Pros
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Great graphics
Tons of options
The announcers can say certain names of created players.

Cons
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Play by play and commentator isn't as good as 2K
Weak AI (computer controlled players spend alot of time out at the three point line when they have the ball, even if they have an open drive to the hoop. they wait until there are a few seconds left on the shot clock, and then pop it up.)

Verdict
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It's pretty good. For the price, I'd say get it. I haven't played 2K2 so I can't compare 2K1 to it. All I can do is compare it to 2K. Compared to 2K, it falls a little short. That's not to say it's a bad game, it just has a few short commings.

NBA 2K1 is a great basketball video game. Here are some of my favorite features: The franchise mode, because you can sign new NBA players and build your team however you want it and the years are probably endless. The Lakers, Kings, 76ers, Hornets, and Blazers are my favorite teams to use in this game. The practice mode is pretty fun. I get to run around like wild and make crazy shots. The vc code gives you 3 Sega teams, which inludes Redman. The three-point shooters in this game, like in real life, are Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Glen Robinson, and Peja Stojakovic. Mutombo was still on the Hawks, but you can do all the trading you want. The only 100 rated player when you open the game new is Kevin Garnett. In franchise mode in the future, Tim Duncan always ranks 100, and what a coincidence that he became the 2001-2002 NBA season's mvp. Allen Iverson, Kobe, Shaq, Eddie Jones, Jason Kidd, Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, and alot of others alike play super in this game. You can even watch games!! Creating players is fun, and I like to put 12 of the same guys on one team and play the Nuggets with that team. The announcers sometimes messup, but there are other great details like audience waving flags, players' emotions, dunks, blocks, free throws, and many more. I like this game even better than NBA 2K2!!! This basketball is definitely one of the best created.

This has the best franchise in the history of gaming. It is obsessive.

This is one of my favorite games on dreamcast. Choose from many great teams. The graphics are AMAZING. You can see the player's eyeballs moving. The graphics are as good as any Xbox or PS2 games. This game has great controls and is not frustrating at all.

Reasons to purchase this product:

- Great graphics
- Great Controls
- Always fun to play

Reasons not to purchase this product:

None at all!

So here is my conclusion:
Graphics:10/10
Controls:9/10
Fun: 9/10

Overall: 9.3

I hope that this review was helpful to you!

This game is pretty, and perhaps the multi-player modes are excellent, but I have to give it 2 stars for the terrible 1 player mode. The controls are confusing and often over-complicated. (To pass you have to first hit "Y" to view your teammates, then hit another button to pass to them. This is obviously extremely difficult in a quick run-and-shoot game. Nevermind, give and goes!)

Unfortunately, the game play still doesn't correspond with reality. For instance, after playing tough defense for 23 seconds and trapping the other team's center in the corner, he merely turns and drops in the three with 1 second left. Much to my chagrin, this play was repeated 8 or 9 times in a game. I couldn't see any logic (or point) in trying to force the other team to take hurried or low-percentage shots. Their shooting percentage remains the same regardless of what I do.

Also, the computer-controlled aspects of my team are terrible. When I take a shot, the other 4 guys just stand around without making any attempt to rebound. The defense is sloppy (kind of like the real NBA.) I'll be struggling to keep the ball out on the perimeter, only to have one of my teammates stop covering his man (who of course is standing wide-open under the basket.)

My team's shooting percentage is sooo bad. My players routinely miss wide-open shots, sometimes right under the basket. Sometimes they refuse to shot the ball too. I press the shoot button repeatedly, only to have them stand there for 3 or 4 seconds, and then try to shoot (and by this point the entire other team is covering them.)

And what are people talking about with the commentary? The commentary is very frequently 2 or 3 sentences behind the play. Sometimes they even say everything twice in a row, which is amazingly annoying. Also, often what they say makes no sense, like "That's real trouble for him this early in the game" with 20 seconds left in the 4th!

All in all, this game is more fun to watch then to play. If you are going to buy it, make sure to go online for opponents, because playing the computer is just toooo frustrating.

Good graphics, nice gameplay. The best NBA game ever made after NBA 2K2. This game rocks.

I bought this game sometime last year and it was awesome! The graphics are very good, the dunks are awesome, and you can do an easy "Ally-Oop!". My only complaint is that their arms can STILL! go through the other players! But overall, it's an awesome game!

In my opinion, NBA2K1 is the best basketball game to date. I have played others, especifically for SNES years ago and this game is truly life like. The details to the players reactions during plays is amazing, and so is the animated displays of the coaches reaction to the plays. I enjoy games that are graphically pleasing and offer a realistic sense of what its like to play in the NBA. My favorite feature of the game has to be creating players. I have spent numerous hours beating the computer-controlled players with customized players that I have created when I play the game. If you are an nba fan, you will truly appreciate the masterful way in which Sega has crafted this truly great game.

