NLSC Podcast

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #654 of the NLSC Podcast!

As you may know, our founders Tim, Lutz, and Brien created the NLSC way back in 1996, meaning that this year marks the 30th anniversary of our website and community. To that end, we’re celebrating the milestone by reflecting on what the NLSC means to us, sharing fond memories, and discussing our content creation philosophies. Many of our fellow basketball gamers likewise share what the NLSC has meant to them over the years via their responses to this week’s community question. We also shout out some of the recent efforts to usher in an exciting new era in our modding community; one that demonstrates a dedication to the principles that we were founded upon, and a desire to enhance basketball gaming for everyone.

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #653 of the NLSC Podcast!

Looking back at NBA 2K18 today, there can be no doubt that it was a major turning point in the NBA 2K series, and not for the better. To that end, this week we’re examining the lasting impact that NBA 2K18 had in terms of gameplay, modes, microtransactions, and overall design. We make some comparisons between Metacritic scores, contrast the reactions to NBA 2K17, recall the controversy of a site being pressured to remove their score, revisit an article that criticised the greed in MyCAREER, and react to one of the most laughable reviews of NBA 2K18. In this week’s community question, our listeners also weigh in on NBA 2K18 being a turning point and a lowlight in the series.

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

The post NLSC Podcast #653: The Lasting Impact of NBA 2K18 appeared first on NLSC.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #652 of the NLSC Podcast!

The rivalry between NBA Live and NBA 2K may have been toxic at times, but it’s something that we nevertheless miss, as it meant competition and alternatives in the basketball gaming space. This week we’re going all the way back to where the clash between these two virtual hardwood heavyweights began, as we’re reading and reacting to contemporary reviews of NBA Live 2000 PC and the original NBA 2K for Sega Dreamcast. Needless to say, we agree with some remarks more than others. We also note that many of the issues that we have with reviews of basketball titles these days were actually problems a quarter of a century ago as well, so sadly, not much has changed when it comes to the depth and accuracy of so-called “professional” video game critique!

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

The post NLSC Podcast #652: NBA Live 2000 vs. NBA 2K; A Rivalry Begins appeared first on NLSC.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #651 of the NLSC Podcast!

The big patch for NBA 2K27 is out now in preparation for the launch of Season 2, featuring a long list of gameplay changes and technical fixes. Suffice it to say that so far, many gamers are dissatisfied with the update! This week we join the community in reacting to Patch 2.0 for NBA 2K27 with some hands-on impressions, as well as thoughts on the complete lack of goodwill that comes with ruining MyPLAYER builds. To that end, we discuss how NBA 2K and other games have come to rely much too heavily on post-release updates, and how those patches far too often change things for the worse. On a brighter note, we also recap a recent game of NBA 2K9 that has us keen to continue our Chicago Bulls Association.

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #650 of the NLSC Podcast!

There have been some exciting developments over the past week or so with the revival of online features in NBA 2K15, NBA 2K16, and NBA 2K17 via community-maintained servers. Unfortunately, those efforts hit a snag following a DMCA takedown, though the project relaunched with the aim of complying with 2K, including dropping the approach of it being a paid service. One thing’s for sure, though: people are interested in revisiting old favourites, in large part due to dissatisfaction with NBA 2K27 and other recent releases. To that point, this week we join the community in reacting to those server revival projects, and the Save The Game movement that’s currently gaining traction with NBA 2K gamers.

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #649 of the NLSC Podcast!

What kind of adult plays video games? Well, as it turns out, a large majority of adults nowadays! This week, we’re tackling the topic of gaming in adult life, and the stigma that still surrounds the hobby in 2026. We discuss our experiences and attitude towards gaming as adults compared to when we were younger, and react to a couple of articles: one that outlines the benefits of gaming and shares some illuminating statistics, and one that has a very condescending and narrow-minded view of adult gamers. Our listeners also weigh in with their opinions on the matter, and contrary to some prevailing stereotypes, it would seem that we all have a healthy approach to gaming!

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #648 of the NLSC Podcast!

NBA 2K27 has been out for a few weeks now – almost a month if you include Early Access – and in that time, Derek has spent almost 90 hours playing the game. As such, this week he’s providing his in-depth review of NBA 2K27, breaking down the key positives and negatives of gameplay, modes, content, and features, and giving it a score out of ten. We also discuss the game’s current Metacritic scores, comparing the critical and user reviews to the ones for NBA 2K26 and NBA 2K17. In this week’s Community Question, our fellow gamers share their thoughts on NBA 2K27 so far, along with their scores. We wrap things up with some further advice from Derek for getting the most out of this year’s release.

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

The post NLSC Podcast #648: Dee Reviews NBA 2K27 appeared first on NLSC.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #647 of the NLSC Podcast!

The use of generative AI in video game development is unsurprisingly becoming one of the most controversial issues in the industry, drawing heavy criticism but also spirited defense of the practice. To that end, this week we join the community in discussing how generative AI could potentially be used to enhance art, commentary, and other immersive aspects of basketball video games, as well as some of the known drawbacks of the technology. A recent video talking about NHL 27 provided a great example of the latter! We also react to the forthcoming implementation of microtransactions in NBA The Run – something that we unfortunately saw coming months ago – and recap a fun session of Blacktop in NBA 2K27 using custom sliders.

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #646 of the NLSC Podcast!

NBA 2K27 is out now for everyone, which means that more gamers have had an opportunity to get their hands on this year’s release and spend ample time on the sticks. To that end, this week we join the community in sharing some further impressions of NBA 2K27 – both positive and negative – covering gameplay, modes, and content. From shooting to dunk timing to fairness in MyTEAM (or a lack thereof), we and our fellow virtual hardwood enthusiasts have a lot to say! We also react to some reviews on Steam that seem rather fishy, as well as a couple that are definitely amusing to read. We’ve also got a few thoughts about the soundtrack, and discuss an interesting detail that we discovered on the Australian PlayStation Store page for NBA 2K27.

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

The post NLSC Podcast #646: What Gamers Are Saying About NBA 2K27 appeared first on NLSC.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #645 of the NLSC Podcast!

It’s that time of the year again! The preview season is over, and NBA 2K27 is now available via Early Access for gamers who pre-ordered one of the special editions. We’re among those who have already played NBA 2K27 ahead of its full launch on September 4th, and to that end, this week we’re sharing our first hands-on impressions of the game. This includes an in-depth breakdown of all the positives and negatives about gameplay, rosters, and content that we’ve observed so far. Some of our listeners also pre-ordered NBA 2K27 in order to get their hands on it a bit earlier, and they weigh in with their thoughts on the game in this week’s community question.

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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