The 2D-X Excellence Award-winning NBA 2K12 is the game to purchase for the realistic pro hoops experience, but those desirous of a pick-up-and-play multiplayer madness that’s both fun and addictive, look no farther than EA’s NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. Simultaneously new and nostalgic, the downloadable title sports simple controls, wacky characters, and an emphasis on over-the-top entertainment that’s expertly narrated by returning series announcer Tim Kitzrow.

NBA Jam: OFE features the classic 2 vs. 2 nearly-anything-goes arcade action featured in the recent NBA Jam reboot. There aren’t any fouls, three seconds violations, double dribbles, or other momentum-stopping calls; shot clock violations and goaltending are the only observed rules. That’s old, but here’s what new: You can finally switch between teammates on the fly (previously, if you played a one-player game, you were locked in as one baller). It might not seem like a big deal, but this added mechanic gives you more control and opens up a huge amount of strategic possibilities.

Surprisingly, NBA Jam: OFE is incredibly deep. On defense, every attempted maneuver (blocks, shoves, steals) keeps your player locked into place until the animation plays out. On offensive, your goal is to avoid these moves by all means, which transforms the matchups into mental tug-of-wars as the defensive player tries to anticipate a move and time a shove or block to obtain the ball. It’s incredibly fun and rewarding. Soaring to the rim and scoring with a monstrous dunk by our Commander In Chief Barack Obama, and then following that with a Dick Cheney three is the essence of NBA Jam.

Taunting your opponent by taking sitting three pointers or no look shots is both hilarious and demoralizing. But the real fun begins when you score three unanswered buckets with the same player. The virtual athlete catches on fire and gains infinite turbo, so every dunk becomes more showtimey (somersaults!) and scoring scorches the net. This mechanic has been around since NBA Jam‘s arcade days, and is still as rewarding as ever. A new addition is the Team Fire ability, which kicks in when a team nails three alley oops in a row. Team Fire lasts either twenty seconds or until the opposing team performs an alley oop of their own–and can be utterly devastating as you can put up big points quickly.

Of course it wouldn’t be NBA Jam without the vocal stylings of Tim Kitzrow. The squeaks of the sneakers, the groans from players, and thumps from emphatic dunks wouldn’t matter without the famous BOOMSHAKALAKA blaring through your speakers.  There are also some cool references to pop culture, like the ”Pants on the Ground” craze that was made famous by American Idol. Hearing Tim Kitzrow recite the lyrics literally had me in tears from laughter. The visuals are roughly the same as the previous Jam’s: Large 2D faces on animated 3D models. They convey the game’s goofy good times.

The previous NBA Jam featured Remix Tour; sadly that’s out. It’s replaced by a new career mode called Road Trip. Here you face off with each NBA team in a bronze, silver and gold challenges. The challenges become increasingly difficult. All Bronze challenges are regular two-on-two match ups, but normality ends there. Silver and Gold challenges are far more difficult as they have their own oddball settings (such as dunks being worth four points, or threes being worth one). This makes you think about the team you choose for each challenge and adds even more depth and strategy to the game. You are also rewarded Jam Bucks that can be spent unlocking players, teams, and game types. The only major downside? Lag plagues online gameplay sessions. More than half of the matches I found online, were absolutely unplayable.

Still, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition is an excellent arcade sports title. For 1200 Microsoft Points, or $14.99 on the PlayStation Network you get an insane, addictive and surprisingly deep arcade basketball experience. Get it. Now.

Kobe being Kobe.

Sports fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting for the NBA to resolve its contract disputes, as there’s a very real chance that there won’t be a season this year. The threat of an NBA lockout means that there’s only one place to turn for authentic hoops action: NBA 2K12. Visual Concepts’ b-ball game has something for every NBA fan: Older players will enjoy the evolution of 2K11‘s Jordan Challenges, which lets gamers play with Hall of Famers in big games. Younger players will appreciate the revamped My Player mode, which lets gamers guide a player’s career. In short, Visual Concepts has captured all the flair and drama of the NBA, and throws players in the middle of it. If we don’t have a season this year, we can all sit down and make our own with a new online association that has many strong points and just a few minor setbacks.

