NBA 2K7 review

2K Sports finally delivers a true hoops champion... again

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

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    Drop-dead gorgeous eye candy

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    Immersive arenas

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    Top-shelf online leagues

Cons

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    Touchy button-based shooting

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    Occasional graphical hiccups

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    Pervasive advertisements

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it rocked on 360, and now it rocks on PS3. The newest hardwood hoops sim from 2K Sports is simply the sweetest looking and sounding b-ball game we've ever played, the kind that makes people stop what they're doing and watch in wonder when it's on the screen (assuming, that is, you've finally dropped some cash on an HDTV). It may not be perfect, but any faults can be forgiven because, well, it's just so damn pretty you can't stay mad for long.

From the moment it dropped into our Xbox 360, we were floored by the visuals- and it looks nearly identical on PS3 - if you stare atboth, you might notice a barely perceptible difference in thestarkness of the lighting on PS3, but that's it. This is poetry in motion.

SlightPlayer movements and mannerisms are almost as lifelike as those of their real world alter egos. OK, so up close some of the guys look a little, um, disturbing (did Steve Nash have some bad plastic surgery in the offseason?), but they sure do run, move, and shoot like real cagers. Yes, sadly, there's some inevitable "gliding" going on at times - not to mention some weird running-in-place animation when invisible walls are hit - but the rock-solid gameplay renders mild annoyances unimportant.

The arenas are alive like nothing we've ever seen before - it's truly the most living, breathing audience ever. Members of the crowd mill around, team-specific mascots interact with the attendees (by the way, just what the heck is that thing in Miami supposed to be?), and coaches and benchwarmers react to the action on the court realistically based on the situation - crunchtime baskets get big ups, while mid-period layups barely garner notice. Hell, we almost tried to buy a couple of $9 beers from a vendor. Even the courts are spectacular visual feats, reflecting the player shadows, wraparound scoreboards, and rotating billboards as if you were sitting in the stands.

More info

GenreSports
DescriptionTo be sure, NBA 2K7 once again lives firmly at the intersection of "Rock" and "Solid."
Platform"PS3","Xbox 360","PS2","Xbox"
US censor rating"Everyone","Everyone","Everyone","Everyone"
UK censor rating"3+","3+","3+","3+"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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