Outside of EA’s FIFA and Madden, the biggest name in sports games these days is 2K Games, who have even branched out and publish non-sports games like BioShock, Mafia and X-Com. But they weren’t always part of publishing giant Take Two – they were originally part of Sega, with the 2K and Sega Sports branding being used for more simulation-like sports games, separate from their more arcade-like titles. After they lost the NFL license and sales of other sports games (like NBA 2K) started dwindling, they sold the developer and brand to Take Two.
NBA 2K2 definitely nails the simulation type of basketball, which means that, even with all fouls turned off, I could not figure out a way to defend at all, and matches just end up being taking turns to score. I’m sure those who are much more into basketball can perform much better at this, but it’s not for me. There are an impressive amount of options and modes, and the creation tools allow for inventing your own team fairly easily.
There’s also an additional “street” mode, which features outside courts and lower player counts (you can choose how many per team). The gameplay itself doesn’t change, but it’s still a fun little addition.
NBA 2K2 is probably a great game for those fully into basketball, but isn’t friendly to those that aren’t that knowledgeable about it.