NBA 2K12 looks, feels, and sounds like the real thing. The broadcast TV like team intros make you feel like your sitting at home watching an NBA game. The players all have their signature moves and attributes; Lebron throws his powder, and Wade hangs off the rim. Players have their official shooting forms and free throw motions; these are the small touches that give the game a really polished feel. In addition, the iso motions have never felt easier to perform, the many different jump shots have their disadvantages and advantages, and the dunks are more jarring and momentous than ever.

Graphically, NBA 2K12 surpasses its predecessor. The players’ faces have received the biggest bump; Kobe Bryant no longer looks like an alien, and Mark Gasol doesn’t like a ghoul (lesser known players still need some work, however). The animations are all smooth, fluid, and life-like. The arenas look exactly like their real life counter parts, and crowds interacts with players if they fall into the first row (they either try to catch you or let you fall depending on whether your home or away). Jerseys are detailed and sway when players move, tattoos are accurate, and signature sneakers are on the respective players’ feet (so Paul wears his Jordan’s, Kobe wears his Nikes).

CP3 balling in his Jordans.

The game sounds like a true-to-life NBA broadcast. The crowds are loud, and the commentators are spot on. They discuss players’ current situations and stats, and if an exciting play is occurring they speak out with excitement, only to return to their previous conversation afterwards. The on-court sounds are phenomenal; players groan they battle for position in the paint, sneakers squeak as you cut around the court, and the beautiful swoosh after a heart breaking shot sounds clear. You can blindfold someone and sit them down and they would not know that this was a video game–the sound is that good.

Visual Concepts has learned from its previous mistakes. Last years brutal, psychic ball snatching AI is toned down from cheap to realistic. The defense will still punish errant passes, and lazy offense, but it doesn’t feel cheap. Games played  on Hall of Fame difficulty are close and difficult but if you play smart and well it’s not impossible to win like last years game. The rosters are without rookies or updates–they are the way they were on the last day of the last season. This isn’t Visual Concepts fault; if the lockout is resolved in the near future, expect an update.

"I'm above the rim and this is how I ball."

Players’ signature moves are all authentic and realistic in 2K12; this is where Visual Concepts hit the nail on the head. If you’ve seen a player take a certain shot during a television broadcast, you will see that during games. Kobe has his famous fade away jumper, Derrick Rose has his highlight reel passes, Lebron crushes the rim with his powerful tomahawk jams. On defense you have the ability to lock players down, mainly because the basketball is no longer attached to players; it’s now a free-flowing object. If you try to push down court and dribble the ball in front of you, the ball can hit the back of a player’s leg or a defender can easily snatch it away. You can also bolt down court and block dunks from behind–it all adds to the game’s realism. The crowd and players on the bench react realistically, too, so if you’re taking a three by the opposing teams bench, they’ll jump off the bench to distract you. If you hit said three, however, the opposing team’s crowd sinks into their seat.

The online multiplayer is much like last year’s game, but with a major feature added. Players can now begin an online Association with friends or complete strangers. Everything included in the offline Association is present here. You can drafts rookies, sign free agents, and trade players. Thankfully, trades are subject to league approval, meaning that the other players can stop bad trades or attempts at cheating by casting a vote on whether a trade should occur. The players also have to stick to a set schedule, so if someone can’t play their game it’s simulated or computer controlled against a human player. This can be frustrating, but it keeps things moving forward.

Old school game, old school broadcast.

The online multiplayer does have a flaw, a small one, but does hurt the experience a bit. If you were hoping to create classic match ups like Bird vs. Magic, you have to pay cash. Classic teams are now-pay to-play online which is a bit surprising, and comes off as 2K trying to take a bite out of the DLC pie.  The offline franchise is still has everything you remember, but with an added level of presentation. Playoff games feel and look different than regular season games, and the commentators speak to the situations teams are in. If you’ve been having an off-year and your record is less than .500, you will see attendance, dwindle. If you’re winning games, be ready for the thundering cheers of a sell out crowd. Small additions but draw you in to the experience.

