NBA 2K2

"A Very Realistic Game That All Basketball Fans Will Enjoy"

-NBA 2K2 is in my opinion one of the greatest basketball games to ever be released for any system ever. Down below you will see why...

Graphics: 10/10

By far the best graphics I have seen for a sports game as of yet. All the player features are crisp and very realistic looking. The players have their signature tattoos and signature accessories such as Allen Iverson with his armband and Mike Bibby with his tattoo on the right shoulder. The player looks great while shooting the ball, and the facial expressions worn by the player after he makes or misses the shot is incredible. All the NBA arenas in the game look exactly like its real life counterpart and the crowd is well made without excessive grainy blocks. The Playstation 2's graphic power is shown here in all of its glory.

Gameplay: 10/10

Unlike some of the other NBA games released for PS2, XBOX, and Gamecube in the past couple of years, this game does not disappoint in this department. It has may different gameplay modes including season, tournament, practice, exhibition, playoffs, street-ball, and franchise. The franchise mode is what makes this game really great. You can take a currently existing team and take them through years and years and attempt to build a dynasty such as the Lakers have, or you can start from scratch, create your own team, and do the same thing. After one year you can continue on to the next and so on. There is also a great create-a-player option. You can give them whatever attributes you want and you may also edit their facial expressions and other enjoyable things like that.

Sound/Audio: 9/10

For the most part the sound in the game is great. When you first get to the main menu, the music is great and fits perfectly well with the basketball theme. During the game, the cheering and applause of the crowd sounds very realistic, and the added scoldings given to you by your coach at the sidelines is a good bonus. This category would have merited a ten had the crowd applause and cheers not been so repetitive.

Difficulty: 10/10

This game is perfect for the average basketball gamer, the hardcore fan, and the new guy just trying out the game. You can customize all the difficulty settings for your satisfaction. On All-Star mode you will play some very hard matches with the computer shooting an amazing percentage. The game may seem hard at first no matter what the difficulty level, but with a bit of practice you will be able to knock down shots proficiently and be able to compete with the likes of the Lakers in All-Star mode.

Replay: 9/10

With the franchise mode, the average gamer should be busy with this game for several months. The hardcore gamer may enjoy the surprises in the game for a few months. The joy of this game is that you will always want to play it. You can play as many playoffs as you want in succession and it goes the same with every other mode. In franchise mode after one season is complete you will be aching to play the next season. Granted that you have a memory card, every stat for every player will be saved after each season to compile career stats as your franchise continues. You will never get tired of all the options in the game from playing on the street to staging your own NBA draft. This is one of those games that after about 4 years from now, you will still occasionally pop in to have a go at it.

Controls: 10/10

The area in which this game truly shines. Basically everything you can do in basketball can be performed on the PS2 controller easily and effectively. The shooting is perfect with the controls and the unique free throw system really adds flavor to the game. Whether it is a crossover dribble, a monster jam, a set-pick, a called pick-and-roll, or even a simple pass, with a little practice on the controls it will be as easy as counting to 10. There is nothing in this game that is hard to do with the controls.

-Overall this is a superb game. If you are a sports fan or an avid sports gamer that even just moderately enjoys basketball, then buy this game. I have yet to meet a sports fan who does not enjoy this game, and I doubt that I ever will. If you are new to the sports gaming world, then this is the perfect game to get you involved in the genre. I just hope Sega can continue this great basketball trend in NBA 2K3.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/02, Updated 07/29/02