ESPN NBA Basketball

"A Great Game, that would be Spectacular with some fairly easy tweaks."

ESPN Basketball/The 2k series has always been the closet sensation. It was never well known, due partially to a small amount of money and partially to the fact that it was on dream cast. The first one made was NBA 2K. This was a great game, but it was never very popular due to the fact that few people had a Dreamcast. 2K1 came out, and that again was a very solid game, but still didn’t sell very well. Finally with 2K2, it went onto other platforms and generated a bit more interest. Then there was 2k3 which again was a very solid game and another game in the 2k dynasty. Now there is ESPN Basketball, and this one definitely doesn’t disappoint.

Gameplay
This game has very good gameplay, but it still has its’ flaws. The first thing that is a bit unrealistic is how easy it is to make spectacular passes through the length of the court without it being stolen. Another thing is that three point shots, when open, almost always go in. It is also ridiculously easy to block shots and run extremely effective fast breaks. The new isomotion feature is a big plus as you can’t just press a button to have them do a move, now you control what move your’ player is going to try to do to score. If you can master this, you will have much success in this game. The players shots also look very realistic and it sometimes seems as if you are watching a real NBA game.
The camera in this game isn’t really as bad as people sometimes act like. Although there aren’t that many different angles and you cant zoom in/out on any of them, the ones they picked make the game perfectly fine on the eyes and everything is easy to see and it doesn’t detract from the gameplay.
The franchise in this game is very very good, but there are still things that could be improved. The franchise actually makes you have to really work the salary cap to make your team good. Instead of being able to just sign free agents easily, you must build your team through young players and the draft. (if you are a bad team at the beginning) The franchise mode is very addicting, as you always want to keep trying to build as good of a team as you can without spending too much, and getting the right elements in the team. It gives you a taste of what it is like to be a GM of a team.
The 24/7 mode in this game is also very fun. You pick a player to be, and train him to be the best you can be. The worst part of it is that you are forced to play extremely often if you want your character to get good. Otherwise, it is very exciting to get new items and play against other characters.
The other modes in this game include quick game, playoffs, season, and tournament.
One final thing with the gameplay is the rosters. While they include most of the players, they are missing some of them randomly, so you want those players on your team, and they’re not there. Another thing is that they have not updated the ratings enough. For example, Kenyon Martin has a 78 rating, while Richard Jefferson has an 80 rating!
9/10

Online Play
Online play is either a great experience or a very maddening. Most players have online strategies that are very annoying. The ones I have seen are: 3 pointers galore, turnaround 3 pointers constantly, toss down the court fast break baskets after the other team scores, move the C/PF behind the basket then move forward when you are driving to block the shot, and constant alley oops. Since many people use these strategies, the favorite teams to pick are the Mavs, Kings, Rockets, Magic and Lakers. Since the quarters are only 5 minutes and players don’t get tired that quick, people put in all their 3 point shooters to just shoot 3s instead of playing a fun and fair game. It would be fun to have fair games always, but so many people use cheap strategies, it’s hard to find a good match. Although people are cheap, online play is quite addictive.
7/10

Graphics/Sound
The sound in this game really isn’t important as it doesn’t matter that much to a sports game, but the music(songs) can sometimes become irritating.
The graphics in this game are spectacular. The players looks just like their real life counterparts, which is a big improvement to 2k3, and you can expect each player to have the tattoos that they have in real life.
10/10

Final Word
If you are looking for a game that you can just pick up and do very well at, this isn’t the game for you. If you are looking for a game to buy, that will give you tons of enjoyment perfecting your moves and trying to get better, this is definitely the game for you. I highly advise you to purchase this game as it is the best on the market right now.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/26/04