Wayback Wednesday: NBA 2K8 Retrospective (Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3)

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 and PlayStation 3 version of NBA 2K8.

The tagline of NBA 2K8 was “It’s like that”. I find it extremely appropriate, though I guarantee it isn’t for the reasons that the marketing department at Take-Two intended. Instead, “it’s like that” are the frustrated words that run through my mind whenever I give NBA 2K8 a chance, and it disappoints me once again. Not to spoil the entire retrospective before I get into it, but if NBA 2K6 or NBA 2K7 had been the games to get me into the NBA 2K series – and they may well might’ve been, had I given them a fair chance back in the day – NBA 2K8 could’ve turned me off of it again.

Indeed, I’m prepared to call it one of the most overrated games in the entire series. The only reason I hesitate is because after looking at some contemporary reviews, it seems that the criticisms and unfavourable comparisons to its predecessors were being made back then, too. GameTrailers’ review even went so far as to call it a serious step backwards, and I’m inclined to agree. It’s unfortunate because the game does have a lot of good bones and enticing features, but for me, it’s been a major retro basketball gaming disappointment. Let’s take a look back…way back…

There are a handful of frustrations that have left me unimpressed by NBA 2K8 in all my attempts to enjoy it, some of which were present in NBA 2K6 and NBA 2K7 to some degree. However, not only are they worse in NBA 2K8, but it introduces a new problem that consistently ruins every session with it. To put it bluntly, it cheats like a spoiled, bratty child. If there’s a hint that you’ll win or even just get the upper hand, it flips a switch and stops being remotely fair. Easy shots, from jumpshots with great shooters to layups and other shots around the rim with capable inside scorers, will clang off the rim. Your players will fall down, lose the ball, and throw sloppy passes.

At the other end, the CPU will drain shots with the defense draped all over them. Even players like Brendan Haywood will calmly drill clutch jumpers under heavy pressure. CPU players will waltz into the paint and casually make difficult layups, including tough flip shots when you do manage to put a body on them. And of course, while it can hammer your players at the other end, the CPU will bail itself out with shooting fouls at the slightest contact, frequently resulting in and-ones. They’ll also pick off passes with ease, are much quicker than any of your players can sprint, and vacuum up offensive boards very conveniently when they do happen to miss a shot.

In short, it feels extremely unbalanced and artificially challenging. No one enjoys losing – especially to the CPU – but it’s a rare loss in NBA 2K8 that actually feels fair. It certainly doesn’t help that the dribbling controls are terrible; easily among the worst in the entire NBA 2K series. This is something that contemporary reviews note as well, stating that it’s a matter of wiggling the left stick and hoping for the best. That’s absolutely been my experience, and while I’ll never claim to be as adept with the old Isomotion controls as I am with Freestyle or modern right stick dribbling in NBA 2K, I can pull off moves in both NBA 2K6 and NBA 2K7 fairly consistently and reliably.

It doesn’t help that NBA 2K8 has one of the most bizarrely unhelpful manuals, even in terms of basic controls. Despite overhauling the dribbling system, the manual fails to explain its fundamentals, or even list the basic dribbling moves. This is yet another issue that was noted at the time, and while I’m focusing on the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 version in this retrospective, the PlayStation 2 release has the same problem. As I’ve said before, I’m not a fan of the word “lazy” when it comes to video game critique as I believe it’s overused and often unfairly, but NBA 2K8’s manuals are an utterly lazy effort. That’s never great of course, but this wasn’t the year for vague onboarding!

While the manual doesn’t bother with listing the advanced controls, it does hype up some of the new features. It even touts a “new movement model”, promising “no more sliding, shuffling, and popping that you’ve seen in past basketball games”. I’d suggest that NBA 2K8 doesn’t quite deliver on that promise – at least to the extent the manual claims – but an effort has been made. The ability to switch control to a player off-ball is handy, and the same menu can be used to command a teammate to get open, set a screen, come off a screen, or post up. It’s not that NBA 2K8 doesn’t have some good controls and mechanics, but there’s no question it does a poor job of explaining them.

Once you have a list of the dribbling controls to refer to – the community stepped up to fill the void here – you can at least start making some better moves. It still doesn’t feel nearly as good as its predecessors, though. Moreover, the gameplay remains very unbalanced, with the CPU pulling off cheap tricks to keep scores close and eke out wins in the clutch. Blind, psychic interceptions, pulling strings with shot percentages, CPU-controlled teammates running away from their man or scooting out of the way at the last second…just about all of the frustrating gameplay quirks that we’ve seen in the NBA 2K series over the years can and will be encountered in a game of NBA 2K8.

