NBA 2K12
Apple iPad Review
2K Sports
Released: October 2011
The NBA may be in a lockout with no end in sight, but that has not stopped 2K Sports from delivering some tremendous basketball action this year on the major consoles, as well as now, the Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.
NBA 2K12 has made its debut onto the Apple iOS devices with a release that is surely going to please fans of the franchise.
The NBA 2K12 franchise has always been known for its immense level of realism, while at the same time being extremely enjoyable and gamer-friendly.
That level of realism, simulation basketball, has not yet been captured on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch, until now.
NBA 2K12 is a simulation basketball release that aims to really try and recreate what the game brings on the Xbox 360 and PS3 and shrink it down to handheld size.
The game is pretty stripped down in terms of game modes. You have a quick game option, the option to play a season, playoffs, situations, or the Jordan Challenge.
The Jordan Challenge is taken straight from NBA 2K11 and is as enjoyable as it was a year ago, it is just a shame the new mode from 2K12 couldn’t be included.
The season mode is not as deep as The Association on the consoles, but it still lets you manage your roster with minutes, player roles, etc.
From a gameplay perspective, the game does a very good job of really allowing you to control the action how you want.
You have the ability to play with just one finger, or with two. The one-finger option allows the game to play for you and by touching the screen, you can have your player put up shots, passes, etc. This is not the most responsive way to play, but is surely the simplest.
The classic option puts an analog stick in the bottom left corner of the screen, with buttons on the right for alley-oop, pass and shoot on offense. On defense, you have the ability to switch players, steal, and block, as well as activate lock-down defense.
The controls are very response but the lack of ability to call plays and such takes away from the realism a bit. Cool mini-games though such as swiping the touch-screen to drink Gatorade during time-outs add a bit more flavor to the experience.
Overall the gameplay of NBA 2K12 when played on Classic is very well-done once you get the hang of it, as fans of the console versions will feel at home.
Visuals and audio are pleasing to the eye as the game runs very smooth with some solid animations. Player detail is well-done, the crowd however is not all that appealing, but in the sake of performance we can let that slide.
The Closing Chatter
NBA 2K12 is a stripped down basketball simulation on the Apple iOS devices, but for a first-effort, it is very well-done and has a solid base to move forward next year. Adding things such as The Association, and more coaching ability in-game, as well as possibly an online mode would really improve the experience. Even in its current form though, for $9.99, this is easily the best basketball experience on the Apple iPad and other iOS devices.
Final Score: 7.9 out of 10 Chatters
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