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Monday, January 24, 2000Sega's NBA 2K top hoop game
Good news for computer repair shops: NBA 2K, designed by Visual Concepts for the Dreamcast, is just as good. That, of course, is bad news for other platforms. Games that in the past would have left players speechless are now just also-rans. Like NBA Shootout 2000. It's a game that, absent the powerful Dreamcast, would probably be one of the two or three best NBA games available. But 989 Studios, hard as they tried, just couldn't match Sega's magnificent achievement. Fire them both up. When Shootout starts, you'll be impressed. Clean, slightly clunky graphics, smooth control, great sound. Then turn on the Dreamcast. The graphics are the best in console hoops. Watch the players' expressions change to match the mood and the action. Even the crowd is incredible; it's the best I've ever seen in a sports game. Control is good, although it seems a bit slanted toward the arcade end of the spectrum. The sound also gets a gold star, with two announcers, excellent effects and players jabbering smack just as if they really do make $12 million a year. It's like putting Michael Jordan on the court and matching him against Michael Douglas. No contest. The mechanics of NBA 2K seem to have been lifted almost intact from NFL 2K, and you get a similar result -- a very playable game slanted in favor of offense. Details are amazing. If a player is a whiner in real life, you'll hear him griping in the game. If he wears a headband on the court, he'll be wearing it on your TV. Realism holds sway on the hardwood; jams are so real your chair will shake. NBA 2K features the entire NBA, and includes the veterans as well as all the hot rookies. There are four ways to play -- exhibition, quick start, season and playoffs -- enough to make everybody happy. There is the much-appreciated create-a-player option, which lets you cook up a 7-foot-5 center or replicate the kid you saw in a high school game last week. Shootout is probably one of the two or three best basketball games for PlayStation. It also is NBA-licensed, and features the folks you see on TV or in your local arena. The clunky graphics mentioned above don't cause major problems, although they are consistent. When players make dramatic moves, the change from one position to the next doesn't occur smoothly, as with the more powerful Dreamcast. Controls are good, but not up to 2K standards. There's a nifty create-a-dunk feature you'll love, and you get the usual variety of play options and moves. But the bottom line remains the same. If you want the best, it has to be NBA 2K. The rest are fighting over second place. Both NBA 2K and NBA ShootOut 2000 are rated E, for all ages. 
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NBA 2K features the entire NBA and includes the veterans as well as the top rookies. It's the best basketball game available. (AP Photo/Sega)
