# NBA Inside Drive

NBA Inside Drive is a series of video games based on National Basketball Association, published by Microsoft Studios. Its main competition was NBA Live, a series from Electronic Arts.

## Games

| Name | Release Date | Systems | Cover Athlete | Team |
| NBA Inside Drive 2000 | August 26, 1999 | Microsoft Windows | Ray Allen | Milwaukee Bucks |
| NBA Inside Drive 2002 | January 23, 2002 | Xbox | Vince Carter | Toronto Raptors |
| NBA Inside Drive 2003 | October 15, 2002 | Xbox | Paul Pierce | Boston Celtics |
| NBA Inside Drive 2004 | November 18, 2003 | Xbox | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers |

### NBA Inside Drive 2000

The first game in the series, NBA Inside Drive 2000, was released for Microsoft Windows on August 26, 1999.

#### Reception

Aggregate score :
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 75% |
Review scores :
| Publication | Score |
| AllGame | |
| CNET Gamecenter | 7/10 |
| Computer Games Strategy Plus | |
| Computer Gaming World | |
| GameRevolution | C+ |
| GameSpot | 7/10 |
| IGN | 6.5/10 |
| PC Accelerator | 6/10 |
| PC Gamer (UK) | 67% |
| PC Gamer (US) | 76% |
| PC Zone | 86% |
NBA Inside Drive 2000 received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.

### NBA Inside Drive 2002

After an almost two-and-a-half-year hiatus, NBA Inside Drive was brought back as NBA Inside Drive 2002 and was released in 2002 for Xbox. The game's development time was 18 months.

#### Reception

Aggregate score :
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 76/100 |
Review scores :
| Publication | Score |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7.5/10 |
| EP Daily | 7.5/10 |
| Game Informer | 8.25/10 |
| GameRevolution | B− |
| GamesMaster | 76% |
| GameSpot | 6.2/10 |
| GameSpy | 83% |
| GameZone | 9.3/10 |
| IGN | 8.7/10 |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 7.9/10 |
NBA Inside Drive 2002 received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. GamePro said that the game was "good for a first try on the Xbox, but it's not as good as 2K2 or Live on the same system—and at the end of the day, that's what really matters."

### NBA Inside Drive 2003

Less than one year after the 2002 installment, NBA Inside Drive 2003 was released for Xbox.

#### Reception

Aggregate score :
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 72/100 |
Review scores :
| Publication | Score |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7/10 |
| EP Daily | 7.5/10 |
| Game Informer | 7.5/10 |
| GamesMaster | 77% |
| GameSpot | 7.6/10 |
| GameSpy | |
| GameZone | 8/10 |
| IGN | 8.2/10 |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 15/20 |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 7.9/10 |
NBA Inside Drive 2003 received "average" reviews according to Metacritic. GamePro called it "a slightly better value than 2002 with tweaked gameplay and a few new features. The problem is that the competition has jumped ahead substantially within the same time frame."

### NBA Inside Drive 2004

The last entry in the series, NBA Inside Drive 2004, was released in 2003. It launched with other XSN Sports titles that featured a website where players could organize their own tournaments, seasons, or games.

#### Reception

Aggregate score :
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 71/100 |
Review scores :
| Publication | Score |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 6.67/10 |
| Famitsu | 27/40 |
| Game Informer | 6.5/10 |
| GameRevolution | C+ |
| GameSpot | 6.8/10 |
| GameSpy | |
| GameZone | 7.8/10 |
| IGN | 8.4/10 |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 14/20 |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 7.9/10 |
| X-Play | |
Inside Drive 2004 received "average" reviews according to Metacritic. In Japan, where the game was ported for release on January 22, 2004, Famitsu gave it a score of two sevens, one six, and one seven for a total of 27 out of 40. GamePro called it "a decent basketball game with an excellent online tie-in. Still, this series needs a serious wake-up call if it hopes to compete with the likes of EA and ESPN next year." (Sadly, it was not to be, as the following article section demonstrates.)

## Discontinuation

Following Microsoft's release of their 2004 professional sports titles, all of them were discontinued including NFL Fever and NHL Rivals 2004. In February 2005, Microsoft sold NBA Inside Drive and its other sports franchises to Ubisoft.