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" Release Date: October 2 (North America), October 5 (Europe) Platforms available on: Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Wii, Wii U, PC Developer: Visual Concepts Publisher: 2K Sports Genre: Sports The NBA 2K series is something of an oddity in the virtual sporting environment, proving too powerful a franchise for even the might of Electronic Arts to match. Despite its excellent reputation, however, NBA 2K13 continues to tweak and change the series&amp;#039; already impressive gameplay, while the addition of Jay-Z as executive producer adds a little extra flair behind-the-scenes. With the recent cancellation of NBA Live 2013, 2K Sports has got the court to themselves for another full season, making their decision to tinker with a winning formula all the more commendable, even if it doesn&amp;#039;t always get it right.  Perhaps the most significant change has been made to the way the game controls. Utilising the twin stick method found in most sports games, NBA 2K13 assigns movement to the left analogue stick and the flashy dribbling techniques to the right, essentially dividing the sticks into upper and lower body actions. Mastering the new technique requires practice and some experimentation, but it ultimately makes it more of a pleasure to dribble through those tight-knit defences.  Unfortunately, intuitive dribbling techniques are introduced at the expense of shooting, which is now performed by holding the left trigger with the right stick. Having to use an awkward modifier for something as important as shooting is at odds with the fluidity of the build up play. It&amp;#039;s hard to say definitively, but it might have been better to pair the modifier with the dribbling instead. Fortunately, however, face buttons can also be used to shoot, which goes some way towards solving the problem. The Xbox 360 version also makes use of Kinect, going the FIFA 13 route of intelligently integrating it through voice commands. Users can call for the ball, make tactical and personnel changes, and even complain to the referee, the latter of which sometimes leads to personal fouls depending on the language.  It&amp;#039;s not quite as responsive as FIFA 13 - possibly because it&amp;#039;s geared towards American audiences/voices - but it does feature more streamlined menus for making substitutions.  In terms of gameplay modes, NBA 2K13 doesn&amp;#039;t reinvent the wheel, but adds enough to keep things interesting. The focus is clearly on the created player campaign, which sees rookies drafted to the NBA with all of the media attention and player power that comes with it. Even before the game begins, users are encouraged to customise a player from a rich selection of options, the result of which is proudly displayed on the main menu screen.  Your career starts with a rookie game followed by a series of entertaining draft interviews, with questions covering everything from your ability to slot into a certain system, to how well you&amp;#039;d cope with a cold winter. Playing in matches and successfully completing dynamic objectives, such completing all passes within a quarter, earns players skill points, which can be spent on new skills, attributes and equipment. Skill points can also be spent on training camps with legendary players such as Larry Bird. Alongside the standard, drill-based mini-games, training camps can be used to improve very specific aspects of your game. Equipable signature skills are an extension of this, giving players an advantage when taking baseline shots or passing for dunks, for example. The deep RPG-esque career mode is made all the more engaging thanks to press conferences, advertising campaigns, meetings with the manager and social media, the latter of which sees you gain local and celebrity followers, increasing your power within a club.  Speaking of celebrities, NBA 2K13 is endorsed by some popular and powerful figures in the world of entertainment. As executive producer, Jay-Z is responsible for picking the excellent soundtrack, which features a wide array of hip-hop and R&amp;#039;n&amp;#039;B tunes, as well as the odd number from bands such as Coldplay. Highlight packages and music videos also benefit from the rapper&amp;#039;s touch, making NBA 2K13 one of the better presented games in recent years. Hearkening back to the days of NBA Jam, there&amp;#039;s also an unfathomably talented celebrity team, featuring the likes of Justin Bieber, Jersey Shore&amp;#039;s Pauly D, and even Kevin from the US Office. For those who prefer a team with a little more credibility, the current American Olympic team and 1992 US Dream Team also make an appearance, the licensing for the latter being personally handled by Jay-Z. Players can take individual players and teams to the streets in games of half-court basketball in NBA Blacktop, or participate in the incredibly deep Association mode - which sees users manage almost every aspect of their team - both online and off. With an enormous pool of game modes and extras, NBA 2K13 is an incredibly deep and generous package, even if unwieldy menu and saving screens make it a difficult game to navigate. The visuals are also worthy of praise, providing some of the slickest animations this console generation has ever seen. The physics engine, which plays a huge role on such a tightly packed court, could use some work, however. Physics complaints, menu screens and minor control issues aside, NBA 2K13 goes above and beyond the rim, packing in an enormous amount of content both on and off the court, providing yet another another slam dunk instalment for 2K Sports.   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/review/a410862/nba-2k13-review-xbox-360-another-slam-dunk-for-2k-sports/>