If you rather focus on your individual stats then dive into My Player mode, Visual Concepts improved on everything players enjoyed about last year’s outing. The slow drowned out progress system moves along at a quicker pace; you don’t spend as much time in the D-league with the day-to-day nuisances, and spend most of your time in the NBA. Here you can earn cash to upgrade your skills, take the team out to build chemistry, or work at youth centers to increase your fans. You can also enter the hall of fame by meeting 10 of the 15 laid out requirements before the end of your career. These can range from making All-Star teams to winning championships.

NBA’s Greatest mode is my hands down favorite inclusion this year. Visual Concepts ran with the Jordan Challenge idea and has made it into a tribute for the players of yesteryear. Here you play with Jordan, Magic, Bird, West, and eleven other Hall of Famers (and their respective teams), to play out some of their legendary games. The presentation is spot on; when you play a game before 1965 you won’t see three pointers, as they didn’t exist then. Also, if the game were broadcast in black and white, you’ll play in black and white. Some gamers might not like this effect (and, unfortunately, there isn’t any way to turn off this effect), but I loved it. Winning these games unlocks these teams for use in exhibition games.

NBA 2K12 can’t replace the possibility of a lost NBA season, but it comes close. This might be the only basketball fans get this year, so let’s be thankful that it’s this damned good. The presentation is incredible, and is akin to an actual NBA game. The tribute in the form of NBA Greatest mode is a great distraction from the franchise and multiplayer, and is a great history lesson for younger players. If you’re a sports fan looking for a great gaming experience this is the definitive sports game to get.

Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning
Peyton is easily number one on this list (look at the real world Colts without him). Peyton sports a 98 overall rating, 94 throwing power, 96 throwing accuracy, and an inhuman 99 awareness. His in-game abilities fall just short of Tom Brady’s, but with a non-existent defense and an offense that won’t stand a chance without him, he’s far more valuable to his team. Colts users will need to keep him healthy, because if he goes down your alternative is….
Kerry Collins
Say goodbye to that impressive accuracy. Although Collins has the arm strength to throw the deep ball, his 67 accuracy is less then impressive–it’s downright awful. You also lose that amazing awareness that Peyton brings to the table. This 16-year veteran isn’t gonna break your chances at winning with a 78 overall rating, but he will damper them. A lot.

New England Patriots: Tom Brady
The Field General is easily the key to much of the Patriots’ success. Brady’s the best player in Madden NFL 2012 with a 99 overall, 98 awareness, 95 throwing power, and 97 accuracy; he’s almost impossible to stop once he’s in a good rhythm. If the opposing defense takes him out early you better hope your defense is up, because his back up is a young QB by the name of…
Brian Hoyer
This second year QB has almost no field experience, and his 66 overall reflects that. When he’s in the game the Patriots go from being one of the best teams in Madden NFL 12 to remarkably average. Players lose their deep threat, Chad Ochocinco, due to Hoyer’s meager throwing accuracy (68), and his lackluster arm strength (77). This inexperienced QB makes games that much more difficult to win.

Tennessee Titans: Chris Johnson
The man that gave himself the moniker “Every Coach’s Dream” is also every Madden players’ dream. This guy is scary to face on the virtual field, and will gain 100+ yards in a decent player’s hands every game. With a 96 overall rating, 99 acceleration, and 99 speed he is almost untouchable. To make matters worse for defenders, Johnson has a 98 juke; I dare you to try to land a open field hit on this guy. If you have to replace Johnson, you have to deal with…
Javon Ringer
Ringer slows down your running game drastically with a speed of 85 and his overall 73 rating. You can no longer abuse the defense and pound the ball. Plus, you better tuck the ball when you run; one clean hit will cause a fumble as Johnson’s carrying is only 76.

San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis
Pat Willis brings the pain in Madden. He is a sure tackle every time he’s near the ball carrier. Clean shots with the Hit Stick are not only wince-inducing tackles, but they often cause fumbles. Without him, the 49ers’ defense easily falls apart. Willis’ packs a 98 overall rating, and a good portion of that is tied to his fast feet. He’s one of the speedier backers in the game with a 90 speed and 96 acceleration; his 98 tackle ability is no slouch either. Should Willis go down, you might survive with his replacement…
Tavares Gooden
This isn’t the best case, but things could be worse. Gooden has an 80 overall, and has really good pursuit at 88 and can shed blocks with the best of them with a 90 block shedding rating. You do lose your side line to side line speed if Patrick goes down, but if you play a good contain game you should survive on defense. Just make sure to guard the middle well.

