So I've always watched people playing NBA 2K12 in the common room here and it looked really cool and exciting. I picked up NBA 2k11 for $20 and tried to play it and got outright destroyed by the computer on easy difficulty. I think I managed to make maybe 10 baskets in an entire game and couldn't manage to pull off a single slam dunk.

I didn't notice a tutorial mode or anything and don't have a manual, so I was just wondering what I'm doing wrong. I can't say I've ever watched basketball, but I used to play NBA Street which was pretty fun. I can pretty much never get inside the free throw box thing, it's like freaking impossible so I can never get a decent shot or slam dunk. And I can't seem to make a 3 with any player to save my life.

Are basketball games by nature more difficult than other sports games? I can pick up most sports games and get the hang of it pretty quickly and do really well on the medium difficulties, but I just can't seem to do it in NBA 2k11.

Any advice?

Well 2k has done a great job with the NBA series so yes it's a little more difficult than most sports games. Have you ever played a basketball game before, let alone 2k one form 2010 on?Also what team do you play as?

As I've said I've mainly only played NBA street vol. 2 and Homecourt. I've played one of the NCAA basketball games just once or twice (and I think it was by EA). I play as the Heat.

My knowledge of NBA games everything about basketball comes from NBA Jam, and that isn't too hard.

Well then you just need to keep playing, you'll get better. Lebron is nearly impossible to stop, especially when he drives and D-Wade is no slouch either. I have 2K12 and I first played on the easiest setting and now I'm beating teams with relative ease on the 3rd setting.

Like I said 2k actually put effort into to this series unlike EA with all their sports games.

Is there a certain way you have to push the shoot button or something? I'm in a game right now where I've only scored 3 points in the entire first half (one freaking basket...). I try shooting from all over the place and every time it bounces off the rim. How do you get the ball to go in?

Also is there like a way to spin or juke or something so I can actually get in there and dunk the ball? I can't get past any defenders...

It's just timing, for most player you should release at the top of their shot.You'll have to get use to each player but if your playing as the Heat it shouldn't take to long. You can do most of the on-ball moves by holding the right trigger and moving the left control stick.

Man the last basketball video game I played was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-PUj1H52ko on NES

That was a really fun game.

(Last for me was on the Saturn).

I'd probably just ask the people you watched play 2k12. If the controls are nearly as difficult to get used in 2k11 as they are in 2k12 then I can understand your frustration.