Faced with the task of making a great game better, 2K Sports tweaked and enhanced its winning formula, but not enough.

"NBA 2K7" for the Xbox 360 is a solid but familiar game, combining smooth visuals with fluid gameplay and a plethora of modes to recapture the glory of its predecessors.

But the game doesn't take the franchise beyond its predecessors.

"2K6" was the first glimpse, graphically, of what next-generation sports gaming is capable of. And "2K7" looks great, but the amazing visuals are only slightly better and not enough to invoke the same sense of awe.

The same can be said for its gameplay. The 2K franchise owns the NBA video-game scene in all aspects and still takes the crown over rival EA's "NBA Live," but the gameplay is nearly identical to previous titles, failing to provide something fresh.

Ghostface, Lupe, Rhymefest Ball for NBA 2K7

Okay, this is officially a trend. In April, Matador contributed music to 2K Sports' Major League Baseball 2K6. Then Sub Pop went ahead and lent tunes to 2K Sports' NHL 2K7 earlier this month. And now we have NBA 2K7, released just yesterday (September 26), also a 2K Sports product. This time, however, it's not indie rock that will soundtrack your hoop dreams. It's Ghostface, Lupe Fiasco, E-40, A Tribe Called Quest, Rhymefest, Mos Def, and more. Dan the Automator produced the soundtrack to 2K7, which hit stores September 19 and features a whole roster of fly MCs performing totally new ball-themed songs from the game and an Automator remix of Tribe's "Lyrics to Go". The press release for the soundtrack features the usual back-patting on both sides, including praises for Dan the Automator's "solid gaming skills," but that stuff is nothing compared to the revelation that "select featured artists appear in the game as playable characters, including Phife from A Tribe Called Quest, Dan the Automator, and Slim Thug, among others." So wait, I can play as or against Phife Dawg? Awesome, because I don't know the last time I played a funky diabetic.

NBA 2K7 Xbox 360 review

It doesnt seem that long ago when I was doing the review for NBA2K6. The reason for this is that 2K Sports took an absolute age to get the game released in Europe. Now 2K7 has dropped on to my doormat and 2K6 is still fresh in my mind Im wondering what it can offer me so soon after getting to grips with the last version.

I have no need to worry though because 2K7 is simply one of the finest simulations of any sport ever produced. I understand thats a bit of a glowing way to start the review but there is no point beating around the bush, NBA2K7 is fantastic. .