Toronto Raptors Ramblings

NBA 2K8 vs. The Best of the Best

When NBA 2K8 said ‘we’ll send you our game to try out, will you post a little ad widget’, I said as long as you know if the game sucks that’s what I’ll be writing (and not posting your link). No problem.

NBA 2K8 vs. Double Dribble

In 1987 Konami released one of the finest hoops games ever. In a nasally computer voice the words “Double Dribble” echoed out of my NES thousands of times. This addiction all culminated in a matchup vs. Clint Williams, a self proclaimed DD star at my school. We played our championship game on a 55 inch wood paneled t.v. and it was a bloodbath from the get go. Clint was totally and utterly dominated because (amongst other things) he didn’t even know about the automatic 3 pointer. It was like playing a child. Today I would be some kind of kind wunder on a video game circuit….and yet maybe things didn’t turn out that bad after all.

Though I’ve logged about a thousand less games of NBA 2K8 give or take a few games here’s the run down.

Cost

NBA 2K8: $44.99

Double Dribble: $3.99 (buy now price on Ebay). Given you probably have to buy an NES that’s another $38.00 on Ebay, so we’re up to $42.00 total.

Advantage: Double Dribble

Game Modes / Options

NBA 2K8: Do you even have any idea what you can do with these new systems? Do you realize all us fantasy sports geeks have barely even scratched the surface of true glory (read: geek-dome)? Do you even know what’s going to happen to divorce rates / cheating if this ever gets marketed properly?

Today, right now, you could be having live NBA 2K8 drafts to create your own teams in your own league, GM the thing and play it. Good god. I feel like I’m watching Cirque du Soleil on Mushrooms.

Sure you might say ‘there are too many options’ and that’s fine, but it’s 2007, you better get used to it or you won’t know how to set the VCR in 20 years from now. Keep up people.

Double Dribble: Multiple games lengths, 4 teams (with both black and white players), 3 skill levels and 1 player or ‘vs.’ mode. The huge upside here is your game is started within 21 seconds of firing up the NES. The downside is if you play one player you can’t choose the Celtics.

The classic battle of too many options vs. too few. Like I said…keep up.

Advantage: NBA 2K8

Controls

NBA 2K8: I still don’t know how to play. When I Googled the answer I felt a lot better that the gaming nerds were also complaining about this. How do kids get lit today and remember all these buttons? Kids today…a smart bunch.

Double Dribble:
Offence: A – Pass. B – Shoot.
Defence: A – Steal/Block. B – Switch Player.

Unless you are a real hard core player the new system means you lose to anybody who owns the game (or when you travel cross systems). You can still become a Double Dribble ninja but it’s more like a Wii in that anyone can play.

Advantage: Double Dribble

Playability – The Money Shots

NBA 2K8: How can Chris Bosh miss so many gimmees? Am I hitting the shoo button wrong? There is nothing more annoying than working inside for a good shot and randomly missing a lay-up with Bosh or a dunk with Bargnani. That was the one downside of NBA 2K8. This game is super fun. Make it easy, make it hard, they give you the choice. And you can use the right ‘pad’ to do some sweet Bosh fade aways.

Double Dribble: I was having lunch with Tav and as soon as I mentioned this post he said “The three point shot off the glass from the top right”. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. But it’s no gimme either. You really have to work to learn that shot. Once you do though, nobody can beat you going left to right again (note: I slaughtered Clint going both ways…honestly he was terrible).

Let’s re-enact me doing this 5 minutes ago from a site that let’s you play this online!!! Are you freaking kidding me? More on this in a moment.

Down 2-0 early to the Celtics

Notice where my guy (top right out of bounds is shooting from). note: this shot goes in...again and again.

Advantage: Tie.
NBA 2K8 is complex and all but it’s also ridiculously great. Then again, Double Dribble had the three (and don’t forget the block). After 1 quarter I was up 18 – 10 on 6 for 8 three point shooting.

Graphics:
Just kidding. See below.

Dunks

Double Dribble – Huge points for innovation, great slow motion dunks but lacking variety.

NBA 2K8 – Signature move after signature move. It's not new, but it's good.

Advantage: 2K8

Widget

Double Dribble: In 1987 a widget was only found in your Econ 101 books. But i kid you not, you can play the entire game of Double Dribble online right now. I swear. I can’t believe this. The cost section was all wrong, although playing on a computer is never the same. This widget leads you to a full game. Give it a try, see what you've got!!



Click to Play!

NBA 2K8: First the widget appeared not to post. Then i discovered it just wouldn't show up in Firefox. So I checked I.E. and guess what!? It blew up my right nav because it was so wide!

That was painful. Go to http://2ksports.com/games/nba2k8/ to see it yourself or email me and i'll send you the widget destruction code.

Summary
You can’t have a winner when it comes to comparing two different eras. We’ll never know what Wilt vs. Shaq would look like. And we don’t need to. Double Dribble has all those timeless memories, the Clint Williams’ of life, the computer run up score drubbings, the nights wishing you were cooler and not playing so many games….but it’s probably best left in the dusty confines of NES heaven. Where lots of classics should stay. Amazing in our hearts and minds.

But if they ever have an old timers video game league…somebody give me a call.

posted by WG @ 11:32 PM