Sega Dreamcast
Released in 1999 by Sega
Grade: C+
This game set a new standard for basketball graphics at the time, and it established a lot of elements that helped make later 2K games great. Gameplay-wise, it’s a mishmash of arcade and simulation that’s limited and you’ll tire of it eventually.
Where it falls in the series
Although Sega released basketball games prior to this, the new 2K brand brought a whole new type of game, so I’m calling this the original. It’s the first of three on Dreamcast. 2K was a strong competitor to EA’s Live series for years after this, and eventually passed it up, to the point that EA no-showed basketball for 2011 through 2013. Today in 2017, 2K dominates the competition in basketball video games. My current favorite in the series is NBA 2K13, but I still haven’t played anything after 2K15.
Praises
The gameplay is fast, and the control is crisp as a potato chip. You’re free to make your player zip around in unhuman ways. This is both good and bad: good because it makes the game easy to control, bad because the end result feels mechanical.
This game established some important gameplay elements that helped make the later versions so great.
The vertical camera has just the right angle of the action. It moves smoothly and shows you a big portion of the court.
AI teammates will cut to the basket when there’s an opening. This is an important addition, because it’s an incentive to stretch the defense and pass the ball inside, which is important to making simulation basketball fun. (See NBA Live 96 for Genesis.)
The shoulder buttons control your players’ speed and stance, and it works well. R is for sprinting. L is for a defensive stance or posting up. This simple setup gives you a sense of control, and it stuck throughout the series. On the downside, since Dreamcast only has two shoulder buttons, icon passing is on the Y face button, which isn’t intuitive.
You’ve got four set plays and a “call for pick” command. The plays develop so quickly they look artificial, but they’re crucial to good offensive strategy.
The graphics were stunning in 1999. For the first time, it’s pretty easy to tell each player apart, which is important when you’re playing basketball and your players have such different abilities.
Gripes
The game feels unbalanced and un-basketball-ish. Certain strategies work better or worse than they should. Head fakes work too well. Shooting off the dribble doesn’t work well enough. Putbacks are way too common.
When players make contact, it doesn’t look right and it doesn’t have a fair impact on the game. Players are constantly stopping on a dime. Playing good defense for a whole game is an unpleasant test of patience.
The crossover and spin move feel unnatural. Blocking certain shots and stealing the ball are usually a futile endeavor.
The jumpshot animation doesn’t have the grace seen in later 2K games, and so it’s tricky to time your release. Luckily, there’s a simple practice mode where you can get it down.
The free throw mechanic is awful. You need to feather the shoulder buttons in unison, and it’s needlessly frustrating.
Passes get deflected and take odd bounces. Sometimes they’re mysteriously thrown out of bounds. These are so awkward at times that you’ll think they are actual glitches.