Wow, this game is sweet. NBA 2K1 is by far the best basketball game ever. I love this game. The graphics shine, gameplay is extremely smooth, and there are so many options. Just like NFL 2K1, the franchise mode is cool, the editor is awesome, plus season, streetball, tourney, etc. You can change just about anything you want in the editor too, it's even got all the classic teams, it's pretty hard if you put it on Pro or All-Star, and you can even make your own team- that's what more of these 2Ks need to offer. I love the commentary too, not to mention the online play and the awesome 4 player action. If you like basketball at all, buy this.

This is one of my favorite Dreamcats sports games. It has one of the better AIs of all the Visual Concepts games. NFL2K1 is impossible on All-Pro. WSB2K1 is cumbersome abd too involved to play. NBA2K1 is very real and fun and the computer doesn't cheat as much as in the other 2K1 series games. The play announcers are kinda buggy because they say some things at times that don't make sense. but if you can ignore that and some screen clipping at points, you'll love this game.

the game is the best basketball out there.nba live is not good at all i do not like that basketball at all.nba2k1 is real life basketball.i played nba live for the ps and do not like it at all.because the game playing is not fun.to me ithink the best sport games out is for the dreamcast.and that's my comment.and one more think who ever think ps2 is better than a dreamcast they better stop fooling there self.games i played is not good at all.and that's the bottom line cause charle20 said so

For me this is easily the best basketball game I've ever played. The element that stands out and makes NBA 2k1 such a great game is the talent of the computer ai (both your opponents and teamates) and excellant graphics of this game. I must say its better to play against friends, because sometimes the computer is really tough to beat. Still, this is easily the best basketball games of all time and serious hoops fans shouldn't go without.

its the best most realistic game i have ever played i love it!

This game is just amazing. The players move and look physically identical to the real thing! There are several modes such as season, in which you can do a fantasy draft, exhibition, franchise, and the street mode. I find the street mode really great because you can play 2 vs. 2 up to 5 vs. 5, there is more than one court you can play on, the players wear regular street clothes, and you can even hear some street sounds if you listen carefully. I would recommend this game for any basketball fan, kid or adult.

If you don"t have this game buy it! It is the best basketball video game there is. I used to think the NBA Live games were the best basketball games ever and they still are, on PlayStation but NBA 2K1 on Dreamcast is way better. I have never played a better basketball game than this! Comparing it to Live the graphics are just so much better. They are more detailed and look much more realistic. The crowd is louder, react to shots and calls and they even wave balloons and make noise when people shoot free throws. The anouncers talk about stats, players, free throws, and everything like in real life even though they'll sometimes make mistakes. You can also play franchise mode and be like in season mode only you can keep playing as a team for several seasons and see veterans retire and draft rookies. The other thing this game has no other basketball game has is you don't need to have a friend over to play against somebody else you can just play against people from anywhere in the US online anytime! To me this is THE BEST GAME ON DREAMCAST.

NBA 2K1 is the best basketball game ever created. If you have the dough go out and buy it because this game has everything. From creating players to fantastic dunks. The game is more realistic than NBA 2K. Everyone thinks NBA Live 2001 for ps2 is good. Dont waste your money go and buy NBA 2K1. The street court is simpily a awsome add on. Seeing all the stars from the 70's and 80's is sweet. So if you got 50 bucks and your wonderin what to do with it I strongly consider buying NBA 2K1 or else your missing out on the best b ball game ever created. And i know from expierience. I have played pretty much every basketball game for every console and this is by far the best basketball game every put out on the market. JUST GO AND GET IT!! FIVE STARS!

This is a great game. It allows you to do basically everything. From making a season to creating your own teams and players. And it almost never gets boring, because you can make teams, players, ect.

Without question single greatest basketball simulation ever created. All the glitches, all the inadequecies from NBA 2K are solved, the graphics are smoother and better, an option to play against great All-Stars of the past is simply awesome. The creata-player has improved with a wider selection of physical attrubuites...A must buy for all Sports game Goers.

I don't see why everyone is saying this is "not too bad," this game rules. I play it with my friends every weekend and we love it. It gets so intense sometimes we fight over it. If you own dreamcast then you better own this game or you are missing out.