Even if you turn the difficulty down to Rookie, the CPU is surprisingly ruthless with its comeback logic. At the same time, at that level it does become too easy for most experienced basketball gamers, so it’s tough to find settings that are fair while still being suitably challenging. Again, it doesn’t help that it feels like a majority of the challenge comes from clunky mechanics and artificial difficulty, rendering your stick skills moot. Playing NBA 2K8 with Dee over Parsec suggests that despite the game’s issues, it can be more fun with a second player, whether co-op or head-to-head. Sadly, when it comes to playing the game solo, I haven’t had many truly enjoyable sessions.

That’s not to say that NBA 2K8 doesn’t play any semblance of good basketball. The CPU will notice when you leave your man open or it has a mismatch, as it should. Generally speaking, aggressive AI is preferable to the computer just giving up when it’s behind, or bumbling about indecisively at both ends of the floor. The CPU is also looking to get the ball to the best scorers, so there’s usually no frustration with the wrong players scoring all the points. There is a genuine challenge there and it does feel rewarding when you make a great play, but those fun moments are too often overshadowed by contrived difficulty and the CPU deciding you’re going to lose.

What’s really frustrating about all of this is that it feels like I should be enjoying the game. The controls, while clunky, are deeper than what you’ll find in NBA Live 08, or in Sony’s NBA 08 for that matter. Of course, even though NBA 2K8 is easily the more polished game, those other two are generally more enjoyable. The PS3 version of NBA 2K8 also brings back the tilt controls for free throw shooting that debuted in NBA 2K7, though thankfully once again you can opt for the superior right stick timing method. Between the sensitivity and the fact that not all PS3 controllers had motion-sensing tech, the tilt method was a gimmick that simply didn’t pan out.

The occasional satisfying play and fun moments in between the frustration has kept me coming back to NBA 2K8, because once again, it does feel as though there’s an enjoyable gameplay experience there…if only I can master the right mechanics and strategies. To that end, I’m sure that I’ll keep giving it a shot every now and again, just to see if it finally clicks. If so, it may become another game that I’ll revisit with a more positive retrospective. Right now though, I just can’t get into it! The lack of balance, the unfair moments, the poor dribbling controls, and overall inferior on-court experience compared to NBA 2K6 and 2K7, make it feel like a huge step backwards.

As I said though, I can see the good bones; or, to put it another way, it’s clear that the foundation is solid, but there’s some structural damage to the building. For example, the lock-on D control that activates with the defensive stance trigger had promise, but it’s not as effective as the Defensive Assist mechanics in other titles. There are some new signature animations, which look great for a seventh generation title. Common animations are also superior to NBA Live 08 and NBA 08, from their authenticity and variety to the smooth transitions and a lack of distractingly noticeable warping. Sure, they’re obviously dated now, but 2K8’s animations were best in class back in 2007.

Although some contemporary reviews criticised NBA 2K8’s graphics for a lack of improvement since NBA 2K6, I’d say the visuals are at least slightly better than its predecessors. NBA Live’s faces were still superior though, which led to an amusing but unquestionably petty moment during the preview season. EA Sports released a handful of NBA Live 08 screenshots featuring Chris Paul – the cover player of NBA 2K8 – which outclassed CP3’s likeness in his own game. 2K did end up improving his face following those previews, but NBA Live 08’s face is still better. However, NBA 2K8’s animation quality meant that it remained the nicer-looking game in motion.

I’ve also seen some criticism of NBA 2K8’s presentation in those old reviews, and I’m inclined to disagree there as well. It’s no better than NBA 2K7 – though I do like the “Top 3 Play Nominee” branding on standout highlights – but for the most part, it’s at least on par. The halftime presentation is certainly minimalist compared to the shows in NBA 2K6 and 2K7, but it does streamline gameplay. I’m guessing those reviewers had higher expectations and I see where they’re coming from, but honestly, I’m far more bothered by the regression in gameplay. I tend to think that’s worse than most of the reviewers back then opined, while the aesthetics are better than they rated them!

NBA 2K8 retains a good array of modes and content, including historical teams which were still absent from NBA Live 08. 24/7 is gone though, a move that disappointed gamers and reviewers alike in 2007. Now that I’ve gone back and played those modes, I must agree with the contemporary criticism here. NBA 2K7 had taken the mode in an interesting direction, prioritising stick skills and performance over grinding to take a player from a scrub to a star. They’d also tried something new with the story and cutscenes. Sure, the writing and acting was cheesy, but also charming in a way. All these years later, it’s a fun time capsule of mid 2000s basketball and pop culture.

While the campaign mode of 24/7 is gone, Street is revamped into NBA Blacktop. There are still pick-up games of 1-on-1 to 5-on-5, which can be played at various blacktops including Rucker Park. Other familiar settings include game point (7-41), win by one or two, and full court or halfcourt games. 1-on-1 games can only be played in the halfcourt, but there are also options for winner’s or loser’s outs, and how to determine first possession. Standard stuff, and still susceptible to the same quirks found in regular gameplay, but it was providing a streetball experience that NBA Live 08 did not. Even with 24/7 mode gone, NBA 2K8 has more to play than EA’s game.

