From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #537 of the NLSC Podcast! The first details about NBA 2K25 have been revealed, and they’ve brought some extremely exciting news: the New Gen version is coming to PC! This week, we join the community in discussing this much-anticipated announcement, including what it will mean for a modding commun…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #536 of the NLSC Podcast! The NBA 2K League has been put on hiatus until 2025, an announcement that came as a surprise to both league players and everyone else involved. This week, we join the community in discussing how and why the NBA 2K League failed to meet some incredibly lofty expectations,…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #535 of the NLSC Podcast! While there have been some outstanding basketball video games throughout the years, none of them have been universally liked, and sometimes you just won’t vibe with a title that most other gamers seem to enjoy. This week, we join the community in discussing some of the g…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #534 of the NLSC Podcast! We had a blast this past week playing a co-op game of NBA 2K10 PC over Parsec, using a 1997 season roster. We reflect on how the game is an overlooked gem, and the brilliance of retro season mods in general. Indeed, it seems there’s more and more interest in revisiting c…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #533 of the NLSC Podcast! Which NBA players from past decades would be even better if they competed in today’s league, with all of the changes to the rules and the style of play? This week, we join the community in picking five players – be they superstars, fringe All-Stars and other very good pl…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #532 of the NLSC Podcast! Which basketball video games made you fall in love with the genre? This week, we join the community in reminiscing about the titles that got us hooked on the virtual hardwood, our go-to teams and players, and some of the special memories that we made with them. This incl…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #531 of the NLSC Podcast! With EA Sports College Football 25 generating some positive buzz with gamers, could it lead to EA Sports bringing back its college basketball series as well? For that matter, could the enthusiasm and a successful launch lead to NBA Live finally making its return as EA se…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #530 of the NLSC Podcast! If a basketball video game featuring modern technology but a past setting – from rosters to modes to presentation – was ever to be released, which year would you want it to be? This week, we join the community in sharing our choices of legendary seasons to re-live on the…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #529 of the NLSC Podcast! Which stars, past or present, have been harder to use in basketball video games than they should’ve been? This week, we join the community in recalling our most memorable examples of struggling stars on the virtual hardwood, and what made them so difficult to dominate wi…

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #528 of the NLSC Podcast! A recent interview with EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson bleakly hints at a future where games are riddled with intrusive ads. We’ve already seen attempts at this before, but as you can imagine, we’re not thrilled at the possibility of it becoming commonplace! However, most of thi…

What is the most overused jargon in basketball discourse? This week, we join the community in listing the terms that annoy us the most. We also cover the latest NBA 2K24 MyTEAM controversy, wherein 2K has abruptly and without explanation pulled a Kobe Bryant reward card that a pre-release developer insight promised was coming in Season 6. Of course…

Who are the worst and most annoying commentators in basketball video games? This week, we join the community in picking our least favourite voices of the virtual hardwood. Of course, it probably won't come as a surprise that we're generally not fans of them in real life, either! We also recap a fun session with Basketball Classics, and quiz the com…

Which basketball games are the easiest and hardest to put up stats in? This week, we join the community in discussing the titles that stick out in our minds, and the statistics that either eluded us or piled up way too easily. We also recap a session with Virtua NBA, provide an update on our journey in the original NBA Jam, pick our ideal games for…

After feeling inspired to revisit the Super Nintendo version of the original NBA Jam, we were reminded of how fun it still is...and also, just how unfair it can be! A couple of interesting ratings likewise stood out, leading us to dive into some statistics from 1993. We also join the community in discussing which ideas we'd take from other sports g…

What are some of our favourite NBA jerseys of all-time? This week, we join the community in naming our top three uniforms throughout history, as well as listing other memorable designs as honourable mentions. We also discuss some of the players that made those jerseys so iconic, and reflect on how 90s styles are seemingly making a comeback despite …

Obviously we're big fans of and advocates for PC gaming, but are the benefits worth the drawbacks and potential expense? This week, we join the community in discussing the pros and cons of PC gaming - basketball and otherwise - and recommend price ranges for anyone in the market for a new rig. We also share our expectations for NBA 2K25 on PC, disc…

Could an unlicensed basketball video game provide a viable alternative to NBA 2K, if it had great gameplay, deep customisation and sharing options, a robust franchise mode, and a price tag of $39.99 USD? This week, we join the community in discussing this very intriguing idea! We also take a look back at NBA 2K8 following a Parsec session that sadl…

What was the best generation of NBA Live and NBA 2K respectively? This week, we join the community in nominating the golden age for each series. We also recap a couple of exciting co-op Parsec sessions with NBA Live 2000 PC and NBA 2K2 for GameCube, follow up on Troydan's successful MyTEAM pull, discuss digital ownership, and note an unfortunate si…

