Customer Reviews

NBA 2K3 (Playstation 2)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A word to the wise: all the reviews harping about nba 2k3 has taken a step back, or nba 2k3 is not as good as the latest version of nba live (which has finally become a DECENT game again), all the haters need to step off!

Serious bball sim players listen up: nba 2k3 is the best sim on the market, no contest. nba live 2003 is the best arcade game. It's that simple. Want proof? Ok, you get defense with 2k3, nba live (still) has none. You get a computer opponent that will play you smart and tough - and yet won't hit 80% of its shots. Therefore, the games are interesting, sometimes even nailbiting, and REALISTIC! With nba live you get a run and dunk fest. you and your computer opponent will average 50 blocks and steals a game. That's pretty fun for the kids, but i'm a grown man who wants a much more virtual experience when it comes to bball gaming.

I could go on, but I just wanted to let the real gamers know where to put their money. Don't listen to the (many) reviews that complain about the PASSING. Not all passes are lobs! If those gamers had any SKILL or if they played the game longer than fifteen minutes, then they would KNOW that! By the way, a lot of that much balley-hooed "freestyle" ballhandling is also in 2k3. Again, it takes SKILL to bring it out!

My only gripe against 2k3? incomplete rosters. Most of the benchwarmers and fringe players just aren't here (but they are in nba live), which takes away from the realism i've been talking about.

Anyway, I just had to say my piece, because I know the sega folks are paying attention, and I don't want them to ruin a great, GREAT simulation bball game just bcuz a few kids don't know how the game should be played! nba live? please, that's nba jive. And this is all coming from a man who owns both games! Guess which one i'm taking back to the store?

Ok i know some people have been bad mouthing this game so i decided to write my own review. First off i want to say that i own both NBA Live 2003 and NBA 2k3. I recommend NBA 2k3 for numerous reasons. The first reason is because NBA Live 2003 is ungodly easy. All you have to do is press the L2 button and it throws it all the way down court. Another reason is because in Live 2003 there isnt solid commentary and the pace of the game is way too fast for an NBA Game. NBA 2k3 i think is the best basketball game out there for the playstation 2. First off the controls are simple to learn. Second off you wont see Shaq making three's like you can in Live. Another reason i like NBA 2K3 is because the franchise mode is more in depth then Live. The only major flaw to 2K3 is the passing game which isnt too bad when you turn on touch responsive pass mode. The player models look very similar to the actual players. The game flows smoothly and i find it more challenging then Live. In 2K3 there are more dunks then live and fancier passes too. I feel that if you are a basketball fan and you want to get your money's worth then buy NBA 2K3 you wont be disappointed.

For the past several years, Sega's NBA 2K series has been the champion of basketball video games while EA Sports' NBA Live series seemed on a path to self-destruction. However, just when Sega seemed ready do solidify NBA 2K3 as the undisputed heavyweight champion, it takes a a big step in the WRONG direction. Meanwhile, NBA Live 2003 is a solid rebound for a struggling series.
I've been playing basketball video games for over 20 years, dating back to the ATARI 2600 but I truly believe that NBA 2K1 on the Dreamcast and NBA 2K2 for the PS2 are two of the best basketball games EVER!! I was so impressed with the last two titles that I went out and bought NBA 2K3 on the first day it was released. Before getting home and ripping open the package, I overheard some bad reviews about the game. So, to be safe, I went out and rented both NBA Live 2003 and NBA 2K3 to see for myself. NBA Live 2003 is actually better! Sure, the gameplay of Live 2003 is a bit too fast, but the rest of the game was tight enough to overlook it. NBA 2K3 is quite the opposite: the gameplay is much too slow. The worst part of the game is the passing. Passes are no longer quick and crisp. Instead, they float across the court like balloons waiting to get picked off by a defender. It gets very frustrating to miss out on fast-break opportunities because a slow lob-pass allowed the defense to get back when a normal pass would have been better. This happens far too often and, apparently, can't be controlled. Overall, the graphics and features of NBA 2K3 remain top-notch but the gameplay is lacking. The fast-pace of NBA Live 2003 makes the game much more fun. Next time, Sega, "If it aint broke, don't fix it". I took NBA 2K3 back to the store and exchanged it for NBA Live 2003 without looking back!

