NBA 2K8 review

Unfortunately, amid all this high fidelity, there lies a lack of fluidity. Your hoopsters won't always appear to be running at a consistent speed, momentarily darting around the court like the Flash only to slow back down a second later. It's even more pronounced in the moments between whistles. This herky-jerkiness is the only trait that'll really remind you that you are in fact playing a video game instead of kicking back and seeing the real thing on TV in high definition.

Other than a smattering of new moves - such as a nifty post-up feature using the left trigger - gameplay remains remarkably similar to last season. Naturally, this includes the ever-so-sensitive Shot Stick, which will challenge veterans and infuriate newbies. While we're pretty good with ferocious dunks in the paint using the stick, we're still partial towards a traditional button press when tossing bombs from downtown. Thankfully, that option still exists. There also aren't a lot of ways to pull off ankle-breaking moves on your own, either, since the Shot Stick occupies the right thumbstick and the face buttons all have their own functions as well.