NBA 2K3

"Looking for a realistic NBA game? Then this it it"

First of all, let me say this is the best simulation basketball game on the video game market for the Xbox. And with the right slider settings it is just as if you, the fan, were making everything happen. With the ESPN theme and the new revamped menu's this is the basketball game to get if you want a awesome simulation experience.

The Graphics

The best graphics to date in an NBA game for Xbox. The player models are superb, tons of new motions and moves. And many new dunks. There are also tons of little things that get you into the game more. Like the way the players sweat the farther on into the game you get. And the way the Center bobbles the pass in the post sometimes. Also when a cross court pass misses the intended player, he will reach over his head trying to pull it down. These are the little things that make this series so special.

Also with the ESPN theme, there are now pre, halftime, and post games shows. With statistics and a rundown of how the game went. At halftime they will do a rundown of who is winning, and who is ''Hot at the Half'', and when the game starts again, you will get the cool ESPN bottom line feature that relays all the scores in the league for you. Which is a very cool feature of the game. And at the end of every day in the game, you can press the start button and get a rundown of what went down in the league that day. They will also give players of the night awards, for who did good and who had a terrible game.

Sound

The only bad aspect to this game is it's sound, even though the announcing is almost exactly the same as last year, They have added a few new phrases which don't make this aspect of the game any better. You'd think if they had a whole year to do it over that they would get a whole new announcing theme as well. But the other aspects of the game do make up for it.

Gameplay

If you new to the Xbox and coming over from the Dreamcast. You won't be disappointed, you will be very happy with what Sega has done. With the controller S the game is almost exactly the same as playing the Dreamcast. With the usual lineup of modes, including Quick Game, Practice, Street, Franchise, Season, Playoffs, and Tournament. This game will keep you busy for a long time. The Franchise is totally redone with new aspects to it, including a ''Trading Block'' where you can put players who are not performing and get trade offers from other teams. You can also hire, and fire coaches at will. But beware the budget! Because you still need to pay the coach that you fired. There is also the revamped off-season in franchise in which you will have to look over who retired, who to resign, what free agents to sign, who you might want to trade, and a totally redone draft. The draft is very, very cool. You get to assign workouts to the players you'd like to scout. Then get rundowns of what are their strengths and weaknesses. When its time for the draft it takes you to the draft room where you get to make your picks, after this you will get to sign you picks. Then you will get to assign training for all the players on your team. from Post offense or Post defense, to Perimeter offense and Perimeter defense. Then you get to start the 2nd year of franchise.

You'll also get to create players, teams and playbooks. And there are also user profiles to keep track of your win/loss record and your Free Throw, Field Goal, and 3-Point%.

Replay Value

The best simulation basketball game on the market from Sega Sports is a keeper, it has tons of modes to choose from that'll keep you busy at least until NBA 2k4 comes out. The Franchise alone should do that, and if not. The Compatibility with Xbox Live is a feature all should look into. You can play with other people from all across the county, and world. All you need is the Xbox Live starter kit, and DSL or Cable modem. And you can even play with me! : )

Final Score
Graphics: 7
Sound: 6
Game play: 8
Replay Value: 9
Overall: 7

Overview

All in all, Sega has done it again. Provided us with a quality basketball game that will keep us busy until they once again outfit us with a top notch NBA game.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/04/03, Updated 07/28/03