One thing that I have to say to start my review off, is that I am a serious gamer and I have been one sinse I was 6 years old. On that note I am a big fan of the sega sports 2k series, and this game is no exception. I am hearing complaints about the passing. This I was frustrated with until I went to the options screen and saw the option that said maximum passing. If you put this on the passing will be pressure sensitive with your ps2 controller (pressing harder will make a harder pass and tapping it will make a lighter pass). I found this feature very usefull because I always hated either passing the ball too soft or too hard, now I can control it. With the game speed, I also thought that it would be a problem until I discovered the gameplay sliders. I put the speed rating up a bit and in the options screen i put the game speed to fast and it fixed the problem. On fast breaks it is better to move the right analog stick towards your player/the net when on a fast break for a quick pass...then the rest is "SHOWTIME!" I feel that this release is much better than the last years one because of the player models, smarter AI and deeper franchise. One thing that I didnt like about this game is that you can make Tracy Mcgrady play for the whole game. It is a good idea because in 2k2 they could only play for approximately 6 minutes straight before they die, but He can go into the fourth quarter with a 100 percent fatigue rating?? The new enhancements that stand out are the pivot button, fake pass button, change your shot in the air, crossover while you are already crossing over and to dive for the ball. These improvements alone make me like this game better than its predasessor. If you want more reviews e-mail me ...

Sega Sports does it again! Once again they put out a game that is superior to EA's game of the same sport. NFL 2K3 is better than Madden 2003, and NBA 2K3 is loads better than this year's Live. This game is REALISTIC. Which is essential in a simulation of a sport. No more 150+ scores like on Live when playing a full 12 minute per period game. No way. Just like in the real NBA, the scores will mostly be in the higher 80's to mid 90's when playing a full 48 minute game. Defense is actually FUN to play, unlike in Live. Also, every possesion counts in 2K3. I could go a full period in Live without looking at the scoreboard. Not with NBA 2K3, though. Graphically, Live doesn't come close. Allen Iverson looks like Allen Iverson, Penny Hardaway looks like Penny Hardaway. The courts arenas are also well done. Unlike the lazy folks at EA who make all of their stadiums look the same, Visual Concepts created a near perfect translation of the actual arenas. The only flaws are passing is frustrating at times and the learning curve is pretty large for first timers. Overall the best sports title for the PS2. Nothing else comes close to matching the intensity, realism, and overall fun of NBA 2K3.

Pros: Best sports title, amazing realistic gameplay, great player faces, great commentary, arenas are amazing.

Cons: Passing is frustrating at times, a large learning curve, will make you lose sleep from playing it too much!

i'm a big fan of this series but i have two BIG problems w/ this installment... the 1st of which is actually a 7'5" problem. you guessed it... THERE'S NO YAO MING!!! how an NBA game can come out in this day and age w/ no #1 friggin draft pick in it is beyond me... he's kind of hard to miss. i personally feel ripped off that they didn't tip off the media about that. my other problem is a lesser one and that is the gameplay mechanics are a little choppier... the passes are kind of floaty (you'll see what i mean) and it's impossible to push two buttons to switch men on defense fast enough (they've made defense like passing w/ icons). what is more the controls are very rigid w/ few options for adjustments... i would have appreciated it if they had let me assign my own buttons for my own custom control setup... it would have looked a lot like 2k2. oh well.. besides those two issues it's a fun installment and im hoping that the internet will be a blast and offer a chance for them to maybe email me the great walking wall of china that's missing in action from this game.

