I’m fully aware this game came out 7 months ago. However, are you aware that it took me until this week to get a copy? No, you aren’t.

NBA 2K has been a staple in the Basketball series for any true fan, and a leader over the major competitor NBA Live for quite some time now. With everything it had going for itself, it would be nearly impossible to mess it up. Thankfully, 2K Sports are not masters of the impossible and we are presented with another excellent addition to an already solid series.

It is not often that reviews start with a complaint. But I don’t live by the rules so I write my reviews however the hell I want. I have one complaint about this game - and it is the same complaint I’ve had about previous versions of the game. I think I grew up playing a style of basketball that is not compatible with your present day NBA games. This is one game that I can pretty much say that I suck at. Is that really a complaint? Maybe not. But it is frustrating. True the only way that I will get better is to play it over and over. But it is hard to dedicate solid playtime to a game when you have GTA IV next to it and Age of Conan on the near horizon. I will be casual with it and hope to master the game by the time 2K9 rolls around.

Speaking of 2K9, any predictions on the cover athlete? I’m feeling Dwight Howard.

Back to 2K8. This game’s major contribution to me sucking is the fact of just how damn realistic it is. I’m totally unfamiliar with basketball plays. All I know is to drive the paint in hopes of drawing a double team and finding the open man on the outside for the free shot. I also know if you hit that open man and he isn’t a shooter you rotate around the outside with passes until you get the shot you need. This game is just like the real NBA. If you try to throw up a shot and you aren’t open, you better be Kobe or King James or else you ain’t hitting it. Strong defense keeps you at bay and you really need to work the floor and set screens to get the open shot you want. This also brings quite a challenge to newcomers - one which I welcome.

Luckily the game also has an auto play calling feature which is excellent. If you have the ball with your PG, a small circle will flash on the floor. Standing in that circle will have the computer pick a play. It then draws out the play on the floor allowing you to follow arrows and make passes to complete the play. This is great for learning playbooks. After I get the hang of the plays I’ll be ready to call my own plays that are appropriate to the team I’m playing against and my personal preferences.

What I’m getting at is that NBA 2K8 brings a deep strategic level to the sport. One more akin to the Football worlds. No more smashing and banging with massive dunks - at least not on the surface.

Game modes are important to a lot of people so I will cover them briefly. The critically acclaimed “Association” mode makes it’s return essentially being a glorified franchise mode from other games. Monitor draft picks, meet goals set by your board of directors, plan training camps, and manage salaries. I’ve always been extremely intrigued by these modes but I’ve never played one. I can’t bring myself to work the micromanagement necessary to be successful. Not only that but I would get really upset when my team started to suck and I was in the rebuilding phase. Is that really fun for some people that are in to the franchise modes?

NBA Blacktop is one of the new features to 2K8. Blacktop brings a Dunk Competition, 3 Point Competition, and other All-Star like stuff such as the Rookie vs. Softmore games. I have yet to fully grasp the dunk competition. It involves spinning combinations on the right stick while timing other things to string together incredible dunks. You can use props, self pass, the works. All in all, its a pretty neat little addition.

Other standards round in the game modes such as Season, Playoffs, Single Game, and all the Multiplayer features you would expect from a 2K sports game.

Final words? NBA 2K8 is another excellent basketball SIMULATOR (note the word simulator, not an arcade slam dunk bonanza) that brings a level of depth that is both fun and challenging. Signature moves return from last years game (real player shot animations and motions for every name brand player in the NBA) to just make this game truly excellent for any NBA fan. If you are getting interested in the Playoffs like I am, you owe it to yourself to give this one a solid shot.