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Up here in Vancouver, we've got this eloquent adage about our hometown NBA team, the Grizzlies. I can't remember the exact phraseology, but I do know it contains the words "they" and "suck" and is often interspersed with a string of profanities.
Fortunately, downhearted hardcourt fans of any geographical location have always been able to turn to EA Sports' powerhouse NBA Live series to escape bitter reality, at least momentarily. Now Microsoft is re-entering this surprisingly sparse genre with its second whirl at B-ball, NBA Inside Drive 2000.
Leagues ahead of its lame 1997 effort NBA Full Court Press, Inside Drive is spirited, entertaining and, at $19.95, certainly a good value. It isn't as "big" as the EA game, doesn't sport the same sort of ambient flair, and is geared toward action over simulation. But it's a heck of a lot of fun if not taken too seriously, and should make a fine stomping ground for PC basketball newbies.
More than anything else, Inside Drive is an exercise in dexterity and reflexes. Players blaze about the court at world-class sprinter speed and ask that your fingers do the same on the gamepad. And, should you elect to go for "advanced" controls in the key areas of shooting, blocking, rebounding, and strafing, get ready to exercise your digits 'til they beg for mercy.
Now, don't get me wrong - this isn't a total arcade slamfest. The game lets you institute pre-set plays (though you can't create your own), customize virtually any facet of the rules, alter rosters and make trades, and choose between automatic. And though an abnormal emphasis is placed on hot streaks, Inside Drive most often impressively matches real-life player abilities with that of their digital peers.
Shooting in particular, where a vast array of jumpers and dunks and bank shots are at your disposal, is totally convincing, as is the final-minute drill where trailing AI teams commit intentional fouls, attempt long throw-ins, and reel off distant three-pointers. Defenses are unbelievably weak, and 170-plus point totals are not uncommon, but that's what an arcade approach and buzzsaw gameplay speed are expected to do.
Visually, Inside Drive rocks. The overall presentation is slick, with plenty of mid- and post-game stats and diagrams, auto-replays of memorable baskets, and a great look and feel to free-throw routines. Each arena is unique and filled with appropriate logos, colors, and a beautiful hardwood floor complete with reflections and lighting effects. But it's in the rendering and animations of the actual players that the game really excels. In a word, Inside Drive players look believable, especially at the game's ultra-high 1024x768 resolution, where their slightly angular but admirably complex bodies really shine. With or without the ball, during the action and even after a whistle, they'll jump and jive and act and react with a symphony of twists and turns and dribbles eerily reminiscent of the real thing.
The game's audio section, meanwhile, is a beautiful cacophony of ball bounces, backboard wall ops, rimshots, and shoe squeaks. I didn't hear any trash talking, but the play-by-play of Seattle Sonics broadcaster Kevin Calabro and color commentary of Marques Johnson is perhaps unparalleled in PC sports. Sure, there's the odd inaccuracy, but these verbal veterans most often get it right with a dash of panache, tons of good humor, and even the odd interruption or slip-up for a truly improvisational feel. Very nice.
A little less nice is the game's preclusion of several seemingly essential features. The fast gameplay speed, for instance, can't be adjusted. Nor can you modify a season's length, restart or save a game once it has begun, conduct a full career, or play over a LAN or the Internet. And nowhere is Microsoft's "budget" philosophy more evident than in the nonexistent championship celebratory sequence. But if it's attitude you want, Inside Drive usually delivers. This is basketball with an accent on immediate fun.