New York Giants: Justin Tuck
Justin Tuck is the glue to a young New York defense. His power and finesse make it tough on any offense to run his way; if you’re brave enough to challenge his side of the field be ready to get stuffed. The combination of power and speed make him an offensive linemen’s nightmare. A 94 overall, 84 speed, 93 finesse moves, and 83 power moves makes it easy to see why. If he gets injured, you can gurantee that your oppenent will attack his back up…
Dave Tollefson
With Tollefson you lose the ability to contain runs and get to the QB efficiently, with his lack of moves. His power moves are rated 60 and his finesse moves are only 73. He’s slow with a 74 speed and has a hard time shedding blocks with a 78 rating there. The offense will run to his side often. When you go from a guy rated 94 to a 75, you better bet opponents are gonna take advantage.

Without these guys you can bet that their respective teams become ineffective, especially in a stats heavy game like Madden. Be sure to keep these guys healthy if you want a chance at winning. Very healthy.

So…are you ready for some football?

NFL Street (2004, Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube)
Seven-on-seven street football with no fouls and a practically no penalties makes for one hell of a good time. NFL Street took the American football rulebook and tossed it aside for a more relaxed yet gritty vibe. Every player was the equivalent of a sports video game demigod as they never got injured and hit like Mac trucks. Factor in the NBA Street-esque Gamebreakers (tide-changing offensive and defensive moves) and NFL Street had everything needed for a few good sessions with friends.

Mutant League Football (1993, Genesis)
Young’ns may never have heard of Mutant League Football, but it’s one of the more memorable sports title of the 16-bit era. Running on the Madden ’93 engine, Mutant League Football was basically Madden ’93, but with more blood, guts and gore. Death in this game was common (the field was littered with land mines and fire pits), you could bribe refs to call phony penalties (like 10 yards for crying), and these was jetpack use. In fact, Mutant League Football was so good that it got its own cartoon. How many other football games can say that?

NFL Blitz (1998, Playstation, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color)
NFL Blitz was the first football game I ever played and it is, by far, still my favorite. Its lenient rules and over-the-top gameplay made many proclaim that it was the football version of NBA Jam. How could you not love NFL Blitz? The game featured suplexes, throws, turbo boosts, crazy cheats, and Mortal Kombat‘s Raiden delivering thunder-god worthy elbow drops. Sadly, Midway lost the NFL license and the NFL part of Blitz was put to rest.

Tecmo Super Bowl (1991, Nintendo Entertainment System)
A lot of people remember playing Tecmo Bowl against their friends in the arcade. They may even remember the original NES Tecmo Bowl. But the best of them all was Tecmo Super Bowl. It featured all 24 NFL Teams and their actual names as well as in-depth stat tracking–there was no other football game as robust in the 8-bit era.  Tecmo Super Bowl set the stage for every football game on this list, so when you fire up Madden NFL 12 give respect where respect is due and acknowledge the gangta.

ESPN NFL 2K5 (2004, Playstation 2, Xbox)
ESPN NFL 2K5 was one of the best football games to go head-to-head against the Madden NFL franchise. ESPN NFL 2K5 gave players all of the important features Madden had at the time plus in-depth create-a-team and create-a-player options, and notable celebrity interactions with Jamie Kennedy, Carmen Electra, and Funkmaster Flex. At only $19.99, many gamers stated that 2K5 was better than Madden and offered more bang for the buck. R.I.P. (for now). And speaking of Madden…

Madden NFL Series (1988, Nearly God Damned Everything)
Don’t hate the king, baby. Madden NFL has been around since 1988 (back when it was known as John Madden Football) and has been on pretty much every electronic device that will play a video game, from the Apple II to Nintendo 3DS. The Madden NFL franchise will probably never die; even if there were no season this year EA would have still released the game to keep diehards from killing kittens. Madden NFL is by far the most realistic and accurate football game that has ever been created. EA continuously reinvents and revamps its gameplay system every few years or so, and though there have been games to come up and try to take the crown, Madden continually shuts down the competition. Taking a page from the game’s supercharged Philadelphia Eagles, Madden NFL is the strongest in the league.