Okay, I've been playing basketball video games for a very long time (since NBA Jam). I think this game is truly one of the best basketball simulations that I have ever seen. Being a highschool basketball player I've noticed that the players movements and crossover moves are very realistic as well are the shots. There are several modes of game play to enjoy and you can increase player's stats by playing in practice mode. All though the shots and passes may look like there being lobbed they are actually very realistic and there is no "on fire" attribute to this game to make the three point shooting more realistic and less obvious to whether you'll make the shot or not. Another thing that I've noticed is that the announcers aren't annoying at all. Usually, when I play sports games I turn the announcer volume off, but in this game I leave it on because the announcers are actually tolerable. My advice to you is to buy this game right away!

It hurts me to write this review because I am a HUGE fan of the NBA 2K series, but even I can't recommend this game. After releasing one of the best games EVER with NBA 2K2, SEGA takes a few steps backward with this years version, NBA 2K3. This game is nowhere near as fun as last years version. First of all, the gameplay is much too slow. I read somewhere that the game was slowed down on purpose to better simulate a real NBA game. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've never seen real NBA players throw stupid balloon-passes to each other every single time. The passing is the worst part of the game. The ball floats across the court like it's filled with helium! I understand that real NBA games are often half-court grinds rather than run-and-gun foot-races. However, fast-breaks DO occurr. Well, someone forgot to tell the developers of this game! It's very frustrating when you can't take advantage of a PERFECT fast-break opportunity because the slow passes allow the defense to get downcourt before you do. Overall, this game is not horrible but it doesn't live up to last year's version either. I took it back to the store and exchanged it for NBA Live 2003, which is also not perfect but is more fun to play. Definitely rent NBA 2K3 before you buy.

Before I start, I have to say "NBA 2k2" is still the best Basketball game out there.
Ok now, there are just some problems that keep bothering me in NBA 2k3:

1) WHERE is YAO-MING??? I know Yao wasn't offically sign with the rocket when this game came out, but can they just place him in the free agent pool instead???

2) The controll setpup is TOO complicate, it's true there are more realistic fancy step-up and cross-over moves, but there is no way for your friends to come and enjoy it with you right away.

3) WHERE IS THE QUICK Alley-Hoop pass button from the 2k2??? There is no more quick pass button(R2 button on the NBA 2k2), which made the pass so SLOW and so unrealistic even with the complete passing mode "on".

4) The low-post action "looks" better than NBA 2k2, but actually is not! The low-post gameplay feels so fake, just like the ball-passing action. You will see what I meant by it.

5) ESPN broadcast gets so annoyed after awhile, can Sega Sport just keep it simple? Why are they keep messing around with those great feature and controlls from 2k2?

6) When I finished the season and playoff, I was shocked that the ending scene is exactly the same as NBA 2k2! Therefore, what's the reason to get this game when the roster is not even complete yet? Again, Where is Yao-Ming???

At last, I was so disappoint that I pre-order this game, because I trust Sega Sport too much from their great masterpiece "NBA 2k2".
I really suggest you guys to rent this game before you buy it. ...

My six year old and I play this game quite often. There is a slight learning curve (my son was shooting when he meant to be passing) but it isn't too rough. I've seen more complicated games.

This game is pretty fun. The biggest thing I like about this game (what sold me on the game) was my ability to play on the Internet. So after I picked this up I told my brother in the next state to pick up a copy as well and we've met online a couple of times to play a quick game. The gameplay across the Internet is pretty good.... though sometimes things will get a bit choppy which is surprising because my brother and I both have high speed Internet connections. I wish they would do this with more games.

I like the other playing modes as well... there is even a 2-on-2 street basketball game you can play. I really like this, it is a lot of fun and a great way to put in a quick game with my son.

All of the main characters are there and look very realistic. It amazes me how I look more at the players than their numbers to pass to the right guy.

Speaking of passing, this can be a bit frustrating at times. It will sometimes not go to the person you want it to go to and the passes look very unrealistic at times. It makes intercepting the ball when playing the computer (and sometimes humans) a little bit easy.

Overall, great game. If they make NBA 2K4, I'll be looking forward to it!