the first time, he is there to greet you. His Airness emerging from the tunnel, "Sirius" by the Alan Parsons Project (Bulls introduction theme song) playing at the Chicago Stadium, and the PA announcer introducing the players to an audience that I was now a part of despite being behind a TV screen.

Michael Jordan; New Isomotion and shot controls; MVP-worthy presentation

Online play is decent at best; My Player could be more fun; Some Association mode problems

Michael Jordan has surely had his reasons for staying out of NBA videogames. Perhaps it was a money issue, or maybe he felt like game technology hadn't advanced far enough to properly re-create him.

+ Ridiculous attention to detail in the new Michael Jordan mode; + Stellar presentation all around; including player likenesses

- Some of the new controls take a little bit of getting used to; ?

2K Sports moet het dit jaar opnemen tegen niemand minder dan… Ja wie eigenlijk? De concurrentie is helemaal verdwenen omdat EA beslist heeft om hun NBA game te annuleren na slechte kritieken op de demo.

NBA 2K11 is a huge improvement over last year's edition. Just about every facet has been improved or overhauled, which makes this a richly rewarding experience with enough depth to make even diehard NBA fans feel like rookies.

Overhauled controls give you a wide assortment of offensive moves; Outstanding presentation; Improved AI on both ends of the court; Classic teams bring back fond memories

Online play suffers from lag; Replaying Michael Jordan's best games isn't much fun

Who could have ever imagined that Michael Jordan would be the weak link on the basketball court? The six-time NBA champion makes his surprising return to the virtual court in NBA 2K11, but his presence is overshadowed by improvements in just about every other facet of this great round-ball...

Overhauled controls give you a wide assortment of offensive moves; Outstanding presentation; Improved AI on both ends of the court; Classic teams bring back fond memories

Online play suffers from lag; Replaying Michael Jordan's best games isn't much fun

Born to be a champion. After a lengthy absence, the greatest player of all time […]

+ Great gameplay; + Deep; engaging My Player mode; + Jordan Challenge; + Top notch visuals/animation; + Wealth of content

Inaccurate passing; Somewhat awkward ISO Motion controls

If you're anything like me, you can remember the good old days of basketball video games. I'm from the Windy City, so the Bulls were my team of choice. I'd fire up a game, and be greeted to the starting lineups: Luc Longley, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen, and – drum roll… Player 45!

By Brad Russell This franchise has been the model of sports games, and nothing changes this year with #23 making his grand return to the virtual hardwood. You get the updated features you would expect: current rosters, improved graphics, less hiccups, sleeker presentation, supposedly refined...

As the game loads, you're automatically placed into a game for the ages, the 2010 world champion LA Lakers vs. the all-star Chicago Bulls line up led by Michael Jordan. You can choose to play this game, or just exit to the menu and check out the other new features added to the game.

Instead of being a case of diminishing returns, NBA 2K11 sees the franchise in peak condition. The inclusion of the sport's greatest player is much more than just a stunt for the cover and resurrects a time in basketball that we remember fondly.