New details on the return of the Jordan Challenge are here for NBA 2K23
When 2K announced NBA 2K23, one of the additions to the game was the return of the Jordan Challenge mode, something that lets players relive features 15 playable moments from Michael Jordan’s career, well now we have details.
This mode will let players relive his legacy from the early days as a college sensation, to his game-winning shot in the 1998 NBA Finals.
“The Jordan Challenge is an immersive experience unlike anything NBA 2K fans have seen, completely rebuilding the challenges from 2K11 and adding five new moments,” said Erick Boenisch, VP of NBA Development at Visual Concepts. “Our team took everything into consideration when constructing this game mode; the arenas, the players, the uniforms, the broadcast, and the play style of the era have been accounted for in an effort to give fans a truly authentic and unique playable Jordan experience.”
The game will feature touches, to help replicate the era that each challenge is set in, so for those old 80’s and 90’s games, you can get a filter on the screen to replicate how tv’s of the day looked. The in-game assets will also be different, in order to better reflect what the broadcasts of the day looked like.
One of the cooler aspects of the mode is that each challenge will feature a pre-game interview, of someone that was there during that moment in basketball history. Players will be regaled by the likes of Marv Albert (courtside commentator for The Shrug game), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (opponent in 1988 All-Star game in Chicago), Dennis Rodman (opponent in the Bad Boys game), Phil Jackson (head coach in The Last Dance game), and many more.
There is a full breakdown of each of the 15 challenges on the latest Courtside Report, for example here is some details about challenge number 14.
14. 1997 Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant entered the NBA with a swagger and an air of confidence that resembled shades of Michael Jordan, but whether he was MJ’s heir to the throne remained to be seen. Bryant, who grew up idolizing Jordan, went at his idol all game, determined to prove he was worthy of receiving the torch. The Lower Merion High School product dropped 33 points against MJ and the Bulls, but Jordan’s 36 were a reminder that he still reigned supreme. Teach the up-and-coming Bryant a few things en route to a commanding win.
The best part about this mode, is that it isn’t locked to the next-gen versions of the game, nor is it for some super special edition of the game. The Jordan Challenge will be in all versions of the game, so that means Xbox, PlayStation, PC and Switch
