NBA 2K3

"Perfect? Not yet. But the best NBA simulation yet!"

NBA 2K3 has teamed up with ESPN and they are a killer tag team. You get the ESPN update at the half and after the game along with ESPN themed menus and added ESPN touch during the game. Alongside with the game’s stellar graphics, the added ESPN touch makes for a realistic simulation game like no other.

Gameplay
Discouraged at first, I did not play too often. This was the first year that I bought the NBA series. The controls and gameplay were new and seemed difficult to learn. But, I started a franchise and got to know the buttons and I started to take advantage of some of the player moves like the crossover and spin move. Soon, I was tearing up the court. Passing is a breeze with either quick passing or the more traditional approach of hitting the pass button, then choosing who you want to pass too. Two difficult areas are defense and rebounding. Especially defense. It seems like whomever I guard ends up being a superstar. This, luckily, can be fixed with the gameplay sliders in the options menu. You can change a number of things to make the game more realistic. NBA 2K3 might not be the game for someone who cannot play too often and who wants an easy win but for the rest of you simulation fanatics, this game is well worth getting used too.

Graphics/Sound
The graphics are great. The game runs beautifully with the XBox. The replays at the end of just about every single play but you can turn them off. The detail is incredible. From the exact Arena designs, to the detailed players, the display off the game does not miss a beat. The sound is also great. On the court, you will hear various sounds as the crowd chattering, the players and coaches calling out plays, the PA announcer and the PA music, and, of course, the running commentary. Overall, the commentary is very good. You rarely hear something and say, “Didn’t he just say that a few minutes ago?”

Play Time
2K3 will keep you coming back. With it’s franchise mode and the addition of XBOX Live, there is no reason to stop playing. You can create yourself and put him on your favorite team and try to get him to become an All-Star or you can take the worst team out their and try to turn them around. With off-season modes such as draft scouting (you can also import draft classes from NCAA 2K3) and workouts for the players, you have the opportunity to make any team a winner. How you do it is up to you. XBOX Live adds a few new elements to the picture. The first is roster updates. Sega has released three updates so far, adding such players as Yao Ming (Ming Yao in the game due to contract problems) and adjusting the line-ups as such teams as the Sonics and other teams who have made some trades. The second new element that comes up is playing against other people on-line. The system is not perfect as some people will do anything to win, but the experience is still enjoyable. I have played with people all over the country. If the franchise and other various modes don’t keep you coming back, XBOX Live will.

Conclusion
There is still room for improvement which means that you might want to wait until NBA 2K4. But for those of you who just cannot wait that long, you will not be disappointed with NBA 2K3. It is the best basketball game out at the moment. With a combination of smooth, detailed graphics, great sound, tremendous gameplay and very good replay value, I give NBA 2K3 a solid 9 out of 10.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/03, Updated 04/02/03