performed with left trigger and B, look and feel great. Playcalling is simple but effective, as is the ability to call for a pick. The button-mashing game to win the jump ball that was being used at the time is a bit arcade-like, but I don’t dislike it. Overall, NBA 2K6 plays a great game of basketball.

Not only that, but it does a great job of replicating an NBA broadcast. The Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06 has a disappointingly small array of camera angles, and none of them truly resemble what we’d see on TV. NBA 2K6’s broadcast view is spot on, and the presentation is top notch for a game released in 2005. From scenes of fans entering the arena and player introductions, to TV-style overlays and instant replays, NBA 2K6 got it right. It’s strange seeing the Xbox 360 logo prominently displayed on the scoreboard, but it’s a reminder of how both NBA 2K6 and NBA Live 06 were exclusive to that console, given that it launched a year before the PlayStation 3.

That realistic presentation underscores how NBA 2K6 does edge out NBA Live 06 in terms of being a sim title. I do enjoy the gameplay in both, and NBA Live 06’s looser style can sometimes be preferable if I’m in the mood for it. On the other hand, NBA 2K6 is fun and action-packed as well, with more focus on authenticity. Beyond the gameplay, NBA 2K6 easily outclasses NBA Live 06 on Xbox 360 when it comes to depth. The 360 version of NBA Live 06 is solid on the sticks, but severely lacking in modes and content. NBA 2K6 didn’t lose any depth when it made the jump to the new generation, and thus doesn’t feel shallow, or as though it took any steps backwards.

To that point, NBA 2K6 didn’t leave behind any established staples when it launched on Xbox 360, avoiding one of the biggest mistakes that NBA Live 06 made. A great example of this is full instant replay functionality, which is curiously absent in NBA Live 06. It’s possible to manually trigger a replay in NBA Live 06 following a basket – a handy feature that NBA 2K6 doesn’t have – on top of the usual automatic replays. There’s no instant replay in the pause menu though, limiting playback to those post-basket clips. Conversely, NBA 2K6 retains the traditional instant replay, along with several other staples that sim basketball games were simply expected to have in 2005.

Let’s take a look at those staple modes and features. As mentioned, there’s free throw practice. NBA 2K6 also retained the regular practice mode with five players (and five opponents) on the court, compared to NBA Live’s single player shootaround. I will say that the practice court isn’t quite as stunning as The Temple, which did support four individual players if four controllers were connected. 2K’s is more useful though, allowing you to practice team-based scenarios, as well as providing feedback on shot timing. The court can get too cluttered for a free shootaround once a few teammates and opponents are just standing around on it, but it’s a much deeper practice mode.

These are the things that I was envious of as an NBA Live gamer, even as I struggled to adapt to the gameplay back then. Association is another prime example here. It was already deeper than Dynasty by that point, but the mere fact that NBA 2K6 kept its franchise mode when launching on Xbox 360, while NBA Live 06 didn’t, makes it no contest. I’ll admit that the ability to create a GM isn’t all that exciting, but it’s a fun personalisation feature. As in Dynasty, you can lose your job if you mess up, but the feedback on your performance and owner satisfaction is more detailed. Onboarding screens also help out by explaining aspects such as team budget, and other GM tasks.

Needless to say, those older Association modes are nowhere near as deep as what we’ve come to have in MyLEAGUE or MyNBA. However, you can see how 2K was innovating with its franchise experience, while NBA Live was stagnating. Things like setting your gameplan, managing training sessions, and participating in drills, are far beyond what NBA Live was doing. There’s chemistry, preseason games, custom Draft Classes, trade overrides, and options such as turning off the trade deadline. Simulated stats are good across the board, with realistic numbers and leaders. As much fun as I had with Dynasty in NBA Live 06 PC, NBA 2K6 had the superior franchise mode.

There’s also a simplified single Season mode, if you don’t want to have to bother with all of those tasks and multiseason play. Strangely, there’s no traditional Playoffs mode with the previous year’s brackets, though the Tournament mode can replicate the NBA postseason. It’s functional, but it’s one of the few underwhelming modes in NBA 2K6 for Xbox 360. There’s also a serviceable Scenario mode. Sadly it isn’t possible to save any custom scenarios, but the array of game setup options is good, and you can restart the scenario – with adjusted parameters if you like – at any time. Scenario modes have since disappeared, and it’s a shame, because they’re fun to jump into for a quick game.

