" Hands down this is the best PS2 basketball game around. "

      Title: NBA 2K2 by Sega Sports

      Format: PS2 Basketball

      Reviewing Monkey: Abdulla Sulimani (Reader Review)

      The Hype: One of the longest standing sports franchises ever lands with a solid swoosh on the PS2. But can Sega make the transition from its own systems to Sony's?

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Graphics: First off, I have to say the graphics are really true-to-life, beautiful, and 3D rendered. It is really the best basketball simulation I've ever seen! Visual Concepts, the motion capture studio, really made this game mimic a real NBA experience and the graphics consistently shine. All the details are there and beautifully crafted and are just shy of that point where the game looks like a real life broadcast. It's nice to see this level of detail and beauty finally come across on a video game platform and make this stunning piece almost as much fun to watch as to play. 5 out of 5

      Playability: NBA 2K2 is really fun, smooth and fluid! The AI in this game is so challenging, well programmed, and intelligent that players do shots and dunks so quickly you really have to bust butt to keep up. It may be, in fact, the tightest AI I've ever seen in a game and, unlike most sports games, will actually sharpen your skills while you're playing against it. The controls were easy to grasp and the learning curve is blissfully short. All in all, this is everything a basketball game should be play wise. 5 out of 5

      Multiplayer and Replayability: NBA 2K2 offers some real challenge for up to 8 players with a multitap connected and won't disappoint your buddies at all. The sharp AI and fast pace help keeps "under-skilled" players up to speed and the overall experience is fun enough that you'll even enjoy playing even if you're losing. This has found its way to the front of my multiplayer gaming and it's the one that my buddies all want to play when they come over. 4 out of 5

      The Verdict:

NBA 2K2 is great and wonderful game not just because of graphics and playability, but also for the truly realistic NBA experience it delivers. The challenging AI will dazzle you, the multiplayer will keep you coming back, and the monster dunks will sit like icing on your cake. It doesn't matter if you're a casual NBA fan like me or a hard core fanatic, you this game.

      The Good: Killer graphics and some solid multiplayer.

      The Bad: 8 monkeys playing video games in the same room whips up quite an odor.

      The Overall Ugly: Hands down this is the best PS2 basketball game around.

      What it's Worth: Market