But player beauty is unimportant. Dunks, however, are very important to most fans. And Shootout 2001 has over fifty in the game. But I'd gladly sacrifice extra dunks for smoother animations and transitions. This was a big problem in last year's PSX title, but there is vast improvement here.
Most animations are smooth, with few mechanical characteristics.
Transitions between animations are well done, giving the game a fluid quality. As a whole, arena presentation is excellent. Every court is accurately represented, with excellent lighting effects, as demonstrated by player reflections off the court, shadows, and lighting tricks. The benches are animated, usually reacting to the play on the court. The crowd has depth and is active at the appropriate times, usually getting up to their feet for big 3s or dunks.