Reviewed: November 3, 2000
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
SEGA

Developer
Visual Concepts

Released: October 31, 2000
Genre: Sports
Players: 4 (8 online)
ESRB: Everyone

9
9
9
9
9.0

Supported Features:

NBA 2K is (or rather was) arguably the best basketball game available for a console system. It was as easy to learn as it was to play and even sports novices such as myself quickly mastered the controls and fell in love with this title. Day after day for several months I would play my nightly games right along side the regular NBA season and compare my Pacers' scores with real life. Now, a year later, NBA 2K1 is upon us and Visual Concepts has tweaked last year's game to near-perfection and brought DC-owners another great basketball simulation just in time for the new season.

Personally, I didn't think there was much missing or wrong with last year's game, but now that I have seen what has been added to this new version I am only impressed with the attention to detail that went into NBA 2K1 and humbly recognize my vast lack of knowledge with the actual sport of basketball. If you thought NBA 2K1 was just last year's game with modem support and a facelift then you are gravely mistaken. For those of you who have recently purchased NFL 2K1, you will know what to expect from this new version.

Naturally, we have the new Rosters for 2000-2001 and they can be updated regularly by going online with your DC's modem. My initial roster update did create some inconsistencies with real-life rosters and is not entirely correct. Some players who will not be playing this season were still in the roster, and other players who have switched teams were not switched in the downloaded update. But since the game is only a few days old I am probably nitpicking. I'm sure this will all be fixed in future updates. The graphics have been greatly enhanced, both in player detail and stadiums, and there are many new features such as Franchise mode and even Street Ball. NBA 2K1 is more than an update; it's a whole new ballgame.

Other enhancements include a much better Save System where you can now save only the information you want on your VMU. This results in NBA 2K1 only using 150 blocks rather than the 185 that NBA 2K required last year. This leads me to one of my favorite rants and one of my few complaints about this game. Why does SEGA (or Visual Concepts) insist on my having the VMU in Controller 1? I have 4 controllers and 5 VMU's plugged into my system at all times yet I am constantly shuffling VMU's. I know other games can search any VMU's present in the system, so why can't a second-generation title like this do the same. Hopefully future games will use any VMU presently connected to the system...you listening out there SEGA/VC? I hope so, because I will continue to rant and give your games nasty demerits until you get with the program.

Gameplay looks much smoother now. Player animations have been enhanced to make the game look more fluid and realistic so the game just flows better. New moves have been added such as the ability to swat the ball during a block and some double-teaming options, which also leads to a new defensive call that was missing from last year's game; Illegal Defense. I had this foul called on me at least three times before I figured out what I was doing wrong. For those of you (like me) who don't know what I.D. is - you cannot double-team an opponent who doesn't have the ball. The first few calls are annoying, but after they start getting to take shots and score free points for your carelessness, you will start watching who you are ganging up on.

Perhaps one of the coolest new features in the game is Street Ball where you can take any two NBA teams to one of four street courts and play a 2-on-2 up to 5-on-5 on the asphalt. This adds a whole new charm to the game and lets you see your NBA heroes in sweats and tank tops playing hardcore hoops. The refs are still present but they aren't as critical as they are in a stadium game. Out of the five street games I have played so far I have only been called for traveling and out of bounds. The ambient city noises such as traffic, dogs, birds, and the occasional shout of a spectator add to the immersion of this game.

The Franchise mode has been included this year allowing you to create your own players, teams, and custom leagues. While I am sure there are plenty of sim-enthusiasts who have been drooling over this feature, it's all just a bit much for a casual sports junkie as myself. I'd much rather play the actual game than micro-manage all the little pieces of what goes on behind-the-scenes. But the important thing is NBA 2K didn't have it and now NBA 2K1 does, so if you want it you got it.

In addition to the current NBA teams you get all the historic favorites and even some classic old-timers. You can really relive the good-old days of basketball with legendary players like Wilt Chamberlain, Dr. J. and many others. I think the Harlem Globetrotters are the only ones missing from this game.

Speaking of free throws; this has been modified slightly. You now shoot from a zoomed-out view, which doesn't really affect the way you make (or miss) your shot. It's still the same old "pull the R and L triggers in at the same time and same pressure" shooting method, but now you get the added distraction of hundreds of fans waving those neon glow sticks and stomping their feet trying to distract you. It only fazed me the first few times then I learned to ignore it just like the real players have to do. It still adds a heightened sense of realism to the entire experience and really puts you in the shoes of an NBA player standing at the line.

