NBA 2K2 Preview
We find out how the Xbox version of the popular Sega Sports game is shaping up.
With Sega picking up steam as a third-party developer, Visual Concepts has continued to bring its popular sports franchises to all platforms. Following the recent release of NFL 2K2 for the Xbox, Visual Concepts is readying NBA 2K2 for Microsoft's newly introduced console. Not content to merely produce a port of the existing NBA 2K2 game for the Dreamcast, Visual Concepts has taken the time to do some work on the game to better take advantage of the Xbox hardware. We had a chance to check out a roughly 85-percent-complete build of NBA 2K2 for the Xbox, which looks like it's coming along just fine.
While it may seem as though the Xbox version of NBA 2K2 is an enhanced port of the DC version, that's not really the case. It may be more accurate to view the game as an enhanced conversion of Visual Concepts' recent release of NBA 2K2 on the PlayStation 2. The game has been in development for the Xbox since December, with a staff of 32 working to beef the game up for its new home. Amazingly, only two members of the team have been needed to get the game running on the Xbox hardware--the rest have been working on refinements to the visuals and gameplay. The benefits will be seen in everything the game will offer. The Xbox game will sport all the features and enhancements found in PS2 version of NBA 2K2, and it will also feature further improvements, thanks to Visual Concepts' customary attention to detail. The end result is likely to provide the most refined and polished version of NBA 2K2 to date.
Thanks to the Xbox hardware, the game's graphics and sound have undergone even more refinements since the PS2 version. The Xbox is able use the high-poly player models used in NBA 2K2's replays on the PS2 for actual gameplay. Made up of roughly 6,000 polys, the players look very good on the Xbox. Outside of the player models, everything in the game has been touched up and looks slightly cleaner, and the game maintains a 60fps frame rate throughout. The lighting tweaks, while subtle, add nice touches to the various locations you'll be playing in. The game's animation, which improves on the DC'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 while playing. Another hook in NBA 2K2 is the sound. Visual Concepts is aiming for the commentary to be even more intelligent and varied than that of the PS2 version, providing useful information and stat tracking during the game. The game will also feature improved ambient sound. Xbox owners with tricked-out home entertainment centers will be especially pleased with the new additions, as the game includes HDTV and Dolby Surround support.
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- GameSpot Score8.9great
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