Which modes have kept us hooked on the virtual hardwood over the years? Along with the community, we reminisce about some of our all-time favourite modes, and the games we played them in. We also respond to the latest ridiculous narrative being pushed about Michael Jordan and NBA history, catch up on Troydan's quest to pull a 100 Overall card in NB…

With the announcement that EA are laying off 670 people, we share our thoughts on an unfortunate industry trend, and also what it might mean for NBA Live. On the bright side, while the outlook for future games may seem bleak, we're arguably in a golden age for retro gaming! To that end, we recap our recent sessions with ESPN NBA Basketball and NBA …

The community has really been cooking with their submissions for the NLSC Top 10 Plays, and we're still excited about last week's countdown! To that end, we recap those spectacular virtual hardwood moments, and provide advice for both recording and submitting your highlights. We also note some recent improvements to PS2 emulation, discuss the ongoi…

We've been on a major NBA Live kick recently, so in addition to recapping our Parsec sessions with NBA Live 97, 2004, 06, 09, and 10, we join the community in reflecting upon the NBA Live titles that we've spent the most time with over the years. We also discuss 2K reaching a whole new level of greed with NBA 2K24 MyTEAM, and celebrate Michael Jord…

Following up on last week's show, we react to Take-Two's defense of Virtual Currency as "fictions". On a slightly less contentious note, in response to a post on our Discord, we weigh in on the NBA Jam vs. NBA Street debate. We also recap a session with NBA Live 2002, join the community in talking about preferred camera angles, and open up the mail…

NBA 2K24 is prompting gamers to accept new Terms of Service with updated clauses regarding class action lawsuits and digital purchases. We discuss how the move has further eroded goodwill, with language that comes across as threatening in the wake of recent legal action against Take-Two. We also criticise the silence from influencers, as well as th…

If we could bring back just one Triple-A release as an alternative to NBA 2K, what type of game would we choose: NBA sim, NBA arcade, street, or college basketball? This week we join the community in answering that very tough question! We also recap a session revisiting Konami's ESPN NBA 2Night, and open up the mailbag to discuss the players that g…

It's Wishlist season once again, so this week, we join the community in listing our top three gameplay wishes for NBA 2K25! Not surprisingly, many of us have similar thoughts on what we want to see. We also discuss NBA ShootOut (aka Total NBA '96) and Sony's NBA 08, reflect on past-their-prime players still having something left in the tank, and pr…

Three SkillsUSA Alumni – Aaron Robles, Laila Mirza and Matt DiBara – were the featured keynote speakers at the Opening Ceremony for SkillsUSA's 2023 National Leadership and Skills Conference Opening Session.By SkillsUSA

What is the most important and impactful position in basketball? Or indeed, is there one? Both we and our listeners share our thoughts on traditional roles, and players stepping outside of them throughout the years. We naturally draw comparisons to basketball video games, from Fantasy Draft preferences to how real hoops influences our style on the …

Are the NBA 2K League competitors the best in the world at the game? Both we and the community have some thoughts on that, as well as a ridiculous comparison to real NBA players. We also recap a fun session with Street Hoops by Black Ops Entertainment, discuss sportsmanship in real basketball, and invite the community to share their basketball gami…

A new year has tipped off at the NLSC, and that means we have some basketball gaming resolutions! There's also a new NBA 2K Playgrounds game out on Roblox, and honestly, we're underwhelmed by what we've seen of it. On a brighter note, we join the community in reflecting on what we were doing on the virtual hardwood throughout 2023, from solo sessio…

It's our 2023 Christmas Special! After celebrating the arrival of a brand new desktop, we recap a couple of games of NBA Live 16, played with Christmas Day jerseys of course. We also join the community in listing the players and teams that we're enjoying watching so far in the 2024 season, and reflect on some of our favourite Christmas gifts involv…

With the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament wrapping up, we have some thoughts to share. We also discuss Austin Rivers' comments about the face of the league, compare editions of NCAA Basketball, and advocate for exhibition play on the virtual hardwood. The post NLSC Podcast #507: NBA Chat, Tournament Edition appeared first on NLSC.…

A class action lawsuit is accusing Take-Two of theft, with particular focus on NBA 2K's server shutdowns and the subsequent loss of VC balance. While we aren't lawyers, we do have some thoughts on the situation, as does the community! We also discuss the use of Cronus Zen controllers and other methods of cheating in NBA 2K online, as well as some i…

Is Slam 'N Jam 96 the worst arcade basketball video game that we've ever played? It's definitely a candidate! We reflect on a co-op session in the PlayStation version, as well as having a much better time with NBA Live 16, and continuing our Road Trip in NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. In this week's mailbag, we join the community in sharing stories abou…

