The wait is almost over. We're less than 24 hours away from perhaps the greatest day on the sports gaming calendar, as NBA 2K15 will hit brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers Tuesday.

As a 24-year-old with a big-boy job and actual responsibilities, I am much too excited for this. That is partially because my big-boy job allows me to talk about such amazing things as video games, but also because the NBA 2K series has been year in, year out the best sports simulation on the market.

The folks at Visual Concepts maxed out the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles to the point it felt like they were running in place. And that's in no way a degradation. Sports video games tend to go in cycles. First iterations on new consoles are usually filled with bumps and then subsequent releases are spent smoothing out the foundation of the groundwork already laid.

The NBA 2K series built such a solid foundation that its competition (EA Sports' NBA Live) took its ball and went home until the next generation of systems.

But we're not here to talk about the past. The next-gen consoles have opened another challenge for Visual Concepts, one they hit the ground running with last season. Rather than gloss over pre-existing modes, NBA 2K14 pushed the envelope. New game modes, a revamped playing system and a myriad of other changes were made to the smooth-running engine we'd all come to love.

And, as with all big changes, some went swimmingly and others poorly. With another development cycle to smooth out the kinks, NBA 2K15 should be a vast improvement on its predecessor. Let's quickly check in then on what to expect Tuesday.

Player Ratings

All player ratings are posted here. 

Buy NBA 2K15 and instantly miss the good old days of Association ode? Well, bemoan your loss no longer. The word Association is no longer associated (I'll see myself out) with the game, but what's replacing it appears to be better.

MyLeague is, if executed properly, the most customizable and in-depth "franchise" mode in sports gaming. Steve Noah of Operation Sports had a detailed post on MyLeague in September, and it sounds, frankly, pretty much awesome.

The standard setup is one familiar to those used to Association mode. You may control anywhere between one and 30 teams—and they do not even have to be all from the NBA. For the first time gamers will have the option of adding Euroleague and classic teams in place of ones already in the game.

Want to see how a Michael Jordan-led Bulls team would do in today's NBA? Have at it. The number of Euroleague teams has even been noticeably expanded to include all 25 teams that participated in the 2013-14 season. Finally your idea of torturing NBA players by having them travel to Serbia on the second night of a back-to-back can come to fruition.

Stretching beyond the bare-bones basics, nearly everything in MyLeague can be adjusted. The strength of draft classes can be moved up and down using a slider system. Trade negotiations can either be super easy or super hard. Contract negotiations are more realistic. There is even a separate slider for "blockbuster" trades.

Basically, you can keep the NBA on the straight and narrow or create your own little version of Breaking Madden wherein anarchy reigns supreme. I, for one, look forward to the day where I visit my adolescent cousins around Christmas and see LeBron James playing for JSF Nanterre.

That will make the whole holiday season worth living. 

Face-Scanning Technology

Those narcissistic enough to want to see their face in a video game (note: I am one of those people) will get their chance in NBA 2K15. This year's game allows players to use their PS Camera or Kinect to take pictures of their face and then render them into a create-a-player in all game modes.

The feature will be especially worthwhile for those who get deep into MyCareer mode. The RPG elements of MyCareer that were prevalent last year have been revamped in NBA 2K15 with a whole new backstory. Instead of being a high-profile draft pick, you're instead a rookie free agent tasked with building your way up from the bottom.

Keep in mind that no undrafted players are currently in the Basketball Hall of Fame. So...to say the least your task will be more difficult this year. 

At least you'll be able to see your own beaming face while trying to attempt it.

Ernie Johnson and Shaq

Yes. Of Inside the NBA fame. The one that's been the best sports studio show for more than a decade running. The one that features the most dominant center of his generation in O'Neal and one of sports broadcasting's best hosts in Johnson.

The duo will be lending their voices and avatars to NBA 2K15. While all announcing crews in sports video games tend to get a little monotonous after a while—there is only so much dialogue one can record—the Inside crew should add a little spice to this year's game.

I, for one, am looking forward to being mocked by O'Neal for my poor virtual play. Apologies in advance, Superman.

While MyPark was introduced in NBA 2K14, it's a game mode that should get much more praise in this year's iteration. The mode has been expanded to now feature eight "home courts," each with their own aesthetic and stylistic appeal.

In addition to playing with friends in your MyPlayer avatars, NBA 2K15 has added a more competitive atmosphere to MyPark. Moving away from the traditional park structure, players can take on opposing teams and put Virtual Currency on the line—the game's "monetary system." According to a blog on the Playstation website, you can wager up to 45,000 VC in a single game.

Which, as anyone who played NBA 2K14 knows, is a whole heaping pile of cash (real life and video game). When 2K Sports announced it was bringing back the park last year, the collective fanbase was excited—only to be a little underwhelmed when seeing it in action.

In NBA 2K15, Visual Concepts is going out of its way to atone for any disappointment. When you're in the second cycle of a new generation of consoles, frankly, that's all that anyone can ask.