Genre: Sports
Publisher: Micrsoft
Developer: High Voltage Software
Release Date: November 18, 2003

Buy 'INSIDE DRIVE 2004': Xbox

Ever year, the video game market is bombarded by a wave of new sports games. Aside from updated rosters and maybe a few new features, most of these games just copy the previous year's game and fail to come up with anything original. All too often the developers of a sports game just throw the same game out the next year, tacking a new name onto it. They do this of course, because they know they can get away with it. Sports fans are always dying to play the latest game with the latest rosters, and are willing to sacrifice gameplay for it. With so many new sports games each year, how can any one game stand out and make its mark on the video game world?

I have played many basketball games. Always having been a big basketball fan, I naturally became excited each year when the new wave of b-ball games were released. I constantly compared the gameplay of such games as the 2k series and the Live series with games such as the Inside Drive series. What I found usually disappointed me. As a true fan of the game of basketball, it just seemed like there was never a game which could capture the actual feel and realism that is NBA Basketball. As the years passed, I watched each new wave of games get slightly better, but I was pretty sure there would never be one I was satisfied with. I was wrong.

NBA Inside Drive 2004 is awesome. I do believe this is the most realistic basketball game I have ever played, and, the most fun. It just seems like finally all of the elements of the game have been put together, and for the first time ever, basketball is finally represented how it should be in a video game. There are many features that push this game into the excellent category, however, there are also several negative points as well. The game has a very easy interface, which allows you to easily navigate where you want to go. The background music is pretty cool as well, and adds to the atmosphere. As with many other basketball games, the main menu includes such options as Exhibition, Season, and Practice. Basically my one complaint with this game is that there is no Franchise mode. I've always been a big fan of Franchise modes in other games, and I just don't understand why it was left out. It definitely would have added to the game. Even though there isn't a franchise mode, this game is still very entertaining. Many new features have been added to this game, unique from other basketball games before it. There have also been many improvements to old systems and techniques in previous games.

For example, this game has finally adjusted the blocking system to a point where it is actually realistic. In previous b-ball games I have played, it is usually almost impossible to block another player's shot. However in Inside Drive 2004, you always have a very high chance of blocking the shot, if your timing is correct. I really liked this addition to the game- there's nothing better than hearing the roar of the crowd after you block a shot into the second row. The crowd is also another little addition I noticed. I think that the crowd response in this game is the most realistic it has ever been in a basketball game. If it's crunch time 4th quarter, the crowd will respond with excited cheers and an overall buzz will hang in the air. If the home team is getting killed, the fans will start boo-ing the home team. It just seems that no matter what you do, the crowd will respond just like they would in an actual NBA game. This is definitely a plus to Inside Drive 2004. In addition, many new animations have been added which breathe some life into the game. For instance, if the ball is flying out of bounds, your player now has the option of trying a diving-out-of-bounds save. There are also some new dunks and some dazzling lay-ups for you to add to your arsenal. With a whole load of new animations and realistic features, I think this game is well on its way to being the best basketball game ever made.

While it is extremely realistic and fun to play, there are still some things that could be improved. First off, the player intro's need some work. While the game does try to add a few unique touches, the intro's just do not seem to capture the full realism that I think is needed. At the start of every game, you want something that will excite you, and seeing a set of player intro's that basically contains no energy is not too motivating. What I think needs to be done is to somehow add a wide variety of possible intro's, so that the player will actually want to watch them before every game. And while we're on the topic of intro's, I think the announcer's introduction to each game needs some work as well. In each game, the camera slowly descends from the rafters down to the floor in a very predictable manner. What is needed is just more variety in the entire introduction to every game. I think this is basically the only element of the game that is not entirely realistic. It doesn't really detract too much from the game however, but is just a suggestion I think the developers should consider for next year.

The graphics of NBA Inside Drive 2004 are well done. The face models of each player are done very well and everything just seems to have a nice texture to it. In addition, the animations are top quality. This game seems almost real in every way possible, especially in the graphics. One of the big features that I liked in this game was the fact that they finally created a camera angle that works! In previous basketball games, you were forced to choose from either a fixed side view or behind-the-player view. However, in Inside Drive 2004 the camera is perfect. It moves slightly from behind to slightly to the side, making this the best camera system I have ever seen in a basketball game. For once the camera actually adds to the game! Overall, the graphics make a great addition to this game.

Sound-wise, I think this game is fairly good. In sports games such as this, usually the big issue in the sound department is the announcer's lines. I was very pleased with the fact that repetitiveness was not an issue. Never once did I think the announcer was saying the same thing over and over. However, there was one slight problem I had with the sound. Sometimes the announcers words just did not fit with the situation. While they were always close, sometimes the words did not match exactly what was happening. This didn't really detract from the gameplay, but it did make the game seem less real at certain parts.

Finally, a basketball game worth buying. I would suggest that all fans of previous basketball games, or all fans of basketball in general, get this game. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. No basketball game before has represented the NBA quite like this, and this game should definitely not be missed. So if you want a little fun this holiday season, grab a controller, Inside Drive 2004, and get to hoopin' it up.

Score : 8.2/10