Basketball as you've never seen it before (Sega Sports NBA 2k (DC))

Member Name: Johndonut

Product:	Sega Sports NBA 2k (DC)
Date:	04/09/00 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Is this TV? Great commentary and atmosphere, amazing attention to detail, excellent gameplay, solid AI

Disadvantages: VMU memory hogger!

Out of the four major American Sports (American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey) it is basketball which has established itself as the most popular import to the UK, with its relatively simple rules and the lack of equipment needed in order to play. Although I myself cannot claim to be a fan, I must admit that I have been eagerly awaiting this title ever since I first caught a glimpse of it in motion late last year. The reason? The astonishing graphics and attention to detail. Now NBA 2K is finished and ready to hit the UK, but will the gameplay match up to its breathtaking looks?

As I am sure you are aware, there have been countless amounts of basketball games released over the past few years, with only a small minority worthy of any attention whatsoever. So why should you bother spending you hard-earned cash on NBA 2K? Well, for starters, I have no hesitation in saying that this is the best basketball game ever, and one of the finest sports titles to ever grace a home console. The developers, Visual Concepts, who were also behind the stunning NFL2K (a game not likely to be released in the UK), is a name which you will hear much more of in the Dreamcast's future if this game is anything to go by. It's no wonder that EA are pondering whether or not to produce sports titles for Sega's console when this is the quality of the competition.

Rather fittingly, I shall begin by talking about NBA 2K's unprecedented looks. Right from the start, you will be treated to an adrenaline pumping intro which demonstrates the in game graphics engine, which could quite easily be mistaken for actual NBA footage, such is the similarity. Of course, being a Dreamcast game, you should expect NBA 2K to have the best graphics of any basketball game, which it does by some distance, but this fact cannot stop your jaw from hitting the floor upon witnessing such visual beauty. Not only does the game run seemingly effortlessly at 60 frames per secon
d, sporting over 1,500 motion-captured animations, but the attention to detail is simply amazing. Almost every player looks identical to his real-life counterpart, with full facial and body mapping, as well as specific height and weight proportions. Everything from unique haircuts and facial hair, to tattoos, socks, ambands and muscle tone are included. To emphasise the astonishing realism, players even move their eyes and mouths corresponding to what is happening in the game. Unfortunately, with the exception of the player introductions and the instant replay feature, there is not much opportunity to appreciate the amount of player detail on offer because the camera has to be zoomed out a reasonable distance in order to see everything that's going on. Because of this, I wouldn't be surprised if you spend a lot of your time early on, simply gawping at various moves in the excellent instant replay mode. You will want to see every lay-up and 3-pointer replayed at least 5 times before you get bored. However, the stunning graphics do not end with the players. All the arenas are beautifully rendered and textured renditions of their real-life counterparts and the crowd in the stands is the best on any sports game. The reason being that Visual Concepts has used loads of individual, well animated character sprites, which react to the action on the court. You will see them clap, turn their heads and raise their hands in delight. It truly is a sight to behold.

Thankfully, NBA 2K also succeeds where it really matters - in the gameplay department. Although the game is a simulation at heart, it contains some important arcade-like qualities thanks to its speedy pace and ease of play. The control system is logical and responsive, allowing you to perform a variety of moves without much experience, but it is also complex enough to take time to master. All of the standard moves are here, such as passing, jumping, shooting, spinning, cross-overs, stealing and speed bu
rsting, while using a combination of buttons will let you pull off alley-oops and double-teams, which look stunning on replay. The analogue stick is put to good use giving you full control over your player's movement and speed. Passing is controlled either by pressing the appropriate direction with the pass or by using an icon based system to pick out a team mate. Both methods work well, allowing you to shift the ball around the court with ease after a bit of practice. The superb animation really helps bring the game to life, and the collision detection is excellent with only very minor clipping problems. Although the gameplay in NBA 2K is mainly centered around the offensive play, it is very important that you learn how to defend properly if you want to win games on the higher difficulty levels. The rookie setting will allow you to familiarise yourself with the controls while providing some resistance. Crank up the difficulty to Pro and you will be given a very good challenge. If you want to consistently beat teams at the All-Star level you will have to be a very experienced player, and a bloody good one at that! Overall, NBA 2K's difficulty is very well matched. The computer AI is similarly quite impressive. Your opponents will pass sensibly and make intelligent shots and drives to the basket, as well as run down the clock when necessary. Your team mates will also act almost exactly as you'd expect them to.

There are all the usual modes found in sports games to play with, along with a wealth of options to tinker with. The multiplayer offers up to 4 players at once and is very entertaining especially if everyone is well matched in ability. Particularly fun is the team/player creation mode. You have the freedom to create an entire team of customised players which takes advantage of the fantastic player detail, allowing you to make all sorts of strange looking men! Obviously, you can then assign them different positions and attributes. As with a
ll American sports simulations, there are plenty of stats for you to enjoy or ignore depending on whether you like that sort of thing. One of NBA 2K's biggest problems is that it requires 198 pages of your VMU in order to save any of the information or season play you have acquired. The chances are that you will therefore need to buy a new VMU which at £20, is a lot to pay to just save the data from one game. This is definitely a fault which Visual Concepts needs to address in the future.

Last but by certainly not least is the excellent audio found in NBA 2K. The in-game music is nothing to write home about but the two-man commentary is absolutely superb. The variety of calls is brilliant and they manage to convey much enthusiasm and excitement very well indeed. Add to this a PA announcer, on court speech, crowd chants, cheers and boos as well as a little music and you have probably the best in game atmosphere created in a sports game ever.

I consider NBA 2K a must for any keen sports fan unless they have a dislike for basketball or don't want to shell out the money for a new VMU. If you are worried that because you're not a basketball fan that you won't enjoy this game, then I suggest giving it a rent or playing it round a friends if he/she is lucky enough to have a copy. The chances are that you'll be dazzled by the fantastic graphics and commentary, you'll love the precise control and you'll want to get your hands on a copy for good. While not perfect, NBA 2K is currently the best sports simulation available on the Dreamcast in the UK and comes very highly recommended.

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