NBA 2k12 was the most fun I have ever had with online play on a sports game. The introduction of classic quick matches was one of my favorite innovations in modern sports gaming and it bread new life into the game when you got tired of playing against the Heat every game in regular ranked matches.
Even if the 95-96 Bulls were involved in almost every game I played, it was still fun as hell because it was Michael Jordan for God's sake, and the battles I had with the Bulls when using the Sonics, Robertson Bucks and Olajuwon Rockets were the most fun and challenging games I ever played. I once played a guy who had 69 points with Jordan, but I came back to win in the fourth. It was one of those games where I was happy to have owned an el gato to capture it, and every now and then I go back and watch the game on youtube (and then I promptly message my opponent from that game the link).
Here it is if you want to watch it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEF8s__-jcw I was devastated when the classic quick matches went away on NBA 2k13, but it remained my favorite sports game. The new player badges were cool, and I fell in love with the Dimer one. I would play with the Knicks, far from a perfect team, and was nearly unbeatable because Jason Kidd would feed Carmelo and J.R. Smith for about 70 points a game. I'm not Kidding; Jason would average 25 assists a game for me. Here was my record when I retired for 2k14.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ct8ezhtHEO/ I don't remember much about the 360 version of 2k14, but I remember getting really into MyTeam when next gen came out. The lack of an auction market made all-time greats pretty easy to get in packs, and I rarely lost with my dream team: Tim Hardaway, Steph Curry, James Harden, LeBron James, Hakeem Olajuwon with Oscar Robertson, Gary Payton, Mitch Richmond, Kevin Durant and Wilt off the bench.
Here is my dream team in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvezhratOhY But somewhere during the summer of 2014, the World Cup came along and I became infatuated with soccer, which, by law, means you are also infatuated with FIFA. FIFA 15 was my favorite overall sports game ever and I spent literally thousands of dollars on Ultimate Team and don't regret any of it. It was loads of fun. When I needed a break, I'd play 2k15, but MyTeam paled in comparison to FUT, and once again 2k had let me down when it came to classic quick matches. I got all the way up the ladder on MyTeam and tried some pretty sweet teams, but I felt I was being tugged to FIFA permanently.
This year is much the same. FIFA 16 has been my primary focus, but lately I've been playing a lot of 2k16, and for one reason: After my initial disappointment with the lack of classic teams on ranked games, I stumbled upon the "Classic Teams Added" note on the divisions ladder. I was beyond stoked, and won 50 games to get myself there, using the Spurs, Cavs and Pistons. It was fun, but I honestly start to get worn out by current day teams, mostly because I can play with LaMarcus Aldridge, elite mid-range shooter, one day and LaMarcus Aldridge, mediocre mid-range shooter the next.
So by the time I reach the NBA level, I want to try out a few new classic teams. I know it will take time to get used to their shots, but I hadn't ever noticed that you could get demoted in this system, so I was absolutely giddy that I earned my way up the classic teams and that I would never not be able to use them even if I lose 20 games in a row with the 7-seconds-or-less Suns.
And then I lost my first game, with the '06 Mavs and saw the dreaded red line appear. I was crestfallen. I had 9 more games to play against the third best group of players in the online community and could only lose one more time before getting stripped of my classic team privileges. With how long it took me to get the Mavs' shots down, I knew I would lose to an experienced player unless I went with the Bulls every time, a team I'm sure I went 300-0 with back in 2k12, and I just didn't feel like doing that. So I tried out the Nash/Amare Suns and lost to Kobe/Shaq Lakers by 4. And back to using the Spurs and Cavs I went.
The only reason I played this game online, which I didn't do last year, was to get the chance to play with classic teams, and it was gone in a flash. I think 2K should reevaluate the way they incorporate classic teams into the game. They are seriously underused and I don't understand why it takes 50 hours of gameplay just to play ranked with classic teams twice (at least in my case).
Matchmaking needs to be opened up to include classic teams at every level or a new, nonranked online option should be added where all teams, including Euroleague can be used. Otherwise, what's the point of 2K paying for rights to use those teams? So 5% of the online population can pick them if they want to? I know they make some coin for the throwback players on MyTeam, but surely they can make better use of the classic teams themselves than what is currently offered.
That's just my opinion, but I think the game would benefit from some changes in this regard. Oh, and by the way, the opponent my first game back in Euroleague? The 95-96 Bulls. A+ matchmaking.
Back to FIFA and Rainbow Six Siege I go.
