NBA2K11: Gamers Can Play With Different Versions of Jordan

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Michael Jordan

The surprises keep coming from the folks at 2KSports, who shocked the video gaming world in last month when it revealed that the cover of its new NBA basketball game would have Michael Jordan on it.

But when the company's vice president of marketing told CNBC in June that the game, which will hit stores Oct. 5, would be the best selling video game in the 10-year history of the company, he wasn't just counting on the box art to sell the game. Jason Argent said that there would be other surprises, to be revealed in the future, that would make gamers clamor for NBA2K11.

Now, Argent has unveiled the next surprise, which is that the game will have a mode called the "Jordan Challenge." The mode allows fans to play with 10 different versions of Jordan that are authentic to that moment.

Source: 2K Sports

NBA 2k11

"We wanted fans to be able to relive those moments and have a chance to play with different Jordan moments," Argent said. "So we recreated all the teams, the matchups, the uniforms, everything from the time period of his most remembered games."

Fans can play whatever game they want in whatever order — in other words, the game comes with all the highlighted games and don't have to be unlocked one at a time.

The games that fans can play with different versions of Jordan include all of the following:

—April 20, 1986 (Game 2 of the 1st round of the playoffs against the Celtics when Jordan scored 63)

—March 28, 1990 (regular season game against the Cavs when Jordan scored 69)

—June 3, 1992 (Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs versus the Trail Blazers when Jordan scored 35 in the first half)

— March 28, 1995 (Jordan returns to the game and scores 55 against the Knicks)

—June 11, 1997 (the famous Jordan "flu game")

— June 14,1998 (the day of his last game in a Bulls uniform as his last second shot gives the Bulls its sixth title under his reign).

In each game, gamers are charged with different goals, including matching Jordan's point totals and shooting percentage.

If you hit six three pointers in a row like Jordan did against the Trail Blazers in 1992, the virtual Jordan will shrug just like he did in real life on that night.

Two of the 10 challenges don't have specific dates tied to it.

You can play the 1991 Finals version of Jordan as well as play a game in 1990 style vs. Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks, where gamers are challenged with holding Wilkins to 25 points or fewer.

Source: 2K Sports

NBA 2K11

The most challenging version of Jordan to play with likely will be the "flu game," where Jordan scored 38 points against the Jazz in what Phil Jackson would say after the game was the greatest game Jordan played.

2K Sports is owned by Take-Two Interactive , which also owns the Rockstar Games brand.

The company reported strong second quartersales in June from its BioShock, Grand Theft Auto, Dead Red Redemption and Major League Baseball games. Over the last three months, shares of the company's stock are up 13.5 percent, besting the NASDAQ average gains.

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