Last year's CG introduction has been replaced with a FMV opening and obligatory thumping intro music. It really gets you in the mood to play some hoops. The menus look the same with the obvious inclusions for the new game modes and online play. The core game is nicely wrapped in an attractive interface that is easy to navigate and pleasing to the eyes.

I did notice that during the regular game there are far fewer "network replays". It seems that they are only showing the really exceptional plays this year which is nice because I really didn't like last year's game cutting away to replays after every second or third basket. Even though the auto-replays are fewer and farer between, there seems to be a much great number of camera angles for these replays incuding new cameras above the hoop and from the sidelines. The manual replay mode is fantastic and you can watch the previous play from virtually any angle and at any level of magnification. You can even zoom in until you can see the texture on the ball.

In addition to the standard selection of camera angles you now have the ability to select your Zoom and Height for the camera you are using while playing. This is a great feature and allows you to tighten up on the action to the point where you can see the players sweat (just kidding) or zoom out and above for almost a full-court view from the scoreboard. The possibilities are almost endless which makes it even more frustrating that once you find the perfect combination of camera, height, and zoom that you cannot save these settings anywhere. I would gladly sacrifice a few blocks on my VMU so I wouldn't have to manually adjust these values each time I load the game.

Stadium graphics have been enhanced and offer much more realistic details. Banners and pendants hang on the walls, wood floors, logos, and scoreboards are all rendered in glorious 3D detail and the crowds are much more animated and detailed. They also seem to react much more realistically with what is going on in the game. The opening light and laser show is back during the home team player introductions and even this seems to have been tweaked to a greater detail. Players greet each other on court giving high-fives or body-slams and wave to the crowd while spotlights and laser-projected logos dance around the hardwood court.

Commentary is improved and while some of your old favorites are back ("spoooky") there is plenty of new chatter to keep you informed, and the play-by-play calls have become much more precise and interactive with the game. I actually learned what an "Illegal Defense" was and why it was being called on me all the time and made the appropriate adjustments to my playing style. Sure I could have read the manual, but it was nice to get educated by the announcers for a change. I just wish they hadn't waited until my 3rd offense before explaining it.

Those of you who have been enjoying NFL 2K1 online and expecting similar results may be in for a shock. NBA 2K1 does not enjoy the same online gaming goodness as its NFL cousin released back in September. While it offers the same capabilities of up to 4 on 4 via the built-in DC modem, I have yet to be able to play a successful game to completion with or without annoying lag. The lag is either so bad that we end up quitting, or we get disconnected altogether.

A big part of this (in my opinion) is just the very nature of the two sports. Football consists of a short flurry of motion and animation followed by a break where you pick plays and get ready for the next sequence of events. This "break in the action" gives the DC and the modem time to "catch-up" with the exchange of data or at least hides it in the non-animated screens between plays. This makes NFL 2K1 quite playable and enjoyable over the Internet. Basketball, on the other hand, is pretty much non-stop continuous action, so there are no frequent interruptions where the hardware can compensate for slower connection speeds. Of course this is all just my hypothesis. Both games come from the same developer and NBA 2K1 was released two months after NFL 2K1 so if anything, the online engine should be more lag-free if that were possible.

I will also qualify my online experience by saying that I am not using SEGANET but rather a national ISP and I am forcing my connection to a reliable 33.6k which has provided me with stable and fun experiences for both NFL 2K1 and Quake 3 Arena. I have read from several people who claim to have played lag-free NBA games on SEGANET, but until SEGA decides to get a local access number in my area I will have to take their word for it.

There also seems to be a heated debate about whether NBA 2K1 will support the upcoming broadband adapter. Currently the only title with the "Broadband Support" logo is Quake 3. Cable modem speeds would certainly fix the lag problem but nobody is confirming one way or the other if NBA (and even NFL) 2K1 will work with the faster connection.

As I've stated in previous reviews of online Dreamcast titles, GET A KEYBOARD! If you join SEGANET you will get one for FREE along with that nice rebate check. Without a keyboard you are doomed to silent games and even worse, will be unable to respond to the "smack" your opponents will most certainly be dishing out with their keyboard.

SEGA and Visual Concepts have given us a basketball game that leaps ahead of last year's version. Along with all the obligatory improvements you would have expected they have also fixed most of the major issues gamers complained about last year and have even added several new gaming modes to breathe new life into this franchise. It's nice to see a company that actually listens to the feedback of their customers and responds by making quality games like this.