Team 17 announced Worms Crazy Golf, an upcoming PSN, Steam, and iOS release. A mixture of the screwball strategy classic 2D Worms, and golf, not many could say they saw this coming.

“Who could have known that two of our favourite things would work so well together?” says Team 17 Head of Design John Dennis in the press release. “While probably not an obvious combination, Worms Crazy Golf is an irreverent mash-up of our own turn-based strategy game “Worms” and everyone’s favorite turn-based game of ‘hitting little balls with sticks’.”

There are a hefty amount of returning weapons and gear despite the new setting: sheep, old woman, mole, magnets and mines among others. Expect it to be far from a typical golf game, however, as the level design is described as “increasingly puzzling” while there will be many obstacles, such as castles that teleport your ball, cannons that shoot it across the level, and “obstructive comedy bats.”

The game will retain its 2D format similar to the Worms Armageddon format, after an attempt to go 3D flopped.

“We’ve had a great deal of fun playing the game in multiplayer during development,” Dennis continues in the press release, “and with four-player social multiplayer support, it has all the hallmarks of the “Worms” brand: the trash-talking, pressure to make the shot, terribly unhelpful ‘advice’ from opponents, and often hilarious consequences when that risky shot that could have won the game goes terribly wrong. If players get half as much enjoyment out of it as we’ve already had, then we’ll be very, very happy.”

Despite its Apple, PlayStation, and Steam release plans for later this year Worms Crazy Golf has not had an Xbox 360 announcement.

“Another year, another Madden” is how many Madden critics express their frustrations toward the annually updated football franchise, but this year’s iteration, Madden NFL 12, looks to shake up the series with several new features and improvements–mainly “Dynamic Player Performance.”

In previous Madden games, EA has had issues differentiating athletes’ styles who had very similar performance ratings. The new Dynamic Player Performance system replicates actual player tendencies during gameplay. For example, after taking too many sacks while using Michael Vick, the Eagles QB became run-focused to avoid getting popped in the pocket again. It’s not that CPU took over, but it appeared that Vick received a bit of a speed boost that allowed him to move faster–not that different from real games were Vick will run faster to get away from the defensive line when he’s in trouble. We’re awaiting confirmation from EA to see if this is indeed the case.

EA has developed 18 traits with different settings to differentiate player tendencies on both the offensive and defensive ends. I noticed that some linebackers became more aggressive–actively chasing down the ball–as the game continued. However, player tendencies can also change depending on the way users play.

Madden NFL 12‘s new collision system gives gamers full control up to the point of collision. According to EA, the new system “uses a player’s momentum and over 100 new tackle animations, including 40 gang tackles, harder hits, stolen tackles, and consecutive hit tackling”. It was quite entertaining to see multiple players pile onto one wide receiver. In addition, EA has supposedly removed suction blocking. In case anyone was wondering, suction blocking is when your character is seemingly “magnetically” pulled towards the computer-controlled opponent that’s blocking you. This stops you from taking another route to get around the defense. The offensive game will greatly benefit from this removal if it is indeed gone.

EA claims that this year’s game has ”the smartest Madden defense ever.” Now defensive players in zone and man coverage will accurately recognize and react to plays. They will also break out of assignments when it is appropriate, resulting in a defensive team that works fluidly and accurately together.

One thing that many fans have clamored for is a change to the franchise mode. It’s been plagued with problems ranging from “glitches online and off” to “it doesn’t really feel immersive enough.” I’m happy to say that EA has answered the call. Madden NFL 12 has preseason roster cuts, an all-new new draft scouting system, free agent bidding, a completely revamped offseason team management, the return of player roles, the ability to trade of future draft picks, and much, much more.

Madden NFL ’12 also has custom playbooks, which lets gamers create their own playbooks or modify others. With the ability to choose up to 400 offensive or defensive plays from 75 different playbooks and mix-and-match what you want, this will satisfy hardcore Madden fan.

All teams now have their own specific entrances when they arrive on the field,  and EA has also changed the camera presentation so that the arriving moments, team huddles and kick-off’s look like that of an official NFL game presentation. I can say that I was extremely impressed with the graphics; the players and the field looked stunning. The crowd and other NPCs moved stiffly, however.

