Basketball is at a fever pitch right now, with the NBA season in full swing and March Madness nearly upon us. But fans don’t have to just sit on the couch and watch. They can also play — from the couch — a new deluxe edition of the greatest basketball simulator ever. Debuting today (March 6), NBA 2K12: Game of the Year lets you relive the thrilling moments of basketball history.
Since its release last October, the popular simulation has sold millions of copies for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles. Fans have been dunking and shooting 3-pointers like crazy, with both contemporary players and legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.
NBA 2K12: Game of the Year Edition features all the action of the original game, as well as excellent bonus content. The main component is the Legends Showcase. Here you can play with more than 300 court heroes, including Alex English, Wilt Chamberlin, Jerry West and Hakeem Olajuwon, as you would have back in the day. If you’re playing Alex English, the visuals resemble a 1980’s broadcast, complete with retro-style announcers. Legends Showcase also features a number of mini-games, including 21 and H-O-R-S-E, which challenge you to beat these legends one-on-one. (Good luck with that.)
Game of the Year Edition comes with a number of technical extras, as well. You can hop online through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network to challenge others, either in quick matchups or through tournament play. It also supports 3D TVs, to really put you in the game.
For now, at least, Game of the Year is sold only at Best Buy. Don’t feel like schlepping to the store? You can cobble the package together by downloading the previous version of NBA 2K12, as well as Legends Showcase. However, that won’t get you the poster featuring Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
Playing on the Go
NBA 2K12 isn’t limited to consoles. You can also pick up versions for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Though not as sophisticated, it’s still a solid game of digital basketball.
For a totally different experience, try NBA Jam: On Fire Edition for Apple devices. This game is more arcade-based — think players flying 20 feet in the air for dunks. It’s fast-paced and a lot of fun to play for die-hard basketball fans and casual players alike.
