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NBA Courtside 2002
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Developer
Left Field
Publisher
Nintendo
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Reviewed by
Erik "Bondo" Bondurant
[Feedback] [Author Bio]
Review Date
February 1, 2002
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Rating (out of 5.0)
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2.5 out of 5.0*
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Strengths
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- Entertaining arcade mode
- Reasonable difficulty settings
- Deep create-a-player mode
- Innovative, but failed, c-stick passing
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Weaknesses
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- Lack of franchise mode
- Slow movement leads to slow games
- Bad defensive controls
- Weak AI especially in teammates
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* Notes
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Gaming Voice ratings are based on the technical and/or gameplay merits of a given product as well as the developer's choice of features and delivery of same.
Our rating is not an endorsement of the thematic content of a given title. Gamers and parents are cautioned to determine if such content conflicts or coincides with their values and beliefs.
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Both sim and arcade basketball will be better represented. |
Until NBA2K was released, basketball remained far behind the rest of the big four (baseball, football, and hockey) in having a quality simulation. Aside from NBA Jam’s arcade style, basketball games didn’t hold much appeal. Bad physics and AI kept sims from accurately presenting the sport. With NBA2K that has come to an end and the standards are now higher. Under the old standards, NBA Courtside 2002 would be very good. But, sadly, it doesn’t live up to current standards. The main problem lies in its AI. While the computer opponents are well done outside of a weak inside defense, teammate AI falls flat, as they provide practically no defensive support.
This AI difference leads to a computer advantage that only really comes into play on "Hard" difficulty. On "Easy" the computer is sloppy and turns the ball over often -- kind of like the Denver Nuggets -- and win totals in the high teens are normal. On "Normal", things get interesting as most games have the teams within a few points. Only the "Hard" difficulty is difficult to win, which means most players should have an appropriate level of challenge.
The most incredibly bad part of NBA Courtside 2002 is the commentary. |
Like other sports titles, the c-stick has been used in a new and potentially innovative way. Unfortunately its use in passing and to switch defenders is implemented without much precision. This makes it as much an impediment as an aid. Elsewhere the controls are equally sloppy as the distinction between a ball fake and a shot is muddled making it hard to shoot quickly. The defensive controls also lack the execution needed to make up for what the AI is missing.
Both the controls and game feel lethargic. Players react and move slower than they should, which makes the game plod along more at a baseball pace -- ok, a slight exaggeration (the developers are called "Left Field" -- eds.). This slowdown does not seem to stem from framerate problems though as there are no signs of inconsistencies. The graphics are nothing dazzling but they do feature great player models. This factors partly into the deep create-a-player system inside the season mode. Although it lacks an abundance of hairstyles and faces, you can customize the size of your player in countless areas from toothpick to sumo wrestler. Add to that the ability to add more attribute points through the created player’s success on the court, and this proves to be one of the deeper create-a-player features yet.
The play modes of Courtside are fairly basic. The aforementioned season mode lets you take a team through a full 82 game season and then into the playoffs. If you’re impatient, you can choose to skip right to the playoffs without the hassle of a regular season. A small addition is the three-point contest as seen in the All-Star games that has players competing to make the most of 25 shots in 60 seconds. While this could be entertaining, there is no real skill or strategy involved, just a bit of luck. While the game takes a serious hit by not including a franchise mode, the energy driven Arcade mode almost makes up for it. Aside from some exaggerated dunks, the biggest difference between arcade and sim-like modes are hot spots that pop up allowing for 4-6 point shots. This makes no lead out of reach.
Under the old standards, NBA Courtside 2002 would be very good. |
The most incredibly bad part of NBA Courtside 2002 is the commentary. While most games don’t feature great commentary, this is just awful. Only Courtside can provide such gems as the color commentator saying "I agree" to every statement by the play-by-play man such as, "T Mack for three," as if the fact needs confirming. Add to this the ridiculous overuse of nicknames and you’ve got something so bad, it will distract your game with laughter.
Assuming the ports of NBA Street and NBA2K2 are as good on the Gamecube as they were on their former systems, both sim and arcade basketball will be better represented, but Courtside does a decent job holding the spot for them. There really isn’t much reason to buy Courtside. It is in no way a bad game, its pending competition is just too strong.
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