NBA 2K

"The Closest You'll Ever Come To Real Life!!!"

For those of you who went out and bought NBA Live 2000, stop reading this and hit yourself. Why you ask? Because Visual Concepts and Sega Sports took their time and dedication to create the ultimate basketball game for the fans. And that product is none other than NBA 2K. With hard-hitting action, blown-away graphics, unbelievable sound, and a whole load of options, you'll never look at a basketball game the same way again.

GRAPHICS/VISUAL - 10

With the game moving at 60fps and more than 1,500 motion-captured animations, the graphics are amazing. Each player looks and feels like their real-life counterpart, meaning each player was individually modeled. Even when you zoom in on their face, you can see their facial expressions change as well as eye movement. Also, when you start a game, the home team introduction looks awesome. Another thing that caught my eye was the crowd. Each person has their own movement: turning their head, clapping, pumping their fist in the air, crossing their legs, etc. Also, the players on the bench and, the coach as well, react to the action on the floor. With graphics like these, why go back to N64? Give it a 10!

SOUND/MUSIC - 10

The sound and music add incredible realism to an NBA game. The crowd cheers, chants, and boos to the action on the floor. Also, the two-man commentary and the PA announcer are not just incredible, but their accurate. Not only do they call the play out loud while your executing it, but they provide comments afterwards. Also, you can hear the players on the court yell out loud like "Down Here" and "Post Me Up". The sound and music department deserves a 10.

CONTROL/GAMEPLAY - 10

The control part is extremely responsive. It lets you do several moves, like the crossover dribble and the back down, with relative ease. Also, Visual Concepts went analog-based for precise player control movement. Using normal passing or icon passing provides the ability to move the ball quickly on the court. The AI will give you a run for your money as you'll sometimes have close games and blowouts, depending on the level of difficulty (Rookie, Pro, All-Star). Give me another 10.

OPTIONS - 10

No need to write out this section. Look below:

- 1,500 motion-captured character animations for the most realistic looking basketball game ever
- True 3D collisions with complex point-based physics modeling
- High-resolution graphics engine for the most detailed characters to date
- Team playbooks and advanced AI developed in cooperation with actual NBA coaches
- All 29 stadiums accurately modeled in true 3D
- Detailed crowd reacts to the in-game action for a whole new level of immersion
- Complete and accurate game and season statistics to satisfy the most hardcore fan
- Over 400 individually modeled players with facial expressions and eye movement
- Create-A-Player and Create-A-Team
- Exhibition, Season, Playoff, All-Star and Practice modes
- Rookie, Pro and All-Star difficulty levels

Need I say more? Whip out another 10.

OVERALL - 10.0

To put it in Triple H's words, NBA 2K is THE GAME! It has everything you can imagine: unbelievable graphics, great sound, kick-ass action, and tons of options. Give this game a try, even if you're not a sports fan; I guaran-damn-tee it you'll love it!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/17/99, Updated 11/17/99