NBA 2K
When it comes to digital hoop action, there's no doubt thatNBA 2Ksports the most luscious visuals ever seen in a  basketball game. It's not the best-playing basketball game out there,  as it does commit some serious fouls with its questionable artificial  intelligence. But likeNFL 2Kbefore it, this is yet another  sports game that Dreamcast owners will want to show off to friends.The clean graphics show some extremely well-detailed players,  stadiums, fans, and even coaches. While the player animations  aren't quite smooth as glass (there are quite a few speed-ups and  slowdowns), the players do move in a fairly realistic manner. When you  see the instant replay of your favorite power forward delivering a  massive dunk, you'll cheer. To complement the visuals, Sega has added  play-by-play and color commentary to document the on-screen action.  While this does get a little repetitive, this feature ultimately adds  to the atmosphere of realism.NBA 2Kshows some trouble with controls. This is most apparent  in handling loose balls. You'll cringe as you occasionally watch long  passes sail out of the court, resulting in mindless turnovers. This is  especially painful to watch when the Dreamcast can't complete passes  to computer-controlled players. These stupid turnovers can, will, and  do affect a game's final score--and have even caused a few games to be  restarted in disgust. On the positive side,NBA 2Kcontains a  new finesse-based method of hitting foul shots that requires that you  squeeze the control triggers in near perfect synch.The create-a-player and coaching options make it relatively easy to  lead your team from postseason TV watchers to championship ring  owners.While the 2000 season's prettiest basketball game offers more than  just the most delicious eye candy, there is still a lingering feeling  thatNBA 2Kcould've been much better with a  little more fine-tuning. At the very least, whileNBA 2Kis recommended, it is  anticipated that the successorNBA 2K1will offer even more  backboard-breaking fun.--Mark BrooksPros:Spectacular graphics that show plenty of detailPlay-by-play and color commentary add to the funEasy to play, but different from most console roundball gamesFoul shots are a highlightCons:Graphics suffer from occasional slowdown for no apparent reasonControls could be stronger