Gaming

Everything new in NBA 2K23

Jordan Challenge, MyNBA eras, more

Published

August 26, 2022

GadgetMatch

As we all know by now, NBA 2K23 is releasing worldwide on September 9, 2022 across various consoles, with Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker as its cover athlete.

Pre-order is currently available for the following editions:

NBA 2K23 Championship Edition
NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition
NBA 2K23 Digital Deluxe Edition
NBA 2K23 Standard Edition
NBA 2K23 WNBA Edition (physical, United States only)

Ahead of its release, we have compiled everything new about the game, from its Jordan Challenge and MyNBA eras to vast gameplay improvements to get more players even more ready and excited.

Upgraded Gameplay

To top it all off, there will be more gesture combos to the Pro Stick, including double throws and switchbacks as 2K is focusing on adding new weapons for shooting and ball handling – which kind of reflects the real NBA game that is a guard-centric league nowadays on offense.

This means slashers will be able to perform a better variety of layups. Sizing up and dribble hesitation moves will also be a fun way for friends to family to engage against each other. Post players won’t be left behind either with opportunities for drop steps and hop shots.

New layup packages have also been added for both New Gen and Current Gen, while more combos are available for dunks when driving to the basket while the Sprint trigger is held. In addition, players will also be able to do rim hangs to flex their dunks by keeping the Sprint trigger held.

To prevent over-dribbling, NBA 2K23 will also debut Adrenaline Boosts. For more authentic shooting, shooting attributes will be introduced. Each signature jump shot will now have unique stats: Shot Speed, Release Height, Defensive Immunity, and Timing Impact.

Defensively, on-ball defense, shot-blocking, and steals and ball strips have all been refined to be more realistic. Guards for example will not be able to do chase-down blocks although block targeting has been improved while fly-by blocks will prevent late contests on jump shots leading to automatic fouls when they crash into the shooter.

Jordan Challenge

The centerpiece of NBA 2K23 is the Jordan Challenge, which will enable users to recreate Michael Jordan’s career and play 15 of his legacy-defining games from his college championship up to the game-winner in the 1998 NBA Finals.

It will be a definitive retelling of Jordan’s most iconic games, with 2K employing a unique video filter system to recreate the television experience from the 1980s and 1990s. And it’s not just the feel; the gameplay has also been adjusted to make it more 80s and 90s, which obviously has a relatively slower pace and more physicality compared to today’s NBA.

Also included in each game are pre-game interviews of Jordan’s teammates, coaches, and those who have covered his memorable games throughout his career. This list will include:

Marv Albert (The Shrug Game)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1988 All Star Game)
Dennis Rodman (Bad Boys Game)
Phil Jackson (Last Dance Game)

Now, for the part fans are anticipating: There will 15 challenges as mentioned, and in each game, there are three goals to hit. Collect 40 stars and you will unlock unique rewards for MyTEAM and MyCAREER modes.

Some of the most notable games to be relived by players in the Jordan Challenge are:

1982 National Championship – University of North Carolina vs Georgetown
1984 Team USA Basketball Scrimmage at the Hoosier Dome
1988 NBA All Star Game – Jordan drops 40
1989 Eastern Conference First Round Game – Jordan’s shot on Ehlo
1990 Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls – Jordan duels with Dominique Wilkins
1990 Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers – Jordan scores career-high 69
1991 NBA Finals Game 5 – Jordan wins first NBA title
1992 NBA Finals Game 1 – The Shrug Game
1997 NBA Finals Game 5 – The Flu Game
1998 NBA Finals Game 6 – The Last Dance

MyNBA Eras

A staple of NBA 2K, MyNBA lets players alter the course of history and have control over players’ destinies in their own alternate reality. What if we told you things are only going to get better?

With MyNBA eras, players will now have the chance to start their MyNBA saves from four different eras: The Magic vs Bird Era, the Jordan Era, the Kobe Era, and the Modern Era (present).

This way, gamers will be able to answer a ton of “What if?” questions by reliving different time periods.

Magic vs Bird era

The Magic vs Bird era starts in 1983, right before the historic 1984 draft class. That includes Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon even set foot on the NBA.

Jordan Era

The Jordan era begins in 1991, the dawn of the Chicago Bulls’ unstoppable dynasty in the decade. What’s interesting is that now, Jordan may skip the time off. There’s also a certain Shaquille O’Neal joining the league soon, and he will definitely make an impact should he land on a different team.

Kobe Era

Lastly, the Kobe Era will take you back to the 2000s, where the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and more ruled the NBA. It will start from 2002. That’s right before the 2003 draft class that includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh.

What if Shaq and Kobe never parted ways? Will the Miami Heat still win a title or will the San Antonio Spurs ever win three in the decade? It’s all up to you to decide how everything plays out.

Classic court designs, uniforms, and broadcast presentation layouts will also be featured in each of the throwback eras to add a more authentic vibe to it. When it comes to league rules, the player has control. Teams can rebrand from Seattle to OKC, for example, as early as the 1980s. Expand the league to 36 teams? It’s all up to you.

