You can’t say that Sega
Sports doesn’t listen to its devoted supporters because each year they offer all
the improvements sports fans have been asking for and Sega Sports NBA 2K3 is no
exception. With its introduction to the PS2 after the untimely demise of the
Dreamcast, sports games got a taste of some really good basketball. So, do you
think you’re ready for the full meal?
There are six different
modes to test your skills on the court: Street, Season, Franchise, Playoffs,
Tournament and Network. Street offers up a game on the asphalt courts of Venice
Beach or Franklin Park playing two-on-two down to a five-on-five game. Season
takes gamers’ favorite team through an entire season while realistically
throwing such things as player injuries and draft and trade deadlines.
The Franchise mode puts
you in the role of General Manager, Coach and player and lets you call all the
shots from the manager’s desk to the coach’s bench. The Playoffs takes gamers
directly to the playoff, simulating a full season. In Tournament, you can
create your own single-elimination tournament featuring anywhere from four,
eight or sixteen teams. And Network, the highlight of the game, features online
play.
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 two hundred motion capture dunks.
You can customize the game
to fit your style of playing the game in any of the multiple categories
available and some of them even change the game dramatically like the Crash
Board option–for more aggressive rebounding–or Fast Break (moves up the
pace). The AI opponents are also challenging enough to play the offense and
defense intelligently . . . and fairly since they too are realistically prone to
make some boneheaded mistakes.
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 the last year’s game. While NBA 2K2 featured some
really sharp looking graphics with recognizable pros, 2K3 just piles on the
wonderful details such as glistening sweat on the player’s skin and better
facial details on the faces of star athletes such as Allen Iverson. This
version also 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 . . . then again, why mess with perfection.
Sega Sports has done it
again and has brought sports fans a basketball title they can really sink their
teeth into. With online capabilities, this is the ultimate Must-Have game well
worth the price of admission.
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#Reviewer’s |
Gameplay: 8.7
Control-wise nothing has really
changed, although now there are a collection of new slam dunks so the same dunk
isn’t repeated over and over again. Getting all the moves down to an art
requires gamers to experiment with the controls since something as simple as a
lay-up requires you to push two different buttons at once.
One of NBA 2K3’s best
features is the ability to control pass types and even the direction. You can
bounce a low pass or fake a pass–throwing off your opponent. Crossovers and
spin moves have been redesigned so more fluid moves are available to you. All
in all, this is a game that gives gamers full control of the game.
Graphics: 8.6
Basketball games do not get any more
good-looking than this game and the highly detailed players look amazing as they
fluidly perform intricate moves and physically touch the rim (a noticeable
glitch in last years game). There are a number of details that are just way too
satisfying to point out such as the scrupulous physical details of star players
like Kobe Bryant’s new short-cropped haircut or Allen Iverson’s carefully
braided do.
Sound: 9.1
NBA 2K3 also excels in the sound
department with it’s excellent play-by-play that does a good job of keeping up
with the game in progress. It’s great hearing Rod Brooks and Bob Fitzgerald
calling the plays . . . although the banter is never really colorful nor
playful, but it does point out defensive mistakes that are useful.
The ambiance sound is
among the best I’ve heard in a long time and you can hear everything from the
stomping of feet to distract the opposing team during a free throw or the PA
system playing snippets of inspirational tunes to pump up the crowds. And
dribbling the ball produces that oh-so sweet sound against the hardwood floor of
the arena.
Difficulty: Medium
The AI of the opposing team is a lot
smarter and can put up quite a fight when it comes to offensive plays.
Depending on the difficulty level you choose (Rookie, Pro and All Star) or the
customizable settings you fitted the game with, this is one challenging game.
Fail to devise a reasonable strategy or lag behind in your defense and the other
team will be all over you.
Concept: 9.5
Thanks to ESPN’s Sports Center style
presentation, NBA 2K3 looks and feels like an authentic televised game complete
with weekly wrap-ups and season-ender awards like MVP or Rookie of the Year.
And once again the Create A Player option offers plenty of unique designing
details with everything from ear size to arm tattoos so you can create a pretty
bizarre-looking team.
The Franchise mode is
also, by far, the most in-depth franchise mode presented in a basketball title.
Other games such as NBA Live 2003 or NBA Inside Drive 2002 hardly touch the
number of options and control that this game has.
Multiplayer: 8.9
This is what multiplayer hoop dreams
are made of . . . a multiplayer mode for up to eight players (oh that beautiful
Multitap). You can play through a number of game modes with a group of friends
and even things out by playing a four-on-four game or customizing the game to
fit the number of gamers playing at once. Talk about multiplayer heaven!
Yet the main multiplayer
feature is the option to play online using the PS2 Network Adaptor. The modes
are somewhat limited to an exhibition game but that’s really not bad at all.
Surprisingly, the game runs smoothly on both broadband and dial-up and the game
allows up to anywhere from two to ten players. You can download some sweet
extras (like updated rosters to keep up with the current NBA season) and even
post your stats as well as review those of other players.
Overall: 8.9
Basketball doesn’t get any better
than this and with plenty of game modes, including online play, Sega Sports NBA
2K3 is sure to be a favorite among sports gamers everywhere. Be sure to pick
this one up, you won’t regret it.