Before I bought this game, I did what I do for all games and read the editorial and customer reviews. Some reviews were on NBA 2K1's side, but more than half were somehow against it. After a long thought, I decided to give this game a chance. And I am thrilled that I did. A lot of the customer reviews used the phrase "Graphics aren't everything!" This phrase does have truth, but not on NBA 2K1. Yes, the graphics are undoubtably jaw-dropping. But the artists have to be paid for something. And so do the programmers at Sega. The programmers seemed to have really put the effort into this video game. One thing is the Franchise mode: Drafting teams!? That's in NBA 2K1. Also, the editorial reviews claim that there are not enough offensive special moves. There are enough to keep your offense thrilling and exciting (defense does have more, though!) Another feature that keeps it on top: ONLINE PLAY. I love enjoying a game with my cousins all the way down in New York City. And the fact of how smoothly it works is amazing. Well, let us look into the graphics and gameplay features. Player faces are much more recognizable, and the resolution and detail of the court is higher than it was before. The coaches, too, are more animated--raising their hands in the air as a three-pointer goes up and in--and the crowd is more three-dimensional and lively. And I just recently learned that you can make your own dream team. I am very happy I went against some reviews and negative attention and bought this game. It was well worth it.

I wasn't initially impressed with Visual Concepts' first offering, NBA2K. Being a Live fan from its conception in 1994-95, I thought that 2K, while having gorgeous graphics, was a little short on the gameplay side. That was, of course, until I really got into it and this year's release.

First, let me say this: Live's graphics for PS2 are smooth and gorgeous, but I think that 2K1's graphics are a bit better looking overall. With some rare exceptions, the players in 2K1 look almost exactly like their real-life counterparts. The arenas are also well done, looking crisp and sharp. None of them, however, give me the true feeling that I'm either at the First Union Center or the Fleet Center, but they are sharp nontheless. The floor, reflecting player shadows and lights, are great looking, and remind me how far vid b-ball has come since Bulls vs Lakers and the NBA Playoffs.

Sound is an awesome aspect of 2K1, as you hear players squeaking around on the floor, coaches yelling words of encouragement (or disdain), crowds yelling for an airball, on court chatter, it's all here. The two man color commentary misses at some points, and while it may be funny at times, and better than what Live offers, it gets repetitive fairly quickly.

The speed and gameplay rock, or will rock you, depending on your skill. Personally, I've always thought that this year's Live was slower than 2K1. Maybe I'm used to the faster pace, but basketball IS a fast paced game. The All-Star difficulty will have you throw down your controller in disgust, and the way the computer players move on that difficulty will frustrate more than entertain. Who can keep up with Iverson on a breakaway? Apparently, just about anyone on that level. The game rewards patience and good play calling, as running up the floor and shooting a quick trey will drop your scoring average, as well as your winning percentage. There are times when fast breaks are called for, and the dunks that follow are simply breathtaking. The innovative foul shooting is back from 2K, and it's just as hard as it ever was. Most players in the NBA can hit a jump shot with someone in their face. Not so in 2K1. When you get open, you'd better not hesitate, or you'll pay for it. When someone gets in your face, more often than not you'll miss the shot, so clutch shooting is a must. You can imagine my joy when, using the Sixers against the Raptors and down by 1 with 2 seconds to go, I inbounded to Iverson and shot a rainbow over Vinsanity's outstretched arms to win the game at the buzzer. Wild. The game allows players moves depending on their skill level. Iverson will be able to dribble his defenders senseless with the spin move and cross-over dribble, while big bangers like Malone and Shaq back down and punish whomever is unfortunate enough to guard them in the post. It's relaistic, as you won't see Iverson successfully posting up Shaq, or Malone trying to do a quick cross-over. Holding down Turbo while jumping on defense will attempt a monster block, knocking the ball into the stands (and into the replay camera, another cool aspect). The camera has a couple dozen views, but the default is the best one, for me, anyway.

There's Franchise mode on here (a MUST), Season, Playoffs, Practice (a must; the computer will show you how to make your shots better, as far as release), and the Outdoor Courts. The courts rock, having such historic locations as Rucker Park and the Cage. Outdoor sounds such as cars passing by only add to the realism.

What puts 2K1 over the top is the online play. The play is pretty solid, other than some hiccups and some instances of slowdown. Otherwise, it rocks the party that rocks the body.

Is this game better than NBA Live 2001 for PS2? Yes; it's the best overall b-ball game on the planet, sporting Sim and Arcade modes, beautiful graphics, engaging sound, great replay value, dunks galore, a really good Create-A-Player feature, and online play. Pick it up!

There are a lot of hoop games out there, but only two have made this far specifically nba's 2k1 and live 2001.Its a battle between sega sports and EA, and certainly, in my opinion sega sports has won the ball game dramatically.Graphically and lots of hours playing the game made me decide that this game rocks!

But still nba 2k1 has a lot of flaws.First is the perimter shooting, u only make your shots if u r very,very wide open and sucks. Next is the AI after hours of playing you'll end up winning using a losing team against a playoff caliber team. And lastly, the inaccurate statistics and voice commentary , eg is your fgm is higher than your fga, hello!?! I recommend some remedies on the game so that the upcoming 2k2 would be perfect.Please sign in MJ for the next season.

Ok, I should have gave this game 3 stars but I am giving it a chance since I loved NBA2K. The shooting game is ludicrous. Maybe I just do not know how