2K Sports had every reason to mail it in.

They won, after all. Not only was NBA 2K11 one of the most critically acclaimed sports titles in video game history, but it also managed to wipe EA Sports’ series from the face of the earth in the process. EA’s NBA Elite was a glitch-ridden, buggy mess, so bad that the company canceled development of last year’s title and didn’t even bother with one for 2011.

So no one could really fault 2K for resting on their laurels and giving us the standard roster update. After all, Madden’s been doing it for years.

Instead, they took the definitive basketball experience and made it even better.

This year, the game features improved faces, a cleaner presentation and smoother animations. But the bulk of the improvement is more subtle — and more noticeable to hardcore basketball fans. There’s an improved collision system, so players don’t simply run into each other. Setting picks has been refined so that you can adjust the angle of your pick on the fly, rather than being locked in one direction.

2K has also upped the ante on animations around and away from the rim. There may be no greater example than Dirk Nowitzki, whose player looked like himself in 2K11 but didn’t move like himself. In 2K12, Dirk uses his variety of fadeaways, stepbacks and one-legged jumpers that you’ve come to expect from the big German, and a variety of other options are available for all players. Guards now make use of their pivot foot in the lane to work their way around bigs for layups. Post players can now toggle in and out of backing down a defender, and have a ton more choices for scoring from either back to the basket or facing up. All in all, 2K12 looks more like the game of basketball than ever before.

As far as game modes go, there isn’t a whole lot that’s new in this year’s offering. But there have been improvements in some old modes, especially My Player. Gamers who complained that it was too difficult to earn a good teammwork grade or that the summer league portion took too long (neither of which I understood; if you play good team basketball, it’s actually very easy to earn more minutes and skill points) will be happy to know that the beginning portion has been streamlined. Now, your created rookie plays in one rookie showcase game before the draft, and has the chance to influence teams’ decision to pick him based on pre-draft interviews that are surprisingly specific (for example, the Knicks talked about how as a center, I’d form a great tandem with Amare at the 4). There are more rewards like billboards and magazine covers, and a new system where you can spend the money you earn in your career on signature moves, attribute cap boosts and other fun stuff. One downside: By my rookie’s 20th game in his first season, the Rockets had traded more than half their roster, including their entire starting lineup. Not exactly realistic midseason, let alone at all.

Association hasn’t changed too much, at least not from the little time I’ve put in it so far, but the trade system seems a little bit smarter. There’s still the other pick-up-and-play modes you’d expect, like exhibitions and such. Online play seems to run a bit more smoothly, but I’ve only played one game on there so far. Still, those offerings were solid last year, so it’s hard to imagine they got worse considering the rest of 2K12’s offerings.

Finally, the new legend stuff. Taking last year’s Jordan Challenge a bit further, 2K brought in all kinds of stars, such as fellow cover athletes Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The nice thing about the new format is that you not only get snazzy age-appropriate visuals (like black and white for Pete Maravich’s era), but you get other vintage players from the challenges. For example, the 71-72 Knicks are available as an opponent you have to clear, which then unlocks guys like Bill Bradley and Walt Frazier. It’s a great touch for any longtime fan.

I could go on and on about the game. Hell, I didn’t even mention some things (like the addition of Steve Kerr to the broadcast team, which is great for two reasons: A) he’s a good announcer and B) it means Clark Kellogg talks less). The bottom line is that if you love basketball or video games or sports games or all of the above, you’ll like 2K12.

There was a time when I thought I might pass on this year’s game, having poured a ton of time into 2K11 and knowing that there might not be an NBA season (so 12’s roster updates and such would be meaningless). It doesn’t matter. Maybe I’m biased, but 2K12 is worth it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars