NBA In The Zone 2000

There has been a recent surge of basketball games – all released since the turn of the Millennium – and not one has really impressed us so far. This latest ball bouncing game from Konami invites you to get in the zone NBA style, but where exactly is the zone?

Hanging Out Courtside

The game features all 29 NBA teams and has a full line up of players for each team, which is what you would expect from an NBA licensed product. There are a host of gameplay modes including a simple exhibition match, the full NBA season and an option to skip straight to the playoffs to go for the title. If you're up for playing with friends then the multiplayer games let you play on the same team or two-on-two.

There are also a couple of added bonus events that test your dunking and three-point skills to the max. In addition to this you've got a create your own player feature, to enable those with plenty of spare time to mess around making their own talented midgets or monsters. You can even choose which knees and elbows require a little extra strapping – well you know it's the little things can sometimes make a big difference!

Is it an Offence?

This game is one tough challenge and the realism should really appeal to hardcore basketball fans. You're given a whole feast of options before you start a match to pinpoint the positions that your team members move to and instead of throwing the ball about wildly or dashing from one end of the court to another and performing another ever-so-spectacular dunk, you have to take your time. You basically need to move your team members like chesspieces to create a decent scoring opportunity. This is a little tricky to master but once you've failed with every trick in the old basketball game handbook, you resort to trying anything! You need to think quickly and wait for the right opportunity to pass the ball, either to the man under the basket or to fool your opponents and get a man open. A little basketball knowledge helps you score a few hoops, if you don't have any then you have to use trial and error to find which attack formation suits you best.

If you're feeling a little daring there are two special buttons that are designed to help you create a scoring opportunity. The first is a turbo boost that speeds up the player with the ball. However, the 'boost' is more like a pair of rocket boots, that sees the baller whizzing around the screen like Road Runner while all the other players just chill out and look cool! Imagine a cross between Superman and Sonic the Hedgehog trying to play basketball with nine ten-foot tortoise-speed giants on the court at the same time! Needless to say, your nitro-fuelled player is impossible to control and you have trouble getting anywhere near the hoop. The second button is a little twist you can perform whilst dribbling with the ball. This makes your lanky player pirouette like a pregnant ballerina – hardly enough to fool the brick walls between you and the basket.

On the Defence

Unlike previous basketball games, whilst defending you can no longer slap your rival in the face and steal the ball. Adopting these old-school tactics just gets you into trouble and results in plenty of free throws for the opposition. In order to steal the ball you have to time your move to intercept any untidy passes or stand firm and wait for them to make a mistake. This is rather annoying and can become quite frustrating if you're having difficulties scoring. The best way to regain possession is to try to guess where the pass will go, but you need to be quick to stand any hope of a steal. If you're lucky at the other end of the court you may also get a chance to take a free throw. These controls are difficult to master and cause confusion. You must tap the A button to get the power at the right level and then pull the stick down to release the ball. This is a little trickier than just pressing the shoot button, but it does get easier with practice.

Unfortunately, while including all the flashy extras and adopting a realistic approach to basketball, the fun has somehow been removed from the game. The players seem slow and somewhat relaxed about the whole affair and the graphics just seem to jog along, looking nothing more than just average. The sound effects are pathetic and the commentary does get irritating after a short while, but then this can be said about most basketball games.

The tactics and realism are a nice addition to the standard NBA title, they prompt you to think ahead and consider what is involved. The special events are brilliant and if you ever get tired with the slow playing pace of the exhibition mode, you can just perform some cool dunks or try your luck from the three-point line. This feature is by far the best element of the game and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone on the team. Overall, NBA in the Zone 2000 is nothing more than a very average basketball game with two very interesting features.