It also added a Slam Dunk Contest, a Three-Point Shootout, and Game of 21; a 1-on-1-on-1 game where the winner is the first to score 21 points. It was essentially NBA 2K’s answer to NBA Live’s All-Star Weekend, taking the events to the blacktop rather than representing the midseason classic. I’ll admit that conceptually and stylistically, I prefer the authentic setting of the All-Star Weekend. I’m not sure why 2K has never had such a mode. Maybe EA had the exclusive rights to the Weekend as a whole, or perhaps 2K was simply opposed to adopting any of NBA Live’s ideas, including right stick dribbling for so long. If so, as I’ve said before, such stubbornness was myopic.

The Three-Point Shootout is an event that developers really shouldn’t ever mess up or overcomplicate on the virtual hardwood, though some certainly do. Fortunately, NBA 2K8 gets most of the basics right. It consists of five racks of five balls with a money ball that counts for two, as in the NBA’s contest. Shooting is basically the same as regular gameplay – though you can only shoot with the stick, not the button – and players pick up the next ball and move between racks automatically. It’s mechanically well-designed, though it is only a single round contest with four participants, and the players are all wearing a generic jersey rather than their actual team’s uniforms.

That’s not surprising, as this version of the shootout was also in NBA 2K7 as one of the games that you’d encounter in 24/7 mode. More work obviously had to go into the new Slam Dunk Contest, which is a longer affair consisting of four participants, three rounds with three dunks per round, and 30 seconds to perform each dunk. Like NBA Live’s contest, there’s a gather stage, which in NBA 2K8 is performed by flicking the right stick in different directions. Moving the right stick again as you’re leaving the ground determines the style/trick, and then you need to use RT/R2 to stop a meter in the shaded timing window to pull off the dunk. The pass button will perform a lob.

I’ve often said that NBA Live has had the best take on the Slam Dunk Contest in video games, and NBA 2K8 hasn’t done anything to change my mind about that. Having three steps in quick succession instead of two distinct stages is needlessly complex, especially as the attempt doesn’t go into slow motion as it does in NBA Live. I do like that the dunk combinations are listed on the Help screen, and the ability to choose props is a nice touch. The presentation with the MC is cool, too. It’s not as accessible as NBA Live’s contest though, and you also have to unlock certain props and combos before you can use them. In NBA Live, it’s a stick skill-based sandbox.

With that being said, there’s enough depth there that if you can master the controls, it probably can be a lot of fun. They’re just way too contrived and clunky for me; again, when it comes to NBA 2K8, “it’s like that” in general. To be honest though, I don’t think that NBA 2K has ever had a particularly good dunk contest. There’s always been something off or pointlessly complicated about the mechanics, making it impossible to appreciate the variety of dunks, the quality of the animations, or features such as the ability to place and jump over props. Thankfully there is a Dunk School to further hone your skills in the mode, but personally, the approach just doesn’t work for me.

Interestingly, the Rookie Challenge is available under Game Modes, complete with special commentary, T-Mobile branding, and the rookie and sophomore squads. Indeed, it’s the only way to play with the Class of 2006 and 2007 teams, as the 2005 squad are the most recent Class available in Quick Game. It’s strange that the Rookie Challenge is a standalone mode but the All-Star Game isn’t. The East and West All-Stars are playable in Quick Game of course, and the 2008 uniforms are unlockable via codes. Apart from that though, there’s no presentation or commentary to make it stand out as a special event, at least when you stage the showdown in exhibition play.

On a brighter note, the old tournament mode has finally been replaced with a proper Playoffs mode. All of the standard options are there: number of games per round, in-game and simulated quarter lengths, and the ability to customise the brackets. No duplicates are allowed and the Conferences are enforced, so it’s not as flexible as the Playoffs mode in other games. I don’t mind that though, as authenticity was clearly the goal, and it’s a welcome improvement over the generic tournament mode and its cumbersome customisation options. It also gave NBA 2K8 another advantage over NBA Live 08, since EA wouldn’t bring back a Playoffs mode until NBA Live 10.

Interestingly, both EA Sports and Visual Concepts made a point of enhancing the franchise modes in their 2008 season NBA games. As I’ve covered in my previous retrospectives, NBA Live 08 for PS3/360 features a “push” approach, making key information screens and GM tasks more visible rather than hiding them beneath layers of menus. Play-by-play simulation allows intervention at any point, and free agent negotiations involve pitches beyond meeting salary demands. Not to be outdone, The Association also presents more important info at a glance in its main hub, expands upon player roles, and provides deeper control over simulation with Hoopcast.

