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Kobe is the closest, but no one can really compare to Jordan.

"This isn't just the best basketball game ever; it's the best sports game of this generation." According to IGN. I don't usually agree with them, but those are some lofty words.

The demo was off the chains, and I don't normally play sports videogames as often as I used to - mostly due to year over year marginal updates. But I am seriously thinking about picking this one up. Even without the MJ endorsement, NBA 2K11 had me tingling in places I did not know I had.

In all honesty, it does not surprise me if 2K did happen to pull of the definitive sports game this generation. They did last generation with NFL 2K5. Or for that matter, the entire NFL 2K series. But 2K5 was easily the epitome of sports videogames last-gen, and the epitome of American pro football video games for several years into this gen, even. So no longer having to divide up the company's time, resources and creators between the two sports, and being able to focus all their best people on a single sport, it does not surprise me in the least that for the second generation in a row, they have created the definitive sports experience in videogame form.

After all, there is a very good reason why EA has cancelled their basketball game this year . . . and they have not cancelled a high profile sports game since Sony bitch slapped Madden with NFL Gameday back in 1996. Sometimes you just know when even your bestest, best effort, is well shy of where the competition is at, and it's time to head back to the drawing board. Of course the last time EA got handed their ass over a sports game (autumn 2004), they bought up a monopoly on American football the following year, and cheated the competition out of any chance of competing on a fair field of play. My guess is next year, they will come back with NBA Elite 12, and found a way to have bought off the NBA exclusively. That way, just like with Madden 06 - 09, they won't actually have to make their basketball game any better, having underhandedly killed off the competition.

More like Madden 06- present day

I agree with all your points FreeSwag. Although they do still make a hockey game, which has unfortunately fallen from grace. I hope they bring it back to life soon.

This is probably the first basketball game I have ever really wanted on console since I owned a Sega Genesis.

Just a quick heads up people. The online in 2K11 is awful again. Dropped games, Lag, etc...

If your thinking of buying this game for it's online, then i would keep an eye on the official 2k forums to see if they address the issues. The online has been broken for the past 2 years, so i wouldn't hold my breath.

I wouldn't be so quick to say that, ive played 8 games already, all of them were smooth. The server did go down but once it got back up, things went back to normal for me. Then again, it may change at any moment.lol.