I shared the frustration my avatar expressed in cutscenes, especially when the 76ers’ GM pulled me aside to inform me that he’d instructed Brett Brown not to start me just yet. I’m not suggesting that’s a bad thing, but it was a refreshing change of pace to work even harder for it, and to remain patient. In recent games, it’s felt much easier to break out earlier, and become a starter within 10-15 games. It did drive me to keep putting up numbers, helping the team win, and proving myself worthy of being a starter. This was fair enough in some respects, but it’s a scenario that would’ve made much more sense if he wasn’t a rookie as well. One wonders why the 76ers drafted two point guards, but then the Minnesota Timberwolves did it in real life in 2009, so trust the process, I guess! I made the most of that opportunity, though even with a few breakout performances, I didn’t get to start while Carter-Williams sat. In my case, that injury was suffered by fellow rookie Michael Carter-Williams. No matter where you land though, you’re missing those first two games of the season, before an injury to one of your teammates creates an opportunity for you to finally make your NBA debut. As an aside, I like NBA Live’s approach of letting you stay, or engineering a trade. At the same time, choosing where you want to begin your career arguably inspires more enthusiasm out of the gate. There’s challenge and realism in having little control over your destiny, apart from the Showcase and pre-Draft interviews. I’ve had great experiences with both approaches, and each has its merits. I may be mistaken, but I’m still under the impression that the story requires you to be drafted after Ellis.īeing drafted by a team that I didn’t necessarily want to go to led me to compare the unpredictability at the beginning of M圜AREER in older games to the larger amount of control we’ve had in recent titles, including the ability to simply pick the team we want to play for.
However, the Detroit Pistons took Ellis with the 8th pick, while I fell to the 11th pick and ended up on the Philadelphia 76ers. Some might suggest that it was comparable to Ellis’ 15 points on 50% shooting, seven assists, and three rebounds, especially as my Elites picked up the victory. I also shot 78% from the field overall, and 100% from downtown. Join me as I reflect on a retro gaming experience that went back…way back…įollowing the introductory cutscene and now-infamous first on-screen meeting with Jackson Ellis, I turned in a solid performance in the Rookie Showcase with 24 points, four rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal. While there will be some overlap with the aforementioned article, this time I’m focusing on my personal experiences playing through the mode, and comparing it to my other memorable M圜AREER games. I was enjoying it too much to stop, and as I played deeper and deeper into the season, I knew that I’d have to see it through to the end. The fact of the matter is that once I’d played enough games to write my retrospective on the first M圜AREER story, I felt compelled to keep going. I was so taken that I ended up playing through an entire rookie season! That’s why it may surprise you, much as it did me, that I was drawn into NBA 2K14’s M圜AREER upon revisiting the game. I’ll still dabble with those modes, but a combination of satisfaction and burnout has made it easier to move on. I’ve made a lot of fond memories with M圜AREER and the connected experiences, but it has become a grind, with elements that have very little to do with basketball. In newer games, I’m more or less done with M圜AREER at least as my primary mode of play.
This week, I’m reflecting on playing through a full M圜AREER season in NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 4, during a recent retro kick. You’ll also find old NLSC editorials re-published with added commentary, and other flashback content. Check in every Wednesday for retrospectives and other features on older versions of NBA Live, NBA 2K, and old school basketball video games in general. This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! In this feature, we dig into the archives, look back at the history of basketball gaming, and indulge in some nostalgia.