Last
year’s ESPN NBA title really did great things for ESPN Videogames, a division of
Sega. The addition of the 24/7 career mode, Xbox Live support, and fantastic
graphics and gameplay (a reliable aspect of Sega Sports games) made this the
best NBA videogame out there. This year’s version, even with great steps from
EA’s NBA Live series, puts Sega even further on top of the basketball heap.
Even though it was considered the
best looking basketball game last year, ESPN NBA’s players were still a bit
robotic and stiff, at one point standing straight up and the next running into a
motion capture animation. This year, thanks to triple pass rendering (some
technology that gamers don’t need to understand how it works, just that it does)
animates the players brilliantly. All the movement has been smoothed out and
looks even more fluid, a great improvement for the franchise. Random motions
have been added for slashing, driving players to make their bodies twist and
turn in the lane. Players diving for balls out of bounds actually throw the ball
back in realistically – Bibby saved the ball, but chucked it errantly to the
other team. The crowd is now fully three-dimensional – something the team has
always wanted to do and finally got a chance to this year. They’ll cheer for the
home team, and a few dissenters may even root for the visitors. The stadiums
look even better, with the shiny court showing the arena lights’ reflections.
The Playstation 2 and Xbox versions were side by side, and the Xbox version
looked much better. Pick it up for the Xbox if you can.
Gameplay seems to be a bit faster
this year, mirroring the NBA better. In game AI adjusts according to gamer’s
play, so those who like to run the floor will see their teammates breaking away
more often, and those who prefer setting up a half-court offense might get more
help on the defensive boards. A player’s size and weight with respect to their
momentum has been refined in the physics engine, effecting their movement,
ability to cut, and more.
The multiplayer version was the only
mode on display at E3, but I’ve been promised that the 24/7 mode will be back
with more items and some new features. Look for ESPN NBA Basketball 2005 to drop
with the start of the NBA season.
