NBA 2K1 Preview

Blame it on the decline in popularity of NBA merchandise. Or on Visual Concept's other 2K game spoiling reviewers' expectations. Or maybe on its rougher, less polished engine. Heck, blame it on the rain. Because, for whatever reason you may want to use to try and explain it, the fact was that last year, Visual Concepts' basketball effort NBA2K failed to ignite the fire of praise and awe that many assumed it would after seeing its older brother, NFL2K, wow the critics and the public alike. Granted, NBA2K's motion and play mechanics didn't exactly parallel the experience found in NFL2K. Shooting free throws and driving the lane felt like totally bizarre experiences, and it seemed like there was never a camera angle that could display the court without reducing players unique models to muddy blurs. On the other hand, having total control of the passing game (via a unique button-triggering system) and the ability to back opponents down in the paint and roll off them for thunderous dunks was something that was never before offered in a basketball sim.

Obviously, Visual Concepts left itself some room to grow with in the sequel, and NBA2K1 is promising to be bigger and better than last year's version in some important ways. Let's get a stereotype out of the way right now: 2K1 isn't going to be just a new cover with an updated roster. Though the game looks the same on the surface, 2K1 is being seriously remolded from the ground up. Defense, for instance, is being given an overhaul. The defense will not be able to so easily prevent you from running an up-tempo, open-court offense that can break down gaps in the coverage. Essentially, VC is retooling the clumsy collision detection that would stop a driving player dead in his tracks and allowed taller players to swat down the little guys' shots again and again. This does not mean that NBA2K1's defense is easier to score on, however - far from it. Swatting at the ball is simplified, and bodying up on low-post player is now more effective. No longer can the Mailman or The Answer roll off a defender for the quick slam over and over. Defenders are generally more aware now, too. Loose balls will be quickly jumped on, and inaccurate lobs will be read and intercepted. It's all part of an effort to make NBA2K1 more closely emulate the action you see on TV.

To further elaborate on this idea, Visual Concepts has made an effort to force teams to behave as they would at appropriate moments in the game. When a team is ahead, they'll begin to play at a more controlled pace, working the clock before looking for the shot. Conversely, teams that are behind (especially in the closing minutes) will run a more scattershot, hurry-up offense - often settling for the desperation three-point attempt. You won't see teams dribble out the clock when they're down six with less than two minutes to play, as was often the case in last year's version.

Graphically, NBA2K1 won't have any major surprises, but action is being taken to touch up existing flaws and rough edges. Transitions between sets of motion-captured animation will be improved and new animations will be added to help make play appear smoother. Player models are being refined to better represent actual appearances. Facial expressions will also be improved and should contain more frames of emotion (dependent on whether the player's game is good or bad). Menu and statistical screens are being enhanced, and camera angles are reportedly being tweaked in order to provide more balance between cinematic showmanship and functional ease of use.

The most talked about new addition to NBA2K1, though, is of course the ability to play over the Internet through Sega's SegaNet. When two Dreamcasts connect to play a game of NBA2K1, up to eight players (four per Dreamcast) can hoop it up and enjoy some chaotic roundball ruckus. More so than even NFL2K1, eight-player online NBA2K1 is extremely intriguing for the sheer fact that you and three friends will be able to almost totally control your team's action while going against four other human opponents who are doing the exact same thing. Its success will be dependent on the simplicity and effectiveness of SegaNet. If Sega can come through with its promise of a low-lag gaming environment, this mode of play certainly has the potential to spawn literal leagues of NBA gamers.

But not everyone may be so eager to jump online. Visual Concepts recognizes this and has added more options for those of you who prefer to go solo. A franchise mode is being added to the mix to satiate the needs of basement front-office types. From here, you can run all aspects of the team of your choosing. Make trades, draft new up-and-comers, and generally keep the fans happy. And saving all this to your VMU won't be such as hassle this year, either. Visual Concepts promises to optimize its saving mechanisms so that you have more room for custom players, custom plays, and most importantly, other game saves.

Going above and beyond the all-too-common trend of updated rosters and miniscule variations in gameplay, Visual Concepts plans a host of new additions for NBA2K1. Tougher defense, more intense and tighter gameplay, and improved graphical action are just the tip of the iceberg. Don't be deceived by the same old graphics - NBA2K1's online action and refined gameplay virtually guarantee that this year's version will be a whole new ballgame. Even better, a November release date assures that it should be out by the time Shaq, the Mailman, and Air Canada have laced it up for another season.