Despite those welcome (and overdue) enhancements to Dynasty in NBA Live 08, there’s no doubt that NBA 2K8’s Association remains the superior franchise mode. Hoopcast furnishes gamers with the ability to call timeouts, make substitutions, and change strategies to influence simulated results, whereas NBA Live 08’s play-by-play simulation intervention only offers increased flexibility as far as jumping into a game. Obviously, The Association already had an advantage heading into the 2008 season releases, being at a point that Dynasty really should’ve already reached. It speaks to how NBA 2K avoided the pitfall of losing depth and having to rebuild on seventh gen.

NBA 2K8 also features a single Season mode, familiar standard practice and free throw practice modes, and Situation mode for setting up scenarios. As before, the historical content included retro jerseys and All-Decade teams, though there were no significant additions in that regard. Once again, there are bonus teams such as Team Jordan and the International All-Stars; squads that may not sound all that exciting now, but I’ve always appreciated it when NBA 2K and NBA Live have gone to the trouble of including them. As mentioned, the Draft Class teams in Quick Game now extend through to the Class of 2005, saving 2006 and 2007 for the Rookie Challenge.

Online features include exhibition and tournament play, co-op games against the AI, and a news ticker with actual sports headlines; something NBA Live was also doing as part of their ESPN Integration efforts. As always, it’s difficult to really comment on the online features of a game whose servers have long since been shut down, but it goes to show that even in the mid 2000s, basketball games were making some inroads into the connected experiences we have today. Of course, NBA Live 08 added Online Team Play post-release, though NBA 2K has since capitalised on the concept much better, and even launched an official eSports league (though it’s currently on hiatus).

A couple of the reviews I’ve read weren’t fond of the frontend in NBA 2K8. I suppose it is kind of basic compared to NBA 2K7, but I don’t mind it, and it’s not too different as far as the amount of back and forth. One major improvement however is the return to a simpler Quick Game screen, without a cutscene that requires loading whenever you back out to the main hub. I’ve also seen some praise for the soundtrack. I don’t mind it, but it doesn’t stand out as one of my favourites. I’m a little sorry to see The Crib removed as I do actually enjoy having an area to customise in sports games, but I won’t argue that it’s necessary. It does take some charm out of the game, though.

Technically speaking, NBA 2K8 is generally rightfully recognised as the best game out of all the 2008 NBA season releases. It’s admittedly another case of damning a seventh gen NBA 2K with faint praise. NBA Live 08 was a bounce back year for EA Sports’ series after the disaster that was NBA Live 07, but it was still digging itself out of a hole. Sony’s NBA 08 had some good points, but it isn’t nearly as polished as NBA 2K8, and even feels a bit sloppy in some ways when compared to NBA Live 08. I still enjoy NBA Live 08 the most out of the three, but objectively speaking, NBA 2K8 had the most going for it. There’s a reason the tide was about to turn in terms of sales.

Despite my frustration with the on-court experience, NBA 2K8 remains a tantalisingly intriguing game. Like an old school adventure game that stumps you with a seemingly impossible puzzle, I’m drawn back to it, determined to solve the riddle and discover the fun gameplay that so many others have enjoyed. Every game that I play, I’m trying to figure out where I’ve gone wrong: forcing the issue, not taking advantage of certain moves and mechanics, or failing to properly utilise the coaching options. Part of me wants to just give up and shelve the game; write it off as a misstep with some good points. Another part of me feels like I’m so close to actually enjoying NBA 2K8!

It’s why I turned the difficulty down to Rookie, thinking that perhaps it had a steeper than usual learning curve. However, even when I did that, the lack of balance and artificial challenge was apparent. The fact that I’m not the only person to perceive NBA 2K8 as a step down in quality on the virtual hardwood suggests that this isn’t a skill issue (or not just a skill issue). Maybe some slider tweaks would help, but simply judging the game out of the box, it isn’t as fun as NBA 2K6 and NBA 2K7. It seems as though it won’t become a game that I retroactively enjoy and consider a favourite, and yet, I’m compelled to keep giving it a chance. There’s good stuff there, I know it!

In the meantime though, I have to chalk up NBA 2K8 as a game that had some good ideas and managed to implement a few of them, but didn’t quite nail the gameplay. In theory, an aggressive and clever CPU is a good thing, and I do like that the AI in the seventh generation NBA 2K titles isn’t a complete pushover, even on easier settings. The balance just isn’t there in NBA 2K8, though. The cheating is a little too good and too obvious, without affording us a reliable and powerful weapon to counteract it. Or maybe, I just haven’t discovered it yet. Perhaps I’ll yet come to enjoy NBA 2K8 with further mastery of its controls and strategies. Then again, maybe it’s just like that.

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