NBA 2K6

The game is extremely smooth with no slowdown visible, not even on fast transitions (a major flaw in NBA Live 06). If you are without a HD-TV however, you could be forgiven for being disappointed with the lack of additional spit and polish from the Xbox version.

If you are lucky enough to own one, you’ll find that the visuals are stunning at times. 2K clearly spent a lot of emphasis on the physics of the uniforms and sweat, and to good effect. The jerseys and shorts will hang lose and move independently from the body during regular play adding to the realism, but tend to be a bit disappointing during the cut scenes. Here it gives an effect that invisible wires are attached to the shoulder panels of the vests and keep them off the player’s skin, much like you would if you had sunburn.

The sweat however is the exact opposite; looking stunningly real during the cut scenes and at times giving you the impression you are watching a real game. Then when you look at the replays, it’s far more random and late on in games your players will look like they’ve smothered themselves with grey glitter.

The soundtrack is rather basic and non-descript, but that is the only flaw in the audio department for NBA 2K6. In its defense, the sound does create a nice atmosphere in the 24/7 campaign, making you feel more at home on a street court.

The play-by-play of Kevin Harlan is superb, and knits so fluidly with the on-court action that you feel like he’s sitting next to you watching your TV. Kenny Smith’s color analysis can be rather dull but the purists will love it, there‘s so many player specific comments.

The actual chants and cheers from the crowd are realistic and could easily have been recorded at a real game. The only issue I have is that unlike a real game, the crowd is equally strong throughout the entirety regardless of the score and quality of basketball on show. Sounds like a small issue, but when game 7 of the finals gets the same crowd noise as a Wednesday night exhibition against the Hawks, it's a bit disconcerting.

The organ and resident DJ also play at the right times, which makes up for the lack of constant squeaks of basketball shoes on wood and the banter of the players.

The multi-player options are solid but there's nothing groundbreaking here. Offline you can play ball with 3 other friends, and online you can shoot hoops with as many as 8. The online leaderboard is constantly updated, and a counter lets you know just how many people are online and how many are in games. There’s very little lag, which was a big problem for NBA 2K6’s EA made rival basketball sim.

The lobbies are split into skill level rather than place of residence and each has a basic table with connection strength, rank, feedback score and win/loss record. There is a basic chat window for trash talking and issuing challenges.
 
There’s also downloadable contact via the nnline desk where roster updates and other news updates can be acquired.

Final Word

NBA 2K6 is a very promising title. At times the graphics are flawless, and there is a super-smooth frame-rate, but it’s let down by some basic presentation issues and strange cut scene effects. The sound is a definite highlight, with the plaudits going to the play-by-play guys. A weaker job in that department could’ve made the presentation even worse.

If the menu navigation could be given an overhaul, and a few more online options made available, then this is an elite sports game in waiting. It’s fun and easy to get into, and the achievements are very rewarding for even the most basic of players. You’ll have those 1000 gamer points faster than a LeBron James dunk.

It has to be said however, that much like it’s cover star Shaquille O’Neal, it’s great game but no longer dominant. Roll on 2K7.