Street mode – as Blacktop was then called – was in its prime! It has multiple modes of play, including full court and halfcourt games of 2v2 up to 5v5, 1v1, and 21, wherein 3 to 4 players compete individually to be the first to 21 points, with three free throws after every made bucket. You can select clear or rainy weather, and there are multiple street courts, including Rucker Park. I’m not the biggest fan of Blacktop – franchise and career modes have been my thing – but the inclusion of Rucker Park inspired me to stage the ultimate pick-up game with 90s Legends! It might be the best iteration of the mode, but I’ll gladly yield to the expertise of Blacktop aficionados in that regard.

The inclusion of Legends via the All-Decade teams, as well as retro jerseys, is another way that NBA 2K6 bested NBA Live 06 when both games arrived on the Xbox 360. NBA Live 06 had regressed to a more barebones experience, while NBA 2K6 stayed the course and gave basketball gamers far more content to sink their teeth into. This has continued to be a strong point for NBA 2K over the years, while NBA Live has never really returned to the depth it had in its sixth generation releases and their PC ports. That lack of content overshadowed the solid gameplay and great graphics of NBA Live 06 on Xbox 360, while NBA 2K6 started the generation on the right foot.

I’ve seen a number of NBA 2K gamers fondly reminisce about The Crib in older titles. For those who are unfamiliar with it – as I was for a long time – it’s basically an interactive area that you can decorate, similar to the locker room in some of the WWE games. It’s a fun concept, and a creative way to unlock content, which is done with credits earned by completing in-game tasks. You can unlock All-Time 76ers, Celtics, Lakers, and SuperSonics teams, as well as the International All-Stars, by collecting mini-basketballs. Although there are some missing players, it’s a good selection of retro and bonus content, along with the Draft Class Teams and All-Decade squads.

Indeed, NBA 2K6 for Xbox 360 features one of the rare official appearances by Charles Barkley following his retirement! Sir Charles can be found on the 80s East All-Stars and 90s West All-Stars, with era-appropriate faces and portraits, though he’s just referred to as #34 in the commentary. Getting back to The Crib, there are also darts and air hockey mini-games, trophies for completing certain challenges, and a Power Bar machine to gain a boost for your next game. And of course, none of the customisation involves VC or microtransactions! I don’t think features like The Crib are vital, but they do have a certain charm that The City and The Neighborhood lack.

24/7: Road to the EBC is another mode that I’ve heard many long-time NBA 2K gamers talk about, and after overlooking it for so long, I was keen to check it out. It’s a streetball-oriented mode that is in many ways a forerunner to MyCAREER. You create a player and level him up through a combination of drills and playing games, with a goal of barnstorming your way through nine cities to make it to the tournament at Rucker Park. Each city has its own set of challenges and featured opponents, which is also reminiscent of the campaign in NBA Street Homecourt. Even with a starting Overall Rating of 54, it feels like a fun journey; especially with no microtransactions!

Just to cover a few odds and ends, the face creation options – both in 24/7 mode and general roster creation – are limited, but decent for the era. There’s also a shoe creator that’s very similar to the one that’s found in modern titles, albeit with less control over the layers. The VIP Profile is a nice feature that tracks your stats and tendencies, with a user scouting report and box score from your last game. Online play was supported, though the servers have long since been shut down. The array of alternate and retro jerseys is good, but restricting specific uniforms to home and away games is slightly annoying. Unlocked jerseys also seem to become the default selection in Quick Game.

The menus are fine, but can be cumbersome to navigate; a recurring issue in some of the early NBA 2K games, and a few of the more recent ones as well. Also, while I do appreciate the amount of bonus content, roster editing is somewhat limited. Legends can’t be moved into the active rosters as in later games, though active players can be added to the All-Decade teams. Of course, once they’re there, you can’t move them back! For some reason, you can’t edit the jersey numbers of any Legends, nor any free agents until they’re assigned to a team. There is Create-a-Team though, which had been absent from NBA Live for many years by that point. It’s a decent suite of tools.

