The Dreamcast is one of my all time favorite systems (along with the Xbox of course). It has so many incredible games, such as Shenmue, Phantasy Star Online and Soul Calibur, which are pure gaming goodness and hold a special spot in my heart. But, out of all the amazing titles that graced my beloved DC, one game stands taller then all the rest. That game is NBA 2K.

Up until Sega’s release of this stunning basketball sim I was playing Midway’s NBA Hangtime and Electronic Arts’ Live to get my b-ball gaming fix. I had no way of knowing that NBA 2K would step onto the scene and completely blow these other games away in its first year. But, that’s exactly what it did. And so Sega snatched the b-ball crown away from all competitors and has proudly worn it ever since. Now Sega brings NBA 2K2 to the Xbox, and the game is just as impressive as it ever was.

The main thing that propels NBA 2K2 above all other basketball games is the gameplay. No other title has ever come closer to capturing the ebb and flow of NBA basketball so perfectly. Everything from battling for position in the paint to dropping three pointers just feels right. The crossovers and spin moves are balanced well, as they can be used to get around weak defenders, but can lead to turnovers when used to get around the NBA’s better stoppers. One of the great things about the gameplay in NBA 2K2 is the defense is just as intuitive and responsive as the offense. Swatting (or just altering) shots and stealing is based on timing and positioning and is easy to do, but very hard to master. It’s obvious that Sega’s Visual Concepts spent an insane amount of time tweaking and retweaking the gameplay for everything to work so incredibly smoothly.

There are a few issues with the gameplay that Visual Concepts needs to iron out in next year’s release. One of these issues is that it is too easy to get called for goaltending when attempting to rebound the ball. Another is that the players often stop in their tracks when you pass to them, thus negating any chance you might have had for a fast break bucket. When compared to the overall superior quality of the title’s gameplay mechanics, these issues are very minor, but they do present a bit of a black mark on the game’s otherwise perfect slate.

Of course all the options you have come to expect from the NBA 2K series are all here, including: Practice, Season, Playoffs, Street Ball and Franchise. These modes don’t expand too much from what we saw in NBA 2K1, but they are still head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. The Franchise mode alone will keep diehard basketball gamers busy for months, so lack of longevity is certainly not an issue. Also worth noting is the game’s very hearty Create-A-Player feature, which allows you to alter almost everything you could think of about your future NBA prospect. Heck, I actually created two full teams featuring all my friends for those cold and rainy days when we can’t make it out to the blacktop.

The visuals have been given a nice facelift over the DC version, but it’s nothing too groundbreaking; Mostly just cleaner textures, superior framerate and improved reflections. The player faces are still unmatched when compared to other basketball games and the courts are all modeled very accurately. It’s impressive to see little touches such as the weird spot on the back of Rasheed Wallace’s head and accurate player tattoos all represented perfectly. The animations are also still as smooth as they were in past iterations of the NBA2K franchise; with each NBA player actually moving and reacting just like his real life counterpart. Unfortunately, some very noticeable clipping detracts from the overall visual presentation, but it’s certainly nothing major.

The same announcers are back from the DreamCast versions of the game, and they are just as lively and entertaining as ever. Their quips and jibes are all well timed and may even make you crack a smile or two. I must say though, I think the announcers for NFL 2K are slightly better. The rest of the audio in the game is top-notch, with every clank of the rim, squeak of the sneakers and bounce of the ball sounding just about perfect. I especially like the how the basket creaks and groans when a player throws down and hangs on the rim.

Ever since the release of NBA2K on the DreamCast, Visual Concepts has shown they know how to capture the spirit of basketball perfectly in a videogame. Many have tried to dethrone the 2K series, but all have failed. Now with the release of NBA2K2 on the Xbox, gamers are treated to the ultimate version of the ultimate basketball videogame franchise. All the options and modes you have come to expect from the series can be found, including: create-a-team, create-a-player, franchise, street ball, practice and more. But all the options in the world would never make up for shoddy gameplay and luckily NBA2K2 does not disappoint in this category. In fact, the amazing gameplay is hands-down the best feature of the game. Every aspect of basketball, from the post-up game to the pick and roll, is handled flawlessly and will draw you in like no other b-ball game currently available. All in all, NBA2K2 is easily the best basketball game for the Xbox and all fans of the sport, or sports fans in general, should consider it a must have.