Rated for all ages. Let me stress the word sim, however, because if you prefer arcade-style basketball, you'll be driven nuts by this game's learning curve, particularly in shot precision and blocking fouls. Also, passing is a little too precise. But those are my only complaints. Otherwise, game play is much improved over last year's version, thanks to quicker juke moves, improved computer artificial intelligence and many other tweaks.
Graphics are also cleaner, most noticeably in animation clarity.
Thus, the pace isn't slowed by unneeded animations. Plenty of modes await basketball fans, including the typical Season and Playoff features. But three new modes really shine. Online play is impressive and seamless. I tested this out on a slow server with nary a slowdown.