Video game news, video game reviews, walkthroughs, video game mods, and game trailers

Originals

Originals

NBA Inside Drive 2004

Default-user

Posted by: kombo

An Inside look on Inside Drive Welcome back, gamers, to FunXbox.com’s coverage of the XSN Sports lineup that MS has in store for you. Last week we covered three titles ranging from football to golf, this week, we start you off on the basketball court. We take Microsoft’s latest entry in their basketball series out for a little one on one action and this is what we found. Big players, big promises… Much like NFL Fever, Inside Drive promises to take full advantage of the XSN Sports network. In fact, I would wager that, second to Fever, Inside Drive will showcase the XSN’s features best. Inside Drive will feature multiple player custom leagues, “best-of” tournaments, up to date stats, downloadable rosters, player rating updates, remote alerts, etc. Basically, the same type of fluff that Fever football freaks will froth at the mouth for. For people who like pick-up-and-play games, Inside Drive will also allow single “exhibition” type games for Live gamers without a plethora of friends. However, as big as those promises seem to be, the biggest addition to Inside Drive will not be the XSN network. No sir. It’s Shaq. This year’s version will feature the Los Angeles giant as their cover boy… err… their cover ogre (watch out Shrek). Value the ball; watch for the screen and in case of a fire, stop, pick and roll. I remember having a conversation once with a friend of mine regarding yearly releases of sports titles. We were playing MLB 98 or something and were so impressed with the gameplay (back when 989 Sports was actually worth a damn) that we were a bit irked at the constant flow of sports games with nothing new but updated rosters. We wondered why (with the advent of cd based games) the game makers didn’t just produce cheaper updated roster discs instead of fully priced discs with little else to offer. Well, the Xbox’s hard drive, Xbox Live and Microsoft games have made the updatable rosters a possibility. However, given that no sane business will pass up the opportunity to make money, they must still make yearly updates to their sports titles. Furthermore, in order to get people to buy, they just can’t rehash the same gameplay with updated rosters and expect people to fork over hard-earned cash (::ahem::989::ahem::) . Enter Microsoft games. Like I stated earlier in our XSN coverage the game’s developers are listening to gamers’ gripes. In Inside Drive’s case, the makers are pumping up the offensive gameplay. Taking a note from such games as NBA Streets vol. 2 Inside Drive allows players to execute faster breaks (jukes) and create more freedom in the passing game. Don’t get me wrong b-ball sim fans, you won’t be earning trick points or bustin’ gamebreakers on LordKillAlot420’s head; this is still a serious sports simulation game after all. Inside Drive also boasts a new defensive system. Unfortunately the build on display at the XSN press event didn’t seem any different from previous incarnations. Can I get a triple double shot of graphics? I’m starting to double dribble at the mouth. Having just walked away from such beautiful games as Links 2004 and NHL Rivals 2004, I was expecting quite a bit as I approached Inside Drive. My expectations were soon fulfilled when I saw Vlade Divac post up and then hit the net for two with a sweet lay-up. Character models were crafted of the finest graphics Microsoft’s farm has to offer and animations were as smooth as raven’s claws. Players even sport unique characteristics such as tattoos, specific hairstyles, and glow in the dark abs (ok maybe not that last one). Sure, at times players would make the most amazing no-look catches whereby they used special eyes hidden on their backs to follow the ball from their teammate’s hands into their own. But for the most part, such occurrences were few and far between. He shoots! He… Scores! Inside Drive will definitely score big with basketball fans looking for a good online experience. All those unfulfilled Kings’ fans can finally take Vlade, C-Webb, Bobby J and, even Kermit’s long lost brother, Mike Bibby, to the finals and earn that ring they felt they deserved. However, this is a basketball simulation, so don’t be surprised when C-Webb goes down with an ankle injury and you have to cycle through your bench. And just in case that doesn’t make it real enough for you, commentators Kenny Smith, Kevin Calabro and Marques Johnson will be there to help things out. Packed with XSN features up the yin yang and the fresh NBA style, this online simulation just might convince you that you just saw Jack Nicholson on the court arguing with the refs. Fernando Bueno
Comments
Anonymous User
Comment-loader
Please fill out this captcha to confirm you are human and submit again.