NBA 2K2\nRating: E for Everyone\nFor: Playstation 2, X-Box\nBy: Sega Sports\nFor me, when it comes to sports games, the winner without a doubt is EA Sports. But that doesn't mean I'm not looking out for the next best thing. There is always a 'next best thing' when it comes to video games. If there wasn't, there would only be a Nintendo, not a Super Nintendo, etc.\nWith that in mind, I picked up "NBA 2K2" by Sega Sports for the Playstation 2. A game that has been heralded as the 'next best thing' by other publications. After a good once over, I'm not sure what all the raving is about.\nTo start with, the visuals are amazing, no lying about that. While the players' faces lack a little similarity to the actual faces of the players, the look of the stadium and everything else is quite good, right down to the colored streamers the fans wave when the visiting team is shooting free throws. The gameplay is also silky smooth, leaving not a moment of hesitation when you are playing. It's also a nice touch that rosters are up to date and every single rookie is in the game, right down to the high school phenoms that rocked the top of the draft. \nThat being said, this game is not without its negatives. Most noticeable: the difficulty of playing defense. If you play on any level other than rookie, the computer can pretty much score at will. The different difficulty levels in the game are not staggered very well. Rookie is pretty easy, pro is pretty hard and all-star is a little harder. The difference between rookie and pro needs to be less dramatic, as simply stepping up a level can turn a 20-point victory into a 20-point loss. \nThis game also features a franchise option, giving you the ability to take a team and build them into a contender, or maintain their status at the top already. I love features like this on sports games, so this excited me when I saw the option on the box. Unfortunately, it's not easy to understand and is often frustrating. Hopefully they can improve it for next year. \nAll in all, "NBA 2K2" is solid, with smooth gameplay and amazing rim rattling dunks. Yet, the difficulty in defense and confusing franchise features keeps this game from being a champion. At best, it's just a conference semifinalist.\n
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