When NBA 2K launched for the Dreamcast, the basketball genre was flooded with games that played pretty much the same and I'm not just talking about the basic goal of the game - getting the ball through the hoop. The pace of the basketball games before NBA 2K, the play mechanics, the animations - they all looked and played the same. That's why it was so incredible to see a game like NBA 2K release because it looked and played above and beyond any basketball game at the time. I think the one thing that impressed a lot of the NBA 2K fans was the different approach to the game in every detail, be it setting up alley-oops, low post screen plays, or even the totally unique free throw mechanic. True, NBA 2K had minor flaws but it did everything else so well it was easy to forget especially since no other basketball even tried some of the gameplay stuff Visual Concepts pulled off. NBA 2K1 continued the progression and kept the competition hurting from all of its innovations - from online play, to crossover animations, and a revamped shooting game. Now, we have the last Dreamcast basketball game in the form of NBA 2K2 and it would've been so easy for Visual Concepts to rehash the same game found in NBA 2K1, make the necessary roster changes, and slap the new NBA 2K2 name on it... maybe even include a gimmick like authentic shoes of each athlete. Given the facts that no one else came close to making a better game than NBA 2K1 on any console today and that the Dreamcast is at the end of its life, there's really no need to spend any time on NBA 2K2, right? Of course, that's not the way things work at Visual Concepts; new animations, additional play mechanics, improved controls, and corrected mistakes from last year's game are just of the improvements they've made on NBA 2K2 and while there are still a few flaws that haunt the game, NBA 2K2 on the Dreamcast is still better than any basketball video game currently out.
One of the biggest changes comes in the fine-tuning of the gameplay engine. With the abolishment of the illegal defenses, zone defenses are now an option for teams to get a little stingier on defense. Although it's a bit too early to see how real NBA teams utilize zone defenses, NBA 2K2 does a pretty good job predicting how it's going to be handled. The computer will start to call zone defenses if you've been especially good at attacking a certain weakness in their game. For example, if you've been bombing jumpers from the perimeter, the AI catches on pretty quick and might call a 3-2 zone to stop your shooting game. The addition of the zone defenses makes it pretty tough to run a fast break and that may be problematic in some situations (more on that later). Speaking of computer AI, I like how the CPU plays a bit more aggressive on both sides of the floor; CPU defense will time a steal just as your trying to drive down the hole or pivoting in the low post while they'll take their time preparing the best shot on offense. They'll also recognize if a player on their team is on a shooting streak and will try to setup plays to give to that player. This ain't a scoring session filled with highlight reel dunks anymore; NBA 2K2 is much more an intelligent basketball game where the best results come from well-planned offensive plays and the correct calls on D. Of course, you have an assortment of new tools - spin moves, crossover animations, pass intercepting grabs, fallaway jumpers - that definitely still make the game exciting.
One of the biggest complaints in NBA 2K1 was the inability to do anything in the midst of a spin or crossover animation. For example, in the middle of a spin move, you couldn't dish it out to the open point guard from the outside. That has been totally revamped so now, you're able to interrupt the animation of crossovers with a pass or a shot, something we screamed for after NBA 2K1. This makes playing offense a lot more exciting and enables players to setup plays to the open man with more "style". Improvements have been made in the low post game as players have a new selection of shots ranging from fallaway jumpers, baby hooks, and the ever-popular "monster jam". What's quite remarkable is how almost every shot you put up changes depending on how the defender acts. If you're going up for a shot and you've got to guys up there with you on a block, you'll probably put up a higher arcing shot and if there's contact when you shoot, you'll definitely see it in the way your player shoots the ball and how the ball floats up in the air. Also, alley-oops have changed a bit; you really can't call them like you used to. Now, you have to watch for the open man near the hoop to initiate an alley-oop and depending on the player's ability, he'll try to help you set up the alley-oop as well.