The W Expanding

Lastly, on New Gen consoles, you’ll notice an even bigger and better WNBA experience with the addition of an All-Star Game and the Commissioner’s Cup and The W Online community progression.

There will be lots of rewards, including WNBA Jerseys, Logo, and Coach MyTEAM cards. Contact Challenges will also be available wherein players will team up with others through Contact Workouts to progress further through the mode.

Game Changers, on the other hand, allow for Player Boosts for the community to reach their weekly goals. Speaking of jerseys, the game has expanded to 60 WNBA player jerseys spanning multiple seasons.

What will be great about the WNBA side of things this time around is its league expansion which allows players to build the future they want for the W.

Progressing to the maximum level 10 in League Popularity in The W will unlock 2 Expansion Team slots. From here, you can control how the league expands – from picking the city of the expansion franchise to building their home arena, logo, and uniform designs

New ways to play MyTEAM

When it comes to playing MyTEAM, NBA 2K23 has also added new updates. Highlighting the updates is the US$ 250,000 MyTEAM Unlimited Tournament which marks its return this year for each console generation.

Reach the Emerald Tier in the new Unlimited before the first GameDay on October 15, 2022 to participate. Finalists will be brought to an in-person setting to crown the US$ 50,000 Console Champions and US$ 200,000 Grand Champions.

Other new things to look forward to include:

Triple Threat Online: Co-Op: Players will be able to partner with friends for a 3-versus-3 online gameplay across different variations (Party Mode, Co-Op, and Competitive Online)
Unlimited: Prestige Tiers allow players to reach the top and start over to unlock more rewards; players will earn Season Points with every win or loss to help them advance, while wins provide a vault opening
Clutch Time Single Player: A fast-paced mode which includes a 4-point line
Starter cards: Players can choose between Ja Morant, Jimmy Butler, or Joel Embiid to be the face of their collections; after 10 games in any mode, a 90 OVR Amethyst Fred Jones card will also be given

Trophy Case: Another new way to earn top tier players from each franchise is by competing a team’s Trophy Case, where one can earn a Pink Diamond player for each team

We’ll update this space every time there’s a new NBA 2K Courtside Report release

Related Topics:2K Sports NBA NBA 2K23 Take-Two Interactive

Features

LOQ and LOAD: The Lenovo LOQ 2024 is for gaming and more

Your entry to PC Gaming

Published

April 23, 2024

GadgetMatch

Get your game on with the Lenovo LOQ 2024. This capable laptop is your entry point to PC Gaming and a lot more.

It comes an absolutely affordable price point: PhP 48,995.

You get capable hardware and the hood to support gaming and more. The Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I runs on the 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and Intel Arc Graphics.

Those are key to bringing unreal graphics to this segment. Supporting latest tech like DirectX 12 Ultimate, players are able to enjoy high frame rates on the Lenovo LOQ.

Creating content? It comes with AI Advantage to help boost performance. Engines and accelerators boost the media processing workloads especially for creatives. It also works with Intel’s X Super Machine Learning, Leading to images that are as close to reality.

The laptop supports a configuration of up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD Storage.

As for its display, the device has a large 15.6-inch, Full HD panel that is more than enough for gaming, video editing, content consumption, and whatever else you do on a laptop. This display has 144Hz refresh rate, 300 nits brightness, and anti-glare.

Videos come out clear, crisp, and realistic. Audio is punchy and as loud as it gets. Windows Sonic elevates it more when you use headphones. And it just takes a few minutes to render HD videos on editing software.

As it runs on Windows 11, if you are going to use it for work, you can take advantage of various features. The Lenovo Vantage Widget is there for constant reminders, Copilot will help you organize your tasks, and Microsoft Edge is there for casual browsing.

There is an assortment of ports at the back for easy connectivity. And as this is meant for gaming, we put it to the test. Racing that looks better with high frame rate? Check. Shooting titles that require heavy work? Not a problem. You can play all your favorites and not worry about performance.

Best of all, it takes less than an our to juice up this laptop all the way to 100%.

So, whether you’re looking to get started with PC Gaming, or an upgrade for work and entertainment needs, the Lenovo LOQ has you covered.

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and Lenovo Philippines.

Gaming

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes out now

Forge your destiny

Published

April 23, 2024

GadgetMatch

Rabbit and Bear Studios and 505 Games’ Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is now available across multiple platforms. One of the most anticipated JRPGs in recent memory may now be played on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Moreover, it may be accessed on PC via Steam, the Epic Games store, and GOG.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is crafted by game developers Junko Kawano (Suikoden I, IV) and the late Yoshitaka Murayama (Suikoden I, II). The title features a modern take on classic 2D side-scrolling games. It has a six-character battle system, meticulous 2D sprites and 3D backgrounds, and a riveting story. As the name suggests, you can play over 100 characters.

GadgetMatch had the privilege of playing the game’s early preview here: Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes First Impressions

The refreshed environment immediately stands out. There is more detail, depth, and movement compared to how side-scrolling games of the past used to be played. The game lets players choose their party mates. Meanwhile, the actual combat is turn-based, giving players room to strategize what sequences or gimmicks to select.

