NBA Inside Drive 2003 (2002)

Developer: High Voltage Software
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platforms: Xbox
Genres: Simulator, Sport

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

On-court basketball action emphasizes driving and shooting in a fast, competitive sports-sim package.

competitivesports-authenticfast-pacedskill-based

About

Inside Drive is solid on almost every front except for some aspects of the offensive game, the most notable problem being the inability to pass out of layups or similar moves to the basket. One of the most important aspects of professional basketball is being able to drive to the lane and have a player make it look like he's going up for a shot so that he can draw defense, but then pass the ball to an open man on the inside or to a wide-open player out on the perimeter. Indeed, generally driving through the lane can be a little problematic since the AI tends to latch onto players in the paint, and the juke moves can be difficult to use effectively against tough opponents.

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More by Keywords Studios

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.