Changes have also been made in the defensive side and I particularly like how NBA 2K2 will make players want to be a lot more active when stealing passes. Added into NBA 2K2 is a new "intercept pass" feature; by pressing the X button (or Turbo and the X button), your player will lunge in a specified direction. This might not look too useful but when playing defense, the point of this new feature is to trick a team into passing to an open player. Recognizing open passing lanes, baiting the other team to pass it down the lane, and timing the intercept pass function becomes a key element to the game, especially if you're one of those teams that likes the fast break. In addition, NBA 2K2 balances out the power of the crossover so unless you're a master ballhandler like Jason Kidd, be aware of where and when an opponent executes a crossover maneuver because it's a lot easier to steal the ball. The AI does a pretty good job on defense when you call certain defenses, switch defense match-ups, or double team on a particular high scorer (i.e. Allen Iverson). Play calling is done using the D-pad and a face button input and while it's not exactly an intuitive setup, it allows you to call offensive and defensive plays on the fly.
The visual difference isn't huge, but rest assured there are distinctive changes that you'll definitely see. Player models look really good and the biggest improvements have been in the faces. There are a few players that don't look anything like their real-life counterparts, but Visual Concepts has done a fantastic job in making the players resemble look real. The flow of the game is a lot faster and you'll rarely see those floating passes in NBA 2K1; players will fire passes with laser precision and lightning quickness now. The animations, whether on offense or defense, will be the noticeable improvement in the game; there are animations for almost every situation. You'll really see a lot of these new animations when you're taking a shot while being closely defended. This results vary as sometimes you'll see an incredible aerial lay-up, other times you'll see some of the ugliest shots in the world - it depends on the skill level of each basketball player. Of course, there are some really new spectacular dunks and you might not be able to see them all during a normal game. Thankfully, there's a whole slew of extra modes and features where you can demonstrate your favorite players "dunkability" as well as enjoy the game of basketball on a different level.
NBA 2K2 provides an incredible amount of play features and while not all of them have changed since NBA 2K1, they will provide lots of replay value to this title. Obviously, the mode I spent a lot of time on was the Franchise mode. The format hasn't changed much from NBA 2K1 but I still feel trading is a bit too easy; taking my lower tiered Warriors, I made eight trades right from the start of Franchise mode and I got all the players I wanted. I was hoping for a little more depth in Franchise mode, especially when recruiting in the draft. For those wondering if you can finally add a created player to your team in Franchise mode, sorry you still can't. For those that want to take a break from the cerebral game of basketball and jump into something a little less restricting, there's always the Street mode. Featuring five authentic street courts (three in New York, one in Chicago, one in Oakland), there's really no teamplay in Street mode as it's all about crossovers, spin moves, alley-oops, and thunderous dunks in this game. Finally, there's online play and while it's still not quite perfect, playing online has been a pretty decent experience so far. The improved ranking mode that keeps track of your wins and losses will definitely keep more players playing instead of "accidentally disconnecting" when you're leading a game. I did encounter some major lag issues and a disconnection problems but obviously, Sega's busy streamlining the servers for optimum performance.
For all the great advancements, new animations, and smarter play that makes NBA 2K2 such a better basketball game any video basketball game, there's still flaws that can really aggravate players. Collision detection in the low post is pretty good, but if you're trying to penetrate from the perimeter, it's pretty difficult; even if you pass the first defender from the outside, getting past defenders in the paint is really tough because you'll encounter those nasty " invisible collision boxes". It's still possible to get through but it's not as easy as it should be. While the low post animation has been greatly improved, there's still that annoying flaw where a player - who's right underneath a basket - takes a jumpshot instead of taking it strong to the hole. Then, running the fast break isn't easy, and while most of that is due to the aggressive AI on defense, the annoying part comes when your teammates stop to catch a pass. If you happen to steal a ball and try to run the fast break, don't be too surprised if you pass to a teammate up ahead on the floor and instead of catching the pass on the run, that teammates stops to catch the ball. The improved AI, making the computer opponent more aggressive on defense, may have been just a little too aggressive as I find my computer opponents setting up zone defenses really early in the game. Finally, the commentary isn't great; it pales in comparison to the lively commentary found in NFL 2K2. But these minor gripes are stated because there's nothing really wrong with the game, and considering the competition - or should I say, lack of competition - NBA 2K2 is one of the most complete sports games on any platform. Although the PS2 version is on its way (and looking to be even MORE impressive than the Dreamcast version), there's no reason why you should wait to play the best basketball video game yet.
--Anthony Chau, IGNDC