Last Wednesday marked a decade since NBA 2K14's release on PlayStation 4, so this week we're celebrating the tenth anniversary of an iconic game! We reflect on our experiences with both versions of NBA 2K14 over the years, and read some memories that the community shared with us. We also catch up on our past week of basketball gaming, and look back…

We're all about good vibes and enhancing everyone's basketball gaming, from recommendations about an Android emulator to advocating for freely available mods! Speaking of modding, we cover a few ongoing projects from members of the community, including a 2009 roster for NBA Live 10 PS3. We also ask the community which console they'd choose if they …

Koality Games has released a new version of Hoop Land for mobile devices, and after giving it a try, we're hoping to see it come to PC! We're far less excited about NBA 2K24 right now though, and based on the responses to this week's community question, not to mention the lack of mods, highlights, and discussion, it's clear we're not alone. We also…

The 2024 NBA season has tipped off, and we've resolved to follow it with more enthusiasm from the start! To that end, we're sharing our thoughts as the new campaign gets underway, from our early picks for contenders and pretenders to what we expect from our favourite teams. Also, since it's Halloween, we reflect on spooky moments on the virtual har…

It's our 500th episode, so this week we're celebrating with some classic clips from over eleven years of shows! Join us as we dip into the archives and react to some memorable moments, from the original test pilot in 2010 to a couple of fantastic guests. We also recap our sessions with NBA 2K10 PC using the recently-released fixed official roster, …

How would we create the worst possible NBA Live and NBA 2K games, using elements from previous releases? This week, we join the community in choosing the worst mechanics in both series. We also reflect on our recent sessions with Blacktop in NBA 2K14, Road to the EBC in NBA 2K6, and NBA Jam: On Fire Edition using johnz1's Legends On Fire Edition mo…

Revisiting NBA in the Zone 2 and NBA 2K13 has us reflecting on the fun approach of the sim-arcade hybrid, and comparing retro season roster mods to MyNBA Eras. We also discuss the WNBA Players Association calling out NBA 2K24's terrible player likenesses, imagine the ideal gameplay for NBA 2K and NBA Live by combining our favourite mechanics from p…

NBA 2K24 has been out for almost a month, and honestly, we're not feeling it right now. To that end, we join our listeners in giving the game a score out of ten. This leads us to reflect on the lack of choices in the basketball gaming space, compared to the array of titles that we once enjoyed. We speculate on why no one is stepping up to offer an …

We recently connected on Parsec to revisit a couple of our all-time favourite basketball video games: NBA 2K17 and NBA Live 06 on PC. We discuss the strong points of each game and why they hold up, as well as the satisfying feeling of playing them with mods that we made! We're also interested in the community's all-time favourites, so in this week'…

Last week we discussed our first impressions of NBA 2K24, but how are we feeling after more time on the sticks? This week we join the community in sharing our second impressions of NBA 2K24's gameplay, as well as our thoughts on the disappointingly greedy approach to MyTEAM and MyCAREER. We also catch up on a couple of older titles that are in our …

NBA 2K24 is here! We've spent some time with both versions of the game, and have some initial impressions to share. While we're mostly focusing on gameplay this week, we also share some early impressions of modes and features, as well as react to some of the issues with MyTEAM and MyCAREER that gamers are reporting. We also open up the mailbag to s…

With the release of NBA 2K24 looming, we discuss the latest details on MyTEAM, MyCAREER, and The City, and whether it's affected our anticipation and excitement for the game. We also reflect on a recent Monday Tip-Off ranking 25 all-time favourite basketball video games, and the community shares their thoughts on NBA 2K24 gameplay previews in this …

This week, we're reacting to the NBA 2K24 gameplay blog and ProPLAY trailer, Mamba Moments reveal, and details on MyPLAYER builds and Badge progression. We also recap fun sessions with NBA Live 10 and NBA 2K14, celebrate another big milestone, and join the community in sharing some of our favourite memories of Kobe Bryant. The post NLSC Podcast #49…

This week's episode is all about the announcement that NBA 2K24 will feature Season Passes in MyTEAM and MyCAREER. We join the community in sharing our opinions on the concept, point out the hypocrisy and greed of the suits, and consider the possible impact it will have on this year's game and future titles alike. The post NLSC Podcast #491: A Tipp…

As we await the first previews of NBA 2K24, a war of words has broken out between Sim Nation, comp players, and the cheesers. We discuss the toxicity of the discourse, and share some thoughts from the community. We also recap what we've been playing (and modding) this past week, and discuss personal agendas with Top 10 lists. The post NLSC Podcast …

How much should basketball video games cost, from the base price to any microtransactions we may indulge in? A recent NBA 2K24 rumour prompts us to join the community in discussing fair prices and practices. We also respond to Jeff Teague's comparison of James Harden and Dwyane Wade, and recommend a new PlayStation 1 emulator. The post NLSC Podcast…