nfl2k3xbox

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NFL 2k3

Microsoft Xbox
Produced By:Sega
Developed by:Visual Concepts

Visuals:8.8
Sound:9.0
Gameplay:9.1
Overall:9.0

Review by: BigGamer

Whether you own a GC, PS2, or XBOX you can enjoy Sega's latest and greatest football game, NFL2K3. Starting in 1999 on the Sega Dreamcast, Visual Concepts has been right up there with EA Sports (and in many cases ahead of  ) as having the best football game on the market. Back in 99' NFL2K wowed us with its never seen before 128 bit graphics in a football game. Finally, video game football started to look like a reasonable facsimile of the real sport. They even hired full time actors to do the announcing, and had us all laughing at the hilarious, and also quite varied comments. They also delivered with gameplay that was as good as any other football game, including Madden.

The following year, with NFL2K1 Sega introduced us to online console gaming. Now we could all take on human oppents, which was much more fun than playing against the computer A.I. all the time. With NFL2K2 and the demise of the DC , 2001 was kind of an off year for online football. NFL2K2 was sadly just ported to the PS2 and XBOX that year, and showed little in the way of innovation. That is understandable however, because Sega was doing massive restructuring at the time.

Now they bring us NFL2K3, and they have improved it very much.....to the point of being what I believe is the best football game on the market. I will break it down now.

GAMEPLAY:
This year they have really tightened it up, and slowed it down a little to make it more realistic. (Which I applaud) Also, kudos to Visual Concepts for allowing XBOX users to use the top shoulder buttons for either stiff arm or juke move. Last year all of the football games for xbox didn't give you the option to choose! That really bugged me as I like stiff arming over the juke move, and I was stuck with those little BLK and WHITE buttons for my favorite move!  There is also the ability to use stutter step and spin moves, although I can't say much about them because I don't use em'  (I find it usefull to just run full speed straight ahead and dive when contact with many defenders is impossible to avoid, and like stiff arming in open field) Overall, it's basically the same as Madden, which is to say you can't really do much better. (gameplay wise) I had rented Fever 2003 and this runs circles around it.

GRAPHICS:
The player models are the best ever, bar none. Even the faces look "real". The stadiums are redone, and are now up to par with Madden and Fever. The crowd while better than last year, is still a little weaker looking than Madden and Fever, but it's passable this time around. (last year it was horrible) The grass is a little weaker than the competitions too, but no biggie. (most people won't notice) The weather however, is the best I have seen. Crank up that snow because it looks awesome! Overall, the graphics are great where they need to be, and passable in the technogeek categories.

SOUND:
I love the comments in this game. They even comment on stuff that happened a couple of plays ago, talk about realism !! At halftime and the end of the game, they give players of the half and game reports. They totally blew me away! They commented in great detail about what said players had accomplished during the game. The espn license gave it even more realism.

OVERALL: 
The addition of ESPN really makes it look and feel like you are watching TV sometimes. The gameplay, graphics, and sound are all excellent. Plus, it is online on the PS2 now, (provided you can actually find an adapter) and 11-15-02 it goes "XBOX LIVE". There are no plans that I know of it for GC, but since the adapters aren't going to be out for awhile, I can see why. Hopefully, next year it will be online on all consoles from the start. (EA didn't feel like it was necessary to put Madden on xbox live this year, so I have to rate their game a little lower overall because it has limited online capablity compared to NFL2K3) I recommend this football game to anyone that wants to buy a football game.

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