Overall, the quality of the gameplay, the depth of the modes, and the wealth of bonus content, made NBA 2K6 for Xbox 360 an excellent start to the generation. Whereas NBA Live lost depth while attempting to reinvent itself for Next Gen, NBA 2K6 kept what was working, with some enhancements to the graphics. The downside is that there are some remnants of the prior gen game in the Xbox 360 version of NBA 2K6, but it was still a strong foundation to build upon for the most part. It may not have been as visually impressive as NBA Live 06, but it’s a deeper and better-rounded NBA sim game. It’s therefore not surprising that it was received far more positively.

Personally, it’s actually retroactively become one of my favourite games! I have a far more positive view of the Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06 these days, and there are times when I do prefer it on the sticks to NBA 2K6, mostly because of the dribbling controls and looser action. At the same time, I really appreciate the depth and realism that NBA 2K6’s gameplay was striving for, and the variety of animations. It’s hard to go past all of the bonus content, too. The presence of Charles Barkley alone drew me to finally delve into NBA 2K6, and playing with the All-Decade teams (or taking the 90s Legends to Rucker Park) has been a great standby when I feel like a quick game.

Looking back, the biggest strengths of the Xbox 360 version of NBA 2K6 are its level of realism and strategy, detailed presentation, depth and array of modes and additional content, and consistent quality that carried over from the previous generation. There’s authenticity in NBA 2K6 that NBA Live 06 was aiming for, but fell short of. It’s a far more complete game that continued to do the things that were winning over more and more basketball gamers during the early to mid 2000s. The developers saw what sim basketball gamers wanted out of the virtual hardwood, and tried to make it happen. There’s plenty of flash in the game, but also an undeniable focus on substance, too.

As far as its biggest weaknesses, Isomotion obviously stands out. As I said, 2K’s stubbornness about adopting an idea from NBA Live held back dribbling controls for years. Some of the other controls are cumbersome and contrived, and while I have grown accustomed to them, they make the game less accessible than NBA Live 06. Also, while I’m the last person to be a snob about graphics and I don’t find NBA 2K6’s visuals to be off-putting, the art style and some of the animations are a bit “last gen”. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that when PlayStation 4 and Xbox One rolled around, 2K went all out on making NBA 2K14 Next Gen stand out from its prior gen predecessor.

Many basketball gamers forget, or are too young to remember, a time when NBA Live more than held its own against NBA 2K. The seventh generation was a turning point, and even though NBA Live 06 is a better game than it’s often given credit for, you only need to compare it to the Xbox 360 version of NBA 2K6 to see how it erred. It unfortunately established a pattern for NBA Live that continued right through until NBA Live 19. It had some good ideas and a few things that it arguably did better than NBA 2K, but NBA 2K had realistic gameplay, innovative modes, extra content, and attention to detail. NBA 2K stayed the course, while NBA Live tried to reinvent itself.

When you look back at how EA Sports and Visual Concepts each approached the launch of the seventh generation, the direction that both series have taken since then certainly isn’t a surprise. NBA 2K6 is a game that understands its audience, and what drew them to the series in the first place. NBA Live 06 is a game that underestimates the importance of depth, and what made its prior gen counterpart so successful. It’s disheartening when you go back and see the cracks in NBA Live’s foundation, but in turn, it’s clear how NBA 2K’s was rock solid. It speaks to the importance of getting the basics right and building upon them, rather than constantly changing the blueprint.

I can enjoy the Xbox 360 version of NBA Live 06 for what it is, but I’ve really come to appreciate NBA 2K6. The gameplay remains a blast outside of dribbling, and I can still make the best of that. The fun that I can have with the game outweighs most of my quibbles with certain design choices, such as some of the limitations with roster editing. It can hook you in today, just as it enthralled basketball gamers in 2005. Sure, it might not have nailed the Next Gen aesthetic outside of the obligatory sweat, but it’s the sweat and tears that went into gameplay and modes – and the drive to go above and beyond the barebones basics – that set 2K up for success for generations to come.

The post Wayback Wednesday: NBA 2K6 Retrospective (Xbox 360) appeared first on NLSC.