Last fall, the “Sports Game Wars” got ugly as the competition reached a boil between 2K Games and EA Sports. Their respective basketball games, NBA 2K5 and NBA Live 2005, each garnered a fair amount of critical and commercial praise. However, while basketball fans will argue each other under the table over which was the better game, there’s no denying that last year’s NBA 2K5 was the better value by far. 2K5 offered a full game of basketball with a focus on realistic on-court action and a bevy of great features, and came out at the bargain price of twenty bucks, half of the cost of Live ‘05. This year is a whole new ballgame between Live ’06 and 2K6, though and unfortunately for gamers and their pocketbooks, this round is going to be a bit pricier, with Live ’06 coming out of the gate at 50 bucks and 2K6 releasing at (eek!) 40 dollars, double last year’s price. What does that matter if it’s a better game, right? Well, while 2K6 does offer some nice improvements over last year’s model, it doesn’t really bring enough for a full doubling in MSRP.

Not to say that 2K6 is not a great game of basketball. Even with the loss of the ESPN endorsement, the game offers plenty for the hoop dreamer in all of us. Much like last year’s title, 2K6 is first and foremost a basketball “sim,” meaning “simulation.” Don’t expect to do any phony-baloney alley-oops and fake outs that would put the Harlem Globetrotters to shame, 2K6 is all about realism and authenticity. The game even features a deep create-a-player mode, called 24/7, which basically has you going across the country, playing against other ballers and even a few celebrities (Flava Flav, anyone?) as you beef up your characters stats and abilities.

Another new element being introduced in this entry is the Shot Stick, which allows you to use the right thumbstick to control the type of shot that your player makes. This also determines how long your player will hold on to the ball, often making or breaking the shot (something that becomes painfully apparent while shooting free throws). The Shot Stick is an interesting concept with a lot of potential, but unfortunately feels cumbersome and can be very frustrating.

The new Dual Player Control system fares a bit better, allowing you to control an off-ball character with the D-Pad in order to set up a big play. Even though it takes some getting used to, the Dual Player Control system does feel pretty nice and helps out in many scoring situations.

Unfortunately, one big problem from 2K5 was not addressed, and that’s the lousy AI. Opposing teams will act very erratically, making stupid and buggy mistakes. Overall, they don’t really seem to act as their real-life counterparts, and take away from the realistic presentation of the game.

Graphically, NBA 2K6 looks very good, with extremely realistic player models that do a fine job of representing their real life counterparts (without looking too creepy). The animations are also very fluid and smooth, and the courts look excellent. The framerate is mostly solid, with only a few instances of slowdown.

The sound has been changed up a bit, mostly due to Visual Concept’s loss of the ESPN endorsement. Bill Walton is out (bonus), and instead we get …Craig Seger. Not exactly much of a step up. The music is stock hip-hop tunes, which works for the game.

NBA 2K6 is a great game, with a bevy of features and new control elements (for better or worse). And at ten bucks less than its competition, 2K6 still packs the better value. Unfortunately, when compared to the sweet deal for last year’s game, 2K6 doesn’t really warrant the leap in price. The improvements over 2K5 are pretty minimal, which should lead gamers to think a little before plunking down 40 dollars.

Gameplay: 8.5
NBA 2K6 has a ton of elements and features, marking a subtle improvement over last year’s game. The new control elements change the gameplay up a bit, but while some elements work, like the Dual Player Control system, others, like the Shot Stick, don’t. The weak AI from 2K5 still lingers on, as well.

Graphics: 9.0
2K6 shines graphically, offering up a nice mix of realistic character models and fluid animations. The framerate may stutter slightly at times, but stays pretty constant throughout.

Sound: 8.0
The music is standard hip-hop, pretty common for a basketball game.

Difficulty:  Medium

Concept: 8.5 
NBA 2K6 is an extremely deep basketball game, and features a ton of great new elements, even though the game merely offers subtle improvements over last year’s game.

Multiplayer: 9.0
The multiplayer element is great, offering up solid online play and support for up to eight on one system (through two multitaps).

Overall: 8.5
NBA 2K6 is a great basketball game, and offers players plenty of bang for their buck and definitely the best B-Ball value this year. Unfortunately, those expecting enough major changes to warrant the price hike may be disappointed.