EA certainly has a lot of pressure on its shoulders with Madden NFL ’12. Fans have been in a bit of a love-hate struggle with the previous games. Here’s hoping that Madden NFL ’12 lives up to the high expectations.

Supremacy MMA, published by 505 Games and developed by Kung Fu Factory, will receive a PlayStation Vita release to go along side the previously announced  PS3 and Xbox 360 releases. The mixed martial arts game is expected to hit the PS Vita in the vague “holiday season” and on September 20, 2011 for PS3 and Xbox 360. But it won’t be a simple port; the PS Vita version will pack exclusive content, such as new fighters, venues, and features.

Supremacy MMA will be the only MMA fighting game released in 2011, which makes it the only MMA fighting game on the PS Vita as well. Ricci Rukavina, CEO of Kung Fu Factory, said “Vita’s technical innovations and jaw-dropping graphics make this a great platform for our brand of fast paced brutal and bloody combat.”

Supremacy MMA will be the first MMA fighting game to have female fighters, with Felice Herrig and Michelle Gutierrez available as playable characters. Supremacy MMA also marks a departure from the UFC Undisputed fighting game franchise, which has a focus on realism and simulation. Former UFC champion Jens Pulver will be a playable fighter.

Ian Howe, president of 505 games said, “The arcade-styled gameplay is perfectly suited for quick handheld sessions, and the game looks amazing on Sony’s hot new tech.”

NBA Jam‘s 2010 resurrection set sports gaming aflame thanks to creative director Trey Smith’s genuine love for the storied franchise (and input from Jam creator Mark Turmell) that saw the title match the high-flying fun that its arcade predecessors such a smash hit. Praised by both fans and critics alike, NBA Jam was quite the well received arcade sports title, but there were a few issues that dampened and otherwise excellent game. NBA Jam: On Fire Edition fixes those issues this fall.

A$15 PS3 and Xbox 360 downloadable, NBA Jam: On Fire Edition now lets players switch between ballers on the fly—one of the most requested features from Jam fans. This dramatically changes the Jam experience; in my hands-on time with the game at a recent EA event, I found that relying on my own instincts to switch on and off was far more effective at waxing opponents than hoping my computer-controlled teammate would fit into my offensive and defensive schemes. Even better, you can now call for alley-oops and shoves (which can act as extremely hardcore picks).

Jam wouldn’t be Jam without its over-the-top elements, and the On Fire Edition serves up even more shenanigans such as ”Team Fire.” The latter occurs when you score three consecutive alley-oops, igniting both of you and your teammate in blue flames. “Team Fire” has a potentially shorter lifespan than an individual player being on fire. It dissipates after 20 seconds, or after a rival scores an alley-oop, whichever comes first. Still, it’s quite deadly; I eliminated a 15 point deficit in the fourth quarter against one smack-talking Avion Foster-Jarvis by downing three from deep behind the arc. You can ball locally or online.

EA Sports has added Razzle Dazzle moves to the mix, showboating moves that occur when you thoroughly scorch an opponent.  Another more radical change has happened behind the scenes. NBA Jam: On Fire Edition adopts Fight Night‘s REAL. A.I. system, which is designed to create a more organic CPU opponent.  A.I.behavior will be based on basketball archetypes – Big Man, Forward, All-Rounder, Shooting Guard and Point Guard. In addition, at any given time gamers have the option of playing against their own A.I. to stare at their own game in the mirror.

NBA Jam: On Fire Edition promises to be the most player-packed game in the series, featuring all 30 NBA teams and even more returning classic players (none of which were available to play in the demo build I sat down with). Smith was tight-lipped on the new faces, but he stated that NBA fans won’t be disappointed with the new roster additions, which includes stars from older Jams that didn’t make it into last year’s remake.

2K Sports has revealed the cover athletes for NBA 2K12. That’s right, the plural isn’t a typo: This years edition of the popular sports title will feature three different Hall of Fame-class cover athletes.

His Airness Michael Jordan returns to grace the cover of NBA 2K12 on October 4th,  but this time with his two bitter rivals, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The Bird and Johnson covers will only be available for the first printing of NBA 2K12. After that, they’re gone.

Adam Larso, who’s work has been featured in many places including ESPN magazine, is the talent behind the dynamic box art.