When 2K Games announced that Michael Jordan would be appearing on the cover of their NBA franchise this year, many gamers, myself included, wondered how exactly the developer would incorporate a long-since-retired legend into an annual basketball series. Today the company revealed that, yes, Michael will be a playable character in the game, detailing two game modes in which he'll be available.

The first mode is called the "Jordan Challenge", which basically means playing three specific games from Jordan's playing days, seen by many as the shining moments in a stellar career. First up is Game 6 of the 1997 Finals, where Michael fought off the flu in order to finish off the Utah Jazz and win the title for the Bulls. Next is the historic game played on June 14th, 1998 in which Jordan once again propelled his Bulls to a championship over the Jazz, securing the game with a last second shot over Byron Russell. Finally, the Jordan Challenge will allow players to replay what Jordan himself described as his personal greatest game ever, in which he lit up the Cleveland Cavaliers for 69 points in March of 1990. The second mode that will unlock Mike will allow players to take the role of some of the greatest teams in NBA history including the ‘85-’86, ’89-’90, ’90-’91, ’94-’95, ’95-’96, ’96-’97, and ’97-’98 Chicago Bulls.

I'm not sure how exactly 2K plans to incorporate Jordan's flu-like symptoms for the Game 6 in '97 (will RT be the sneeze button?) nor do I know if the game will attempt to recreate Michael's last shot in the '98 Finals, in which he clearly fouled Russell on his way to winning the game. But for people old enough to actually remember Michael's time with the Bulls, finally learning that we'll be able to play as him may help tip the purchase scale away from EA's Jordan-less NBA Elite and lean towards NBA 2K11.

There's also a new teaser trailer for the game, showing off one of Jordan's signature moves. The game is due to be out in early October.