Slaaam-dunkin' onto a Dreamcast near you, can NBA2K fulfil those hoop dreams?
Seb Duggan

Basketball. To the uninitiated it's one of those bizarre sports that Americans play in which 20 minutes of game time is somehow spread out over several hours, at the end of which time the result depends on a couple of points. However, to those in the know (and this game will provide many more of them) it's a game that combines skill, fitness and tactical planning.

There have been basketball games before, but these have often concentrated on the outrageous acrobatic aspects of the sport; NBA2K is much more of a simulation. From the moment you hit the start button, the slick presentation makes you believe you could be watching a televised game. First of all, there are the player introductions (neutral for the visitors, way over the top for the home side), complete with lightshow and crowd participation. This is all staged within a perfectly modelled copy of the home team's venue.

And so on to the play. From the first tip-off, the game progresses at a breathless pace (especially in 60Hz mode) as you chase the ball from one end of the court to the other. Controls are responsive, but it will take a while to master them fully, and to realise that it doesn't matter how good a shot you are - if your defence (or is that defense?) sucks, you'll lose.