My "NBA 2K11's Jordan Challenge is a Huge Disappointment" Rant

Playing with Michael Jordan on the Knicks in NBA 2K11 Should have been awesome

Ever since a few months before NBA 2K11 was released, critical praise has been showered on its "Create-a-Legend" mode.

This much vaunted mode allows you to draft His Airness as a rookie out of UNC to your favorite team, where you can then try to recreate his legendary career, this time allowing whoever it is you root for to dominate the league for years.

To unlock this mode you have to beat The Jordan Challenge, which has you replicate some of Air Jordan's greatest games at various stages in his career.

You have to score 69 against Larry Bird and the Celtics. You have to pummel the Knicks for at least 55 points while donning number 45. You have to out-duel Clyde the Glide and The Human Highlight Film Dominique Wilkins. There are ten challenges, each of which truly make you appreciate just how great Jordan really was.

It took a few weeks, but my brother Matt and I completed the challenges.

We finally unlocked "Create-a-Legend" mode.

"Create-a-Legend" is basically this game.

We drafted Jordan to the Knicks, drooling over a starting five of Raymond Felton, Michael Jordan, Danillo Gallinari, Amar'e Stoudemire and Timofey Mozgov (sure, Mozgov doesn't necessarily elicit drool yet, but maybe in time); foreseeing a lineup of Toney Douglas, Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler, Ronny Turiaf and Anthony Randolph coming off the bench (In the video game world Randolph's athleticism overpowers his real-world inexperience and nervousness).

And that's exactly what we got. But then a truth that had never even crossed out minds was revealed:

 In "Create-a-Legend" mode you can play as Jordan and ONLY Jordan.

Does this look like fun?

You are "player locked" onto Jordan, meaning the whole season is from his point of view. When I call for a pick and roll and dish off to Amar'e it will be the computer that gets the satisfaction of throwing down a dunk. The computer runs the point with Felton.

Meanwhile, when Jordan sits, you have the choice of watching from the bench (literally the view you get is as if you're sitting on the bench) or watching the computer simulate the score until digital D'Antoni subs him back in.

Why would anyone want to play this mode?

The mode is all about building up the rookie Jordan to become the greatest player alive. I want to play a regular season with the addition of Jordan to my roster.

Couldn't they at least have the option to do both?

It just doesn't make sense to me why anyone would ever want to play with player lock on. It is such a restricting feature, and makes the game less enjoyable.

Maybe it would make sense if this was virtual reality and it seemed like I was really Michael Jordan, running the break with the likes of Amar'e and Felton.

But it's not.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is this:

Dear 2K,

     Where's the key so I can unlock Jordan for real?

Yours truly,

Ben Horney