Score
Gameplay:	8
Graphics:	9
Sound:	7
FunFactor:	8
PlasmaFactor:	8
Overall:	8

NBA 2K3 Review
June 25, 2003 by Mike

by Mike - June 25, 2003

After last year's Dreamcast port, Sega has had an entire year to design NBA2K3 strictly for the next-generation systems. And of course, the Xbox is included in that category. With sweet looking graphics, new moves, a SportsCenter theme, and updated rosters, what's not to love? Oh, I almost forgot...This year's edition adds Xbox Live to the playing field.

SportsCenter, hard 'boards, and the charity stripe

For the most part, the game menus are the same from previous years. There are all the same categories such as team rosters, team playbooks, franchise mode, etc. A noticeable difference, however, is in the layout of the menus. They all now have an ESPN style (not to mention a SportsCenter themed intro to the game). When I first heard that an ESPN license had been signed with Sega, I thought it was a cool idea. Yet the ESPN aspects have left me feeling unsatisfied for some reason. I thought there would be commentary from well-known anchors such as Rich Eisen or Stuart Scott, but it is quite the contrary. Lack of popular anchors of course does not take away from the game, but I just expected more from the ESPN license.

In any sports game, whether it be basketball, football, or hockey, the most important factor of the game is gameplay. I don't care if the graphics are beyond belief; if the gameplay is horrible, then the game will not be as enjoyable as it could have been. Fortunately for NBA2K3, the gameplay is quite good. When I first played the game, I was expecting fast paced gameplay, which was the case in the Dreamcast versions. I immediately noticed that gameplay for NBA2K3 was slower, and to be honest, I disliked it much at first. In the Dreamcast editions, I would press the rebound button and my guy would grab it quicker than the speed of light. However, for NBA2K3, it seemed like forever before my guy would get the rebound. For my first week of playing, my rebound timing was way off, but I eventually got the hang of it. After playing the game for some time now, I have come to like the rebounding gameplay. New moves such as realistic pivoting and huge slams also add a nice touch to the game. An aspect of the NBA2K series that gets the "love it or hate it" attitude are the free throws. When I first played the Dreamcast version, the process of free throws seemed very arduous to me and I dreaded it. As my playing time increased, so did my skill at shooting free throws. However, every once in a while, I go into a free throw slump, and shoot about fifty percent from the charity stripe for a few games. Many hardcore gamers say that shooting free throws is still too easy, but I think it is just fine. Also, stealing the basketball is definitely too easy. I set the gameplay slider for steal rating at the lowest setting and I still manage ten a game. Overall, the gameplay of the game is pretty good, but there are still a few flaws.

Sweat drippin' greatness (and what's up with the wacky legs?)

The graphics of NBA2K3 show definite improvement over the Dreamcast versions. This can be accounted to the power of the Xbox graphics processor. The heads and arms are round and not blocky at all. The replays are nice, but get annoying very quickly, and like many owners of NBA2K3, I turn them off completely. A feature often taken for granted is the smoothness of the floor. Sega really worked on the courts of the arenas and they look very crisp. However, I still find a few flaws about the graphics of the game. The stadiums all look the same and the spaces between seats are still too big. Also, the legs of the people sitting in the courtside seats don't appear unless the game action is in that specific area of the court. Other than those flaws, the graphics are great.

Wait? I thought I just heard that five minutes ago...

The sound reviews for sports games are excessively redundant that's it's gotten to the point of apathy. Sport game developers have greatly vamped up the graphics, gameplay, and extras, but still sound (which is mostly commentary) leaves a void in the gamer. The commentary is quite extensive in their knowledge of lesser known players and their stats. However, every pregame commentary I hear is how Chris Webber is a threat to score, a fact that even medium NBA fans know. (I'm a HUGE Kings fan by the way) How bout some comments on how to win a game, like the matchup between Jason Kidd and Gary Payton is the main factor of the game. OK, enough of my ranting. I must say, however, that the game sound effects are quite amazing. When a guy hangs on a rim after a dunk, you hear the "clank" when he jumps off. The crowd cheers are also done well. Despite these good points, the sound isn't up to par with the gameplay and graphics.

Street ball - what else do you need?

A great feature that was kept in NBA2K3 is the street ball mode. You can choose 2 vs. 2 all the way up to 5 vs. 5 with all the biggest stars. The dunks are just amazing, and it's really funny when Mike Bibby does a windmill dunk! The feature that adds the most to the replay value is the franchise mode. It spans a franchise (actual or fantasy rosters) for 20 years, making you the GM, coach, and players all at the same time. The NBA draft in the game is truly revolutional, with an actual lottery selection and draft board. Of course, you'll have to have your team do really bad to obtain the first pick, but you could always win the title and trade up for it. Despite that, it gets pretty annoying when you defeat almost every team using the Kings with the medium difficulty level on.

One phrase: XBox Live

Although NBA2K3 has improved in a significant number of areas, there is one area that separates it among the extensive field of basketball games for the Xbox: the ability for online play via Xbox Live. No other NBA game is capable of going online; not even Microsoft's own NBA Inside Drive 2003. In fact, I have heard many people who bought this game specifically for Xbox Live (or vice versa even). I must say that NBA2K3 was the first game I purchased after I bought Xbox Live. So does NBA2K3's online play live up the hype? Definitely. I was blown away by how fun online play of NBA2K3 was. It takes a few games to get used to actual human opponents, but once you do, there is non-stop competition. There are three different games one can play: Scrimmage (for newbies improving their skills without affecting their rating), Street Scrimmage, and Rated. There are always at least ten games being hosted when you search for a Rated game. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for both scrimmages. There are few Scrimmages and even fewer Street Scrimmages. This doesn't diminish the online capability, but it may frustrate some who just want the play two-on-two ball. A good thing about Xbox Live is the broadband-only service. Lag rarely occurs while playing NBA2K3, and usually only lasts for a few seconds when it does occur. Also, downloadable rosters give this game great replay value even when newer versions are released. In a nutshell, the online capability is flawless and sets NBA2K3 apart from its competitors. The one thing that bothers me is that Microsoft erases records for NBA2K3 every month (and apparently this occurs on other games as well - such as MechAssault). This doesn't take away from the experience, but I was pretty mad to see my 30-15 record go down the drain. Nevertheless, the Xbox Live experience for NBA2K3 is one that everyone will enjoy.

 

Overall, NBA2K3 combines arcade with simulation into a great game

NBA2K3 has shown significant improvement from the old Dreamcast versions. New features have been added to the gameplay that make the gaming experience more realistic to mirror real NBA action. Graphics have been improved substantially and also add a great deal to the gaming experience. The ability of online play with Xbox Live is by far the best new feature added to the game. If you already have Xbox Live or are planning to get it, then this is definitely the basketball game for you. Although there are some flaws present in the game, they are relatively minor and affect only a small portion of the game. NBA2K3 contains the streetball aspect like NBA Streets: Volume 2 and maintains the great reputation of the franchises' simulation mode. If you are into basketball, NBA2K3 is a great title for your sports collection.