When I first booted up NBA 2K11 on my Xbox 360, I got the chills. For the first time since NBA Street Vol. 2 in the early 2000s, I was going to be able to play as Michael Jordan proper in a current video game, not “no-name white guy who wears #99 for the legendary Bulls teams.” 2K Sports had secured the rights to MJ to not only use him in the game, but to give him the proper tribute with a full-blown Jordan Challenge Mode that tasks you to recreate his finest moments.
The prize for playing the game along with winning these challenges? Unlockable Air Jordans. If only real life were as simple as video games, right?
As it turns out, the Jordan Challenges weren’t that easy. Some could be attained simply by spamming MJ and having him score every time down the court (like in The Arrival and The Double Nickel), but anytime the requirements had you doing more than just scoring – like trying to hold Dominique Wilkins to less than 25 points or grabbing 9 or more rebounds – it could become quite the hassle.
So which MJ performance ended up being a royal pain to recreate in a video game? The Flu Game, of course. The challenge? Score 38 points (doable), dish out 5 assists (not too hard), bring down 7 rebounds (dammit) and win the game (of course). Oh, and you have 8-minute quarters because 2K Sports wants to make it just a little bit harder on you with less time to get those numbers than even MJ did.
Along with The Father’s Day game (9+ rebounds, ugh), The Flu Game was one of the tougher challenges for me. But the end was worth it as we got to relive one of the most memorable sports moments ever. I mean, look at these guys who were more than happy to play second fiddle in a 2K commercial to digital MJ and his moments.
Later this month, the Air Jordan 12 Flu Game returns to stores (only for a few minutes because you know it’s selling out fast). One of the first times we got to see the Air Jordan 12 in a video game was in NBA 2K11 for the Jordan Challenge and as a longtime fan of the 12, it was a sight to see. If you’ve never owned a pair before but have played 2K11 over and over, this is your chance to finally cop the legendary kicks. Stay tuned to KicksOnFire.com and bookmark our Air Jordan 12 Flu Game launch page for all the latest information and images.
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