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I've basically decided that NBA simulation games - true simulations, and not NBA JAM - are potentially the most rewarding sport gaming experience you can have. That is obviously just an opinion, but man these games are good.
NBA2K12 seems a bit more like an addition to last year's title than an all-new gaming experience, so don't buy this game if you are looking for the latter. The idea of playing Legendary Teams in historical match-ups is the same, albeit now you can do so with 15 different legend teams as opposed to just the Chicago Bulls of yore (which was awesome, of course).
2K Sports has done a great job with updating their motion-capture technology to bring player animations as close to actual gameplay footage as possible in any sports title I have seen to date. Jumpshot animations, for example, are spot-on to how the real life player moves. It is actually kind of creepy to a point; it's that accurate.
The inclusion of historical teams circa 1950's - 60's - along with realistic black and white "telecasts" within gameplay - is simply outstanding. You'll have to play it to understand what I'm talking about, but to play as Bill Russell, Oscar Robinson, or Wilt Chamberland is insanely enjoyable. Jerry West can hit a jumper from basically anywhere on the floor, just FYI.
However, there are a few areas I feel are lacking in comparison to last year's release. For one, the game is so overloaded with individual animations that it literally makes my XBox begin to skip or slow down during gameplay. I don't have the same problem with any other title in my catalogue, so I am hesitant to think that these refresh issues are linked to faulty hardware.
The same problems are even more evident during online play, and they appear to be universal. For example, whenever the game begins to skip or appear sluggish, either you or your online opponent needs to hit pause, scroll through the onscreen options, then hit resume; suddenly, everything is smooth again. This has happened numerous times when playing online, and my opponents have commented on how annoying this has been with the game in general.
Other that that, the Association game mode is slightly polished but remains relatively the save. Actual gameplay options - such as hotkeys on the directional pad to call plays - took a little getting used to at first. Speaking of playcalling, the number of alternative options available in most on-court plays is impressive and adds to the realism of the simulation. For example, the PG now has two inbound passing options from which to choose when beginning any pre-called play, which is helpful when the defense is playing the SF or SG especially tight. You simply pass to the open option, and the game's AI executes the play based on your opening pass.
While the game itself is not as innovative as 2011's version, it is still extremely enjoyable.
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