Special Achievement Awards
Best Music
Best Sound
Best Story
Best Graphics (Technical)
Best Graphics (Artistic)
Best Online Game
Best Game No One Played
Genre Awards
Best Action Adventure Game
Best Shooter
Best Fighting Game
Best Platformer
Best Driving Game
Best Role-Playing Game
Best Traditional Sports Game
Best Alternative Sports Game
Game of the Year on Xbox
The five nominees...
Dubious Honors
Most Disappointing Game
Worst Game



Best Traditional Sports Game on Xbox
 
 
NFL 2K3

 
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Visual Concepts
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All of the nominees put up a fierce fight for the Best Traditional Sports Game on Xbox award, but NFL 2K3 stands out from the rest because of a variety of factors, one of which is excellent gameplay. From the running game or the passing game to different defensive coverage, NFL 2K3 executes almost every facet of the sport of professional football nearly flawlessly. Though it can be a little difficult to learn at first, the passing game really teaches you how to read the defense and how to adjust the timing of your throws, much like a quarterback would do during an actual game. Even smaller touches, such as being able to turn sideways while running through a collapsing hole (which also alleviates the problem of running into your own players), go far in making NFL 2K3 not only the best football game this year, but also the most polished sports game overall.

NFL 2K3's presentation elements are unmatched by any of the other games in this year's traditional sports category. The graphics have been improved to the extent that you can recognize players in a replay without looking at the name or number on their jersey because of the excellent facial details. In addition, as it always has been in the NFL 2K series, NFL 2K3's commentary is far beyond what the competition is offering with its play-by-play and color-commentary duo constantly interacting with each other and offering interesting insight into the game at hand.

To top it all off, NFL 2K3 has online play via Xbox Live, which supports voice communication and virtually lag-free games, an incredibly important consideration when passing the ball or running to avoid tacklers. NFL 2K3 offers the complete package, and no sports fan should be without it.

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