With more than 100 characters to choose from, the game also allows players to appropriately select heroes fit for certain regions and dungeons throughout the story. Moreover, some are designated catalysts that can give you access to more of the world’s treasures. In between, users may enjoy mini-games, like the fishing side quest in the preview. The collected fish can be part of another mini-game — cooking — as ingredients for recipes you can cook with.

Features

Why choose the MSI Claw?

Is it the gaming handheld for you?

Published

April 18, 2024

GadgetMatch

The MSI Claw is the latest gaming handheld from a major PC and laptop brand. The competition in this emerging gadget segment is tighter than ever. So, what is it about the MSI Claw that can scratch your gaming itch? Here’s a quick list.

Best grip in the game

One quick glance and it’s hard not to compare the claw with another popular gaming handheld. But a closer look and actually holding the thing will reveal that its grip easily feels better.

It has a slightly deeper groove that makes it easier to hold. So, MSI’s “Grip and Game” tagline isn’t all talk. Its design truly does provide one of the better feeling handles among its competition.

The overall design makes sure it’s made for extended gameplay sessions. The buttons are where you expect them to be. That includes the four mini buttons on the upper edges of the screen. These are the View, MSI Center M, Menu, and Quick Settings buttons.

In addition, the face buttons and d-pad all feel great. The face buttons, in particular, feel comparable to those of regular console controllers.

The rest of the buttons and triggers have a very satisfying tactile feel. It also uses Hall Effect technology to get rid of any stick drift issues.

Up top, you’ll find the power button, MicroSD Card slot, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, audio jack, and the volume buttons. These are intuitively placed and just makes sense given the overall design approach.

As cliché as it sounds, you’ll really think you got your money’s worth once you hold, touch, press, and grip the MSI Claw.

Dragon Vision

Now, MSI isn’t really calling it that but I thought it sounds pretty cool. A big part of the whole gaming experience is the display. Balancing resolution and frame rates is always tricky but the MSI Claw does it convincingly.

With this gaming handheld, you get a 7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Looks great on paper and it’s even better in real life. It’s the sweet spot in terms of both size and performance. There’s enough here to immerse you all while delivering a satisfying level of crisp and smoothness.

It’s comfortable to view whether you’re on the couch, on a desk table, or lying down getting a quick game in before you get some shut-eye.

Battery Life

At 53Whr, the MSI Claw has a 36% larger battery capacity than its contemporaries and promises 50% more play time.

MSI claims “elevated performance with extended endurance” using the Claw with faster charging capabilities.

These percentages are hard to measure in real life usage. What we can say for certain is that you get the expected performance and playtime typical of a handheld. That’s a little under two hours for graphically demanding titles, and close to four hours on less demanding ones.

The charging claim is legitimate. The MSI Claw juices up faster than most other handhelds, going from 20% to 100% in about a little over a K-Drama episode (roughly a little over an hour).

MSI Center M

Any self-respecting gaming handheld has its own software to make navigating the thing more manageable. While its direct competitors have an armoury crate and a space, MSI went with Center M.

The best part about MSI Center M is it puts your installed games front and center. Right when it launches, you get immediate access to the titles you have available on your machine.

MSI Afterburner is already the most commonly used app for taking a look at how your machine is performing while you play. That functionality is built-in to the MSI Claw. You can access it view the Quick Settings buttons.

Layout and functionality-wise, the MSI Center M is certainly one of the better Gaming Handheld softwares available right now.

Competitive Performance

A defining trait of the MSI Claw is that It’s the first gaming handheld to be powered by Intel Core Ultra. With it comes Intel XeSS tech. What it does is leverage AI upscaling to boost the fps of select titles.

As of launch, 50 notable games are supported. That number will certainly grow throughout the device’s lifespan. Some of the titles include Hi-Fi Rush, Dying Light 2, Forza Horizon 5, Call of Duty Warzone 2.0, Returnal, and many, many more.

Naturally, results will vary depending on the game mode you’re using. But in general, AAA games get anywhere between 10% to 45% better frame rate performance with Intel XeSS.

For our part we played TEKKEN 8 and the recently launched Horizon Forbidden West. Both graphically demanding games played relatively well on the MSI Claw. Frame rate performance on TEKKEN 8 is crucial and we got a relatively consistent fps, never dropping below 40.

Horizon Forbidden West is a much more graphically demanding game. We were able to run it in Medium Settings and while it doesn’t look as incredible, it still played relatively well with a frame rate surprising for a gaming handheld.

Extras

MSI made sure that if you wanted to, you could get some extra stuff with the MSI Claw. Its separately sold accessory set includes the Claw Travel Case, Nest Docking Station, Claw Lanyard, and Claw Keychain.

On paper, the MSI Claw lists its ergonomic design, AI Engine, and App Player as distinct advantages over its competition.

Whether it’s the Gaming Handheld that matches your needs is still ultimately up to you. If you have the opportunity to test drive the device, we suggest you do so. That might just solidify your purchase decision.