ESPN NBA Basketball – PS2 – Review

Long before the ESPN
franchise got a hold of it, the NBA 2K series was one of the leading basketball
games sports fans turned to when they wanted a guaranteed great basketball
title.  Well I’m happy to report that its new incarnation, ESPN NBA Basketball,
is still a sports game fans can turn to when they want an excellent basketball
title.  For the sake of the review, we’ll go into the reasons why.

First off, the NBA 2K
series always went for the ESPN Sports Center feel and has done this rather
successfully.  Secondly, while it faithfully recreates a realistic simulation of
the sport, the controls give the game its addictive
can’t-put-the-controller-down appeal.  In short, the ESPN name just makes a fun
sports game more presentable.  Yet does mere presentation make this an
altogether different game?  Sports fans, this game still has all the things we
love in our Sega Sports game.

Case in point, all the
classic game modes are still here.  There’s Quick Game, Tournament, Season,
Franchise, Playoff, Practice and Street (where you can basically play on a half
court one-on-one game in a gym or beachside court).  New to the series is the
24/7 Mode that acts as a sort of training mode with loads of challenges to build
your player up RPG-style.  In this mode you create your own player and train him
in free-throws or dunking (to name a few skills) while taking on real-life star
players.  If your console’s date and time are current, the game sets up a
realistic calendar for your created player and challenges open up to him at
different dates.  It’s also in this mode that you unlock many extras such as new
modes, vintage jerseys or even surprise players from yesteryear.

Also new to the series is
the option to control as many as four teams in the game’s Franchise mode.  This
allows you to follow more than one favorite team through the various seasons or
have a few friends play along as their favorite teams as they go through the
seasons with you.  Really, it just doesn’t get any better than this, sports fan.

As for the game’s
controls, they somehow feel so much more smoother this year and this is thanks
to the game’s “borrowing” of NBA Live 2003’s Freestyle control.  The right
analog stick makes for quick crossovers or, as a defensive move; you can quickly
cut in front of a player.  Whether its playing the defense or the offense, the
controls are tight enough that new gamers can just pick up the controller and
just start playing the game.  Of course, there are things we all wished were a
bit different and, in the game’s case, it’s the free-throws.  The twin arrows of
the previous games have been replaced with two forks that require you to match
them with the two analog sticks.  Sounds easy?  Believe me, it’s not.

One of the best things
about this game is that it hasn’t abandoned online play and this one can be
played using a Broadband or Dial-Up connection.  The coolest new feature is the
fact that Broadband gamers can use a USB headset to chat with other gamers while
they play a Quick Game.  Using both connections, I found that the game runs
smoothly and without any hiccups so be prepared to play some fast-paced b-ball.

Last year’s game was also
a great-looking game but this year the improvements make for one really sharp
and nicely detailed basketball title.  To begin with, the player models are
astonishingly true to the real players.  Shaq just doesn’t look like an animated
parody of him, this year’s game captures his facial details down to his annoyed
glares he gives rival players that get in his way.  The playing court also looks
great and anyone who has ever played on the courts of Venice Beach, California
could tell you how accurately they captured it.  The ESPN-styled dazzling
graphics also give the game its televised feel and it works great.  Really,
gamers will be impressed how good this game looks on the PS2.

How do they do it?  Each
year the play-by-play and color commentary just keep getting better and better
and more centered on calling the plays just as they happen.  Not only is the
commentary (by Kevin Frazier and Tom Tolbert) spot-on but they are also quick to
point out flaws in the defense and recognize those players that are really
pushing the offensive plays to the maximum.  On the court, the sounds are so
wonderfully detailed that you can hear sneakers squeak and coaches bark.

ESPN NBA Basketball is the
kind of game sports fans dream about at night.  It takes all the things we love
about last year’s NBA 2K3 and adds so much more that the result is a basketball
title that not only looks gorgeous but plays like a dream.  With great controls
and game modes (including online play for both Broadband and Dial-Up) this is
the game to buy right away if you’re looking for the ultimate basketball game
for your PS2.

#Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 9.2
The controls are as tight as ever
and I don’t think you will find a more fluid game of simulated basketball than
this one.  Passing, faking shots and dunking is done smoothly to the point that
gamers will not want to put down their controllers.  As for the game modes, the
year’s Franchise mode will have you knee deep in an entire addictive season.
The game also uses the right analog stick for smoother crossovers.  I just wish
the free-throws were handled a little differently.

Graphics: 9.0
Surprisingly, this is also one of
the most gorgeous looking games that truly takes advantage of the PS2’s graphics
capabilities.  Gamers will love how the player models–especially their
well-detailed faces–look true to the actual ballers from your favorite teams.
While last year Allen Iverson looked good, this game, however, makes him look
startlingly like his real-life counterpart.  The courts also look amazing, as
does the audience.  The camera angles also give the best view of the action this
time around.

Sound: 8.8
Aside from the great visuals, the
sound really stands out this year with its great two-man commentary and detailed
courtside sound effects.  The play-by-play and color commentary have always been
good in the NBA 2K series but in the hands if the ESPN franchise the commentary
has become equal to a televised even.  The sound effects are also top notch and
the audience chants and cheers do a great job of keeping things realistic.

Difficulty: Medium
One thing about the NBA 2K series is
that it always keeps up with the year’s rankings.  Gamers will find it very
difficulty to beat the Lakers with the Clippers but they can certainly school
the New York Knicks . . . just like the real thing.  This year the opponent AI
ups the challenges by tightening the defense and offense.  Also, the free-throws
are still very hard to master.

Concept: 9.2
The ESPN name really does wonders
for a sports series (the proof is in ESPN NFL Football and ESPN NHL Hockey) and
here it works for professional basketball.  Aside from the deeper Franchise and
Season mode, the 24/7 mode is a welcome addition that is just too addictive to
put down.  Not only can you create your own player but you can also build him up
through a series of events.  There’s also plenty of surprises to unlock during
some of the game’s other modes.

Multiplayer: 9.5
This one is just a pure joy to play
with a group of friends and up to eight players (using PS2 Multitap, naturally)
can play through some of the game’s plentiful modes.  The game can also be
played online again through either Broadband or Dial-Up.  Broadband gamers will
find that you can use a USB headset (the game recommends a Logitech PS2 USB
headset) so you can finally talk trash while playing with other opponents.  Ah,
the beauty of online gaming, isn’t it great?

Overall: 9.5
There is no doubt about it: ESPN NBA
Basketball is a masterpiece and one of the best basketball games for the PS2
this year.  There is really nothing I can personally point out that will not
make a gamer or sports fan not buy this one.  Really, with its addictive
gameplay and deep game modes, this one will be a fan favorite that sports fans
will be playing for a really long time.  Go out and buy this one right away.