NBA 2K2 Preview

NBA 2K2 done GameCube style.

Visual Concept's NBA 2K series was one of the crown jewels in the Dreamcast's short life. VC's attention to detail and immersive gameplay were welcomed by sports gamers whose support made the series a force to be reckoned with. With Sega's shift to third-party development and the migration of its sports titles to all platforms, you can find out for yourself why VC's games have earned such a loyal following. We got a chance to check out a roughly 65-percent-complete version of the GameCube game, which is set to ship later this year, and it was coming together nicely. The game is receiving the same treatment that the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions received, and it's being tweaked and enhanced to take advantage of the hardware.

In spite of the disparities in format-- the game will ship on a custom GameCube disc rather than a DVD-- NBA 2K2 is aiming to offer all the enhancements included in the PS2 and Xbox incarnations of the game. To ensure that happens, VC has had a team of 34 people working on the game's development since early December.. The bulk of the team, 30 members, has been concentrating on refining the gameplay and tailoring the visual upgrades to the GameCube hardware's strengths. The remaining four members of the team have been working to ensure the game engine runs well on the GameCube and maintains the fluid performance that has been one of the series' hallmarks.

Hunter gets ready to slam.

The time being spent to ensure the game ends up being more than just a port has resulted in the inclusion of the upgrades found in the newly released PS2 version and the upcoming Xbox version of the game. The GameCube's character models match the detail of the in-game models of the PS2's and appear a bit smoother than those in the PS2 as well. Besides the player models, everything in the game has been touched up and looks slightly cleaner, and the game maintains 60 frames per second throughout. The lighting tweaks, while subtle, add a nice touch to the various locations you'll be playing in. Although the GameCube manages graphics such as the reflections and the courts are handled differently from those in the Xbox or PS2 versions, the end result compares favorably to the other versions of the game.

The game's animation, which improves on the DC version's solid animation, with the addition of new moves and transitional animations, is fast and fluid. Little touches, such as the wide range of facial animations that reflect a player's mood based on a situation in the game, will definitely keep you immersed in the game. Another hook in NBA 2K2 is the sound. Visual Concepts is aiming for the commentary to be even more intelligent and varied than it is in the PS2 version, providing useful information and stat tracking during the game. The game will also feature improved ambient sound. GameCube owners with fully loaded home entertainment centers will be pleased with the new audio and video additions--the game includes Dolby Surround and progressive-scan support.