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Sega Dreamcast Reviews NBA2k1 It's tough being a Wizards fan. Not only must you face the humiliation of watching your team lose continuously, you are denied all b-ball discussions with your friends (what's there to talk about?). Fantasy basketball never works in your favor as you are constantly the butt of all jokes for lousy stats and failed trades. With teams like the Lakers and Blazers dominating the association, teams like the Wizards are swept under the carpet come post-season. Even the arrival of MJ in town did nothing but leave us fans more hopeless-if MJ can't do it, no one can. Yet you remain faithful, amidst the jokes and criticisms, turning to the only place where you can truly control the object of your obsession-video games. I'll be the first to say it-NBA2k was disappointing. Although it was and still is one of the greatest basketball games of all time, there were far too many careless errors. First and foremost was the faulty defense system. You can't deny it-the game was so heavily reliant on offense and fast breaks that the defense system was ignored like a redheaded stepchild. It wasn't unlike a game of Pong-- countless missed deuces, easy recoveries, fast breaks to the other end, and the quick [although rarely successful] trey. In what has reverberated throughout my school's locker-room, defense wins the game while offense takes the glory. Such was the case with NBA2k. And, thankfully, such isn't the case with this year's installment. NBA2k1 is now a game of muggings, box-outs, and more stuffing than a Thanksgiving turkey. And although it is nice to show your Shaq-lovin friend who's boss as Mitch Richmond (he da man, he da man!) robs Kobe dry, it isn't always so nice when the tables are turned facing a computer opponent. Most apparent in Pro and All-Star modes of gameplay, computer opponents steal or slap away the ball an unheard of number of times. It's nice to see a more competitive AI, but it simply becomes unbearable. Even worse is the countless times that you'll slap away the ball without either your teammates or the opposing team making an effort to retrieve it. Shoplifting isn't any fun if you're not caught, simple as that. If I'm coming off really negative, I apologize, I don't mean to. The balance between offense and "d" is still 20 times better than last year, despite its numerous drawbacks My main beef with a flaw in NBA2k1 is its stat-driven gameplay-it's absolutely sickening. It seems as though Greg Thomas and his gang of crack researchers based each player purely on a page of statistics. Where's the love, VC? Are you a fan of the Sixers, Lakers, Blazers, or the Jazz? If so, you're in luck-your teams are absolutely stacked and won't be defeated under any condition. But those of us who root for the underdogs (Wizards, Bulls, Warriors, I'm looking at you) are, to put it nicely, absolutely screwed. And it's not only that the players are bad-it's like VC took all the guards who refused to catch passes from last year's game and stuck them into all the lower ranked teams. The Wizards don't dive for dropped balls, the Bulls opt for the 2-foot jumper over an easy deuce, and the Warriors might as well be just another group of bitmapped fans in the crowd. Where's the passion? I'll tell you where-in the Iversons, O' Neals, and Malones. Just because a team isn't on the front page of the sports section every day doesn't mean they have no redeeming qualities; a lesson the folks at Visual Concepts need to comprehend sometime soon. Alright, alright, I'll let my bitching take a brief sabbatical-I don't want you to get the impression that NBA2k1 is a bad game. Easily the most aggravating and inexcusable problem from NBA2k1's predecessor was a teammates inability (maybe even refusal) to catch a long pass. It was a common scenario we've all lived over and over in NBA2k-open player, long pass, out of bounds. Thankfully, VC has rectified this problem allowing for a far more authentically enjoyable balling experience. Also much improved is the artificial intelligence; these guys really did their homework since last year. Other than the aforementioned stealing problem, the AI is far more strategic and less frantic in its style. Computer opponents are no longer afraid to let the clock run if they are in the lead with time running down. This allows for a slower, more realistic basketball game as compared to last year. And by slower I don't mean slow-paced but rather more thought-out rather than the Pong analogy used above. Kudos to VC for being able to improve an already great AI. The 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's were such an innocent yet pivotal time for the sport of basketball. The names of legends like Bill Russel and Larry Byrd along with a slew of others (Doctah J!!!) come to mind. As children we all dreamed of achieving such greatness, for one day to step into their Chuck Taylors and walk around the block. With NBA2k1's awesome NBA Legends feature, we all can. Playing as the best ballers from the 50's to the 80's [from both conferences, of course], you'll feel a tear come to your eye as you witness Wilt Chamberlain's [may he rest in peace] extreme unprecedented power. This is nostalgia at its best, folks. Those of you in search of an old-school flay-vuh will find refuge playing on famous street courts (like Franklin Park) across the nation, playing in games of 1 on 1, 2 on 2, 3 on 3, 4 on 4, or a regulation 5 on 5. Although the mode itself is nothing but a slight graphical alteration of the regular game, it allows for a crisp, no frills, real world feel. No announcers (thank god), no crowd, no cameras. Just the sounds of sneakers scratching against pavement and cars driving by. Kind of makes you want to go outside and play a game of Knock-Out or 21. Are you like me and see no true hope for your home team unless a few adjustments are made? NBA2k1's awesome Franchise mode is for you. There's nothing quite like watching the dynamics of a team completely change at your every whim. Watching a rookie's stats go from rags to riches after a few cuts and trades is one of the most rewarding aspects of the game. Making trades, cuts, and watching the stats change every week, I am proud to say that I was successful in my attempts to take the Bulle…, I mean Wizards to playoffs. And although they didn't win (Damn you, Miami Heat!), 4th place is good enough for me and mah babies. Viewing any news stories that may have been written about your team also adds a special professional ambiance. Franchise isn't for everyone-it takes patience and a good mind, but for those who have the former it's one helluva trip. This is one sweet looking game. Player models have been improved in all spectrums-bodies are smoother, muscles are more defined and ripped (even though the shoulders are a bit exaggerated), and all of our favorite basketball players' tattoos are even more visible. Yet the game's miraculous visuals can't prepare you for the absolutely breathtaking animations, motion captured from Brian Grant of the Miami Heat. Every last finger-roll, flick of the wrist, and spin move is beautifully captured, a sense of realism that hasn't been seen in any other basketball game before. The sound is a mixed bag. While all the "ambiance effects" blend in well [meaning swoosh of the net, squeak of the shoes, etc.], the commentators are subpar. Their comments are either a few seconds too late (which can be crucial in a game as fast-paced as basketball) or sometimes just completely wrong as they confuse teams, dunks and threes, among other game situations. It's still an improvement over other b-ball games, but not up to the Visual Concepts standard. And is it just me, or are both announcers named Bob? Multiplayer is an absolute blast as it was last year and makes for quite a few shouts of "Whooz-yo-daddy?," "Get out of my house, biotch!," and of course the classic, "Da roof! Da roof! Da roof is on fiyah!" Those of you familiar with last year's game will see it's the same with a few of the enhancements that have come along with the sequel. You didn't think I forgot the single most important aspect of the entire game, did you? The main selling point over its predecessor? Its feature that could very well make or break the game and Visual Concept's reputation? Of course I didn't forget. Logging onto Seganet is as simple as it was for both Quake III and NFL2k1-plug a phone cord into the appropriate jack, click onto the network icon on the main screen, and you're set. Those of you who signed up for the 50 free trial hours that were available with Q3A and NFL2k1 will be glad to know that you can still use that same account AND any of the remaining 50 hours you may have. Upon signing on (which usually occurs on its first try, bravo), you will be told your connection rate (which has been for me fair or poor, sadly enough) and taken to a screen listing different servers across America: Eastern, Western, or Central. Upon selecting that you may choose the city/state of your choice, which will take you to a lobby where you can discuss the game and arrange any possible matches (done much easier if you have a keyboard). You can view all members in the lobby, including their connection rating and whether or not they are utilizing a keyboard (for all-American trash-talking fun, boy-eeee!) After picking the opponent of your choice, you can choose play either on a street court or in a stadium (I've found most prefer a 2 on 2 street court game) at which point you'll be taken to team select and then eventually to the game loading screen. I was skeptical about the net capabilities of NBA2k1 right off the bat. I had played NFL2k1 and was fairly disappointed-I always got stuck with a bad connection rating and ended up playing with a terrible amount of lag. I built up the courage to go online, though, and decided to face a player by the name of "dankey," also with a fair rating, and the game began. He chose the Sixers. I chose the Wizards. I knew I was in trouble. The game started out exceptionally well in terms of lag. The game didn't break up quite as often as NFL2k1 did for me, but rather played in a slow motion version of the regular game. It was still thoroughly enjoyable (although nevertheless a complete disaster on the part of the Wizards). I quickly grew impatient of losing so terribly and bailed out-after telling my opponent I would do so first, of course. I abruptly signed off and decided to further practice my "mad skillz" offline. Upon returning online on SegaNet I was assigned a "poor" rating and selected another opponent with a poor rating as well. He selected the Lakers, I once again faithful to the Wiz, and the game began. I noticed that the game played not unlike my prior experience with its football counterpart, NFL2k1-rather than the slow-motion play of my first try at NBA2k1, this game played smoothly and quickly, but with the [too] occasional break-up at which point the screen would momentarily freeze (leaving me unable to type with my keyboard). I had found my first experience online with NBA2K1 to be far more enjoyable. My next attempt at Seganet was at my friend's house, whose connection was rated as "Great." Much to my satisfaction, the game played as smooth as the top of Matt Geiger's head-it was nearly impossible to tell it was online. So, in essence, your connection rate means everything, and, like Dennis Rodman's insane behavior, it can make or break you in play. So, despite my numerous gripes, complaints, and hours spent crying myself to sleep over a lost online match….is NBA2k1 worth shelling over the 50 bucks? Abso-friggin-lootly. The improvements over its predecessor alone warrant a purchase, and with fantastic netplay (depending on your connection, of course), NBA2k1 is the best basketball game ever created… until next year. And if not for the beautiful graphics, incredible netplay, or true-to-heart gameplay, buy NBA2k1 just to see how ridiculous Shaq looks attempting a spin move. Graphics: 9.5/10 Sound: 8.1/10 Gameplay: 9.2/10 Replay: 9.5/10 Overall: 9.2/10 John Cochran |
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