NBA Inside Drive 2002 Preview

Microsoft dropped by the GameSpot offices today with a playable build of NBA Inside Drive 2002 for the Xbox. The game, which is being developed by High Voltage Software, has been in development for a little over 18 months and is currently about 85 percent complete. All the planned gameplay modes are in, the control scheme is finalized, the player models and individual arenas are all in the game, and the sound effects and announcing are nearly complete. With the build in hand, we played a few spirited games to bring you our initial impressions.

Microsoft and High Voltage Software's philosophy in developing NBA Inside Drive 2002 was to create an entertaining game that appealed to even the most casual hoops fan, while at the same time clearly showcasing the power of the hardware. Judging from our early gameplay time with Inside Drive, they are well on their way to achieving both goals. The early screenshots released by Microsoft showed a lot of promise, and after seeing the game in motion, it is safe to say that the game's developer is certainly delivering on that potential. Even at this unfinished stage, NBA Inside Drive 2002 is easily one of the most visually impressive basketball games to date.

The player models in the game have almost inordinate amounts of texture detail. Everything from creases on the player's jerseys, individually moving fingers, and realistic muscle definition to some of the most realistic facial models to date can be seen in the game. That high level of detail extends into the game's arenas as well. All the venues in the game have been designed according to the exact specifications of their real-life counterparts. So, for example, like its actual counterpart, the Staples Center in the game has the three rows of box seats and retired jerseys and championship banners hanging from the rafters. As with other hoops games, the crowd is made up of 2D sprites, but they are generally animated well and have a variety of different reactions to the on-court action.

On the court, it is clearly evident that NBA Inside Drive 2002 is more about accessibility and ease of play than hard-core simulation of the NBA game. The game's control scheme makes it easy to pick up and play, and its up-and-down gameplay style should appeal to a wide range of hoops fans. The intuitive control scheme is perfectly matched to the specifications of the Xbox controller--just about every action is readily available on command. The face buttons are used to jump, pass, shoot, block shots, steal, and perform dribble moves such as crossovers and spins. The right trigger is used for turbo, while the left trigger faces up on defense and is used to post up on offense.

During the course of the game, you can also access a short list of preset plays using the directional pad on the Xbox controller. The game's intuitive control scheme helps facilitate its fast-paced gameplay. Judging from our early experience with Inside Drive, defense will be hard to come by in the games, as there are plenty of fast-break opportunities to be had. In that sense, the game harkens back to classic games in the NBA Live series, where high-flying dunks and "stop and pop" three-pointers were the norm. NBA Inside Drive 2002 also features a strong rebounding system. The left trigger can be used to box out, and players aggressively go for boards on command. Given our limited gameplay time, we weren't able to experiment with differences in rebounding effectiveness between smaller guards and the frontcourt players, but grabbing boards is actually quite realistic on both ends of the floor.

NBA Inside Drive 2002 has three primary modes of play: exhibition, season, and playoffs. The season mode is naturally the most complex and lets players take part in a full 82-game season, complete with the ability to trade players and sign and release free agents. The game will not include a franchise mode this year, but according to Microsoft, the mode was left out by choice. The company wants a wide array of hoops fans to get acclimated with the game in its first go-around, and it will include more simulation-specific features such as a franchise mode in next year's version.

The commentary in NBA Inside Drive 2002 is provided by Seattle Sonics announcers Kevin Calabro and Marcus Johnson. And, naturally, the game includes all the players and teams from the current season. The game is currently set for release on January 29 for the Xbox.