NBA 2K12 on PS2, one of the final series entries on the platform. NBA simulation quality is maintained with the 2012 season rosters. One of the last basketball titles on PS2 for loyal franchise fans not yet migrated to the next generation.
Your verdict
Category
Sports4 players3+
Description
The last NBA 2K on PS2 by 2K Sports released in 2011 (Europe, Australia, US), the thirteenth main entry. A new "NBA's Greatest" mode in which players replay legendary games of fifteen icons (Bird, Magic, Dr. J…). NBA 2011-2012 rosters, and a farewell to PS2 after thirteen years of constant franchise commitment.
NBA 2K12 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The art direction resurrects the bodies of basketball's legends. The NBA's Greatest mode models fifteen icons, from Bird to Magic by way of Dr. J, with particular care given to period physiques: leaner silhouettes of the seventies, morphologies and cuts proper to each decade, faces restored from archives.
The audio patinas the matches of old with an archival color. For the legends mode's games, the soundtrack adopts a period treatment: the announcer's voice filtered as on an old broadcast, an arena ambiance more muffled and dry, a sonic grain evoking an old capture rather than a modern recording. This auditory patina, distinct from the clear sound of current games, situates the ear in the replayed decade.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Ever more realistic and complete, this entry refines the ball-handling and polishes every detail of the experience, from team play to career modes. Building a dynasty or playing a tight match delivers an immediate, lasting satisfaction. Demanding, generous and superb with several players, a basketball simulation of a mastery that commands respect.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Orchestrating every possession, reading the defense and then finishing with a buzzer dunk turns the match into a nervy spectacle where you chain games without stopping. The career mode, team management and a season's progression feed constant objectives. The yearly iterations resemble one another, but this deep, fluid simulation keeps a lasting pull for the enthusiast.
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Running a career, managing a franchise and reliving the league's great moments unfolds a basketball simulation at the top of its game. Seasons, trades and match strategy follow one another without respite, extended by the side modes. That density, a hallmark of the series, sustains a longevity basketball fans savour.
A basketball simulation from Visual Concepts, NBA 2K12 extends the reference basketball series with its official teams and players, polishing the fluidity of play, the career mode and a mode celebrating the sport's greatest legends and their historic teams. The fluidity of the simulation, the richness of the modes and the tribute to the legends appeal to basketball fans. The production, on this end of life console, shows its age against the high definition editions of the time. For a basketball enthusiast or a nostalgic of the series, the title keeps a preserved fluidity and richness, in a dated edition.
