NBA 2K3

"Slightly overrated."

For some time, Sega Sport's NBA 2K franchise has been deemed by many to be the best basketball franchise out there. I feel that the 2K series is slightly overrated. Sure, they are still good basketball games, but they are hardly the best out right now. NBA 2K3 is no different.

There are six different modes to test your skills on the court: Street, Season, Franchise, Playoffs, Tournament and Network. These modes should be nothing new to many basketball gamers and Tournament is basically the same thing as the Playoffs.

NBA 2K3’s controls are never burdensome or irritatingly complicated and gamers familiar with this series will quickly notice the difference in the handling of the moves. You block shots in an entirely different way and when a quick pass is made, there are times when a player doesn’t quite catch a hold of it or sometimes you miss it completely and have to dive for it. Dribbling is more fluid even when using the turbo boost. Dunking the ball is also a lot more pleasing to the eye since the game boasts more than two hundred motion capture dunks.

As far as multiplayer games go, NBA 2K3 is a sports fan’s ultimate dream come true. Not only can up to eight players (using the much appreciated Multitap) play through the various game modes but the game also supports the PS2 Network Adaptor so you can take on a whole new group of online basketball players from all over the country. You can even download extras or post your personal stats to win “prizes” or just to show off. With so many different multiplayer options, it’ll be hard to get bored of this game.

Graphics-wise, the game has been noticeable improved from last year’s game. I didn't really care for the graphics that much, all of the players seemed to have the same shape. On the bright side, 2K3 handles player contact much more realistically, especially when it comes to collisions.

Joining the graphics with its added details is the sound, which benefits from the ESPN presentation design. The game feels and sounds like a televised event with its spot-on play-by-play commentary by Rod Brooks and Bob Fitzgerald and background noises that include the muffled voices of fans or other players cheering their teammates on while on the bleachers. The other sounds, such as the PA announcers hasn’t really changed.

Where 2K3 fails is in it's gameplay. Players seem to move very slowly and baskets seem a little too easy to make. If they would change the gameplay, then 2K3 could beat Live as my favorite basketball game franchise.

RENT OR BUY?: Rent, unless you are a big fan of the 2K series.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/23/03, Updated 03/23/03