12 Things To Look For In The NBA 2K12 Demo

The highly-awaited demo for NBA 2K12 made its way to Xbox Live and Playstation Network yesterday and fans are now getting a taste of what to expect when the game ships on October 4th. The brief demo places you in a rematch of the 2011 NBA Finals as the Dallas Mavericks at home as they face the Miami Heat.

Much like previous demos in the 2K series, commentary and gameplay options have been cut so as to not give too much away. You can't even switch out to play the Heat, possibly not to spoil you with two of the highest rated current players to mess with. Or it could be because 2K Sports likes winners, so they "stuck" you with the Mavs.

While a shortened one quarter demo is not enough to make an assumption on the quality of the final game, there are bits and pieces that fans will be able to pick apart and mull over until October. And no, LeBron's hairline isn't one of them.

Here is what I noticed from playing the demo several times over:

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1. The music video opener - Before the game even starts, you are treated to a tv broadcast style introduction of the top players from the dressing room to the court with pre-packaged game action interspersed to Jamaica's "By The Numbers." Unfortunately, the NBA is NBC Theme is MIA.


2. Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade love Chris Paul - New Orleans point guard Chris Paul is one of the best on the open floor during a fast break and he has a signature move where he seemingly throws the ball in front of him but runs fast enough to catch up to it and continue his dribble. Few players try it because it's a dangerous move that can lead to easy steals if your name isn't Chris Paul. Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade used this move several times during my playthroughs. Curious, I guess...


3. Hello (and Goodbye?), Rudy Fernandez - The starting lineup of the Mavericks is way off from what we saw in the NBA Finals. Caron Butler is back and healthy, but Rudy Fernandez is also a starter as well, after spending the past two seasons toiling under the black hole that is Andre Miller and Portland. This group might not be the same you see in two weeks because 2K Sports won't be able to update the rosters until after the lockout ends and Kotaku has reported that the rosters will be similar to the last patch that NBA 2K11 got, pre-Fernandez trade.


4. Only Jason Kidd can pass like Jason Kidd - The most common complaint I heard in NBA 2K11 was that passing was either awful or unfair because of the defense's uncanny knack for picking off passes. I learned that the hard way, but I also realized that I can't expect Dwight Howard to make the same precision pass that a Steve Nash or a Kidd would throw. So I adapted and only threw risky passes with competent players. In other words, I learned to suck less at passing. Something to consider.


5. LeBron James is wearing the Nike LeBron 9 - Coincidence that the shoe was also officially announced yesterday? Hmmmm...


6. Dwyane Wade is wearing the Jordan Fly Wade - Because no one else does. Sorry, D-Wade...


7. Jason Kidd is wearing generic shoes again - I guess Peak isn't in the game...


8. Dirk Nowitzki likes to move - To compliment his unorthodox game, 2K has given Dirk a full repertoire of animations that look more akin to a guard than somebody of his height. The improved post game shows off Dirk's sweet jump shot(s) and fadeaway that are scary accurate, right down to the leg kick.


9. Catch and shoot never looked so good in a video game - Aside from my favorite play of letting Dirk go to work on Chris Bosh or LeBron and overwhelm them with post moves, I also enjoyed setting up Fernandez for a three-pointer as he ran through screens. The smooth transition from Fernandez catching the ball to shooting it is just fun to watch. Reggie Miller would be proud.


10. Shots and layups around the rim need a while to get used to - The increased freedom in determing what kind of shot you take close to the basket resulted in more than a few bad shots for myself. Having more options as to what to do if a defender comes also means that you might randomly flick the right stick and end up with a blocked shot or careen out of bounds.


11. The vaccum isn't as obvious - During battles for the loose ball in previous 2K games, you could at times easily see the ball magically land in the hands of somebody almost immediately. 2K12 can even take you into the stands to go after the ball, which can happen if you're not paying attention and you lead your guy into a place even Metta World Peace wouldn't dare go.


12. In the last possesion of the quarter, LeBron dribbled the clock down only to pass it to D-Wade for a bad shot - I swear this happened at least three times and I didn't double team LeBron to force the ball out of his hands.

Source : 12 Things To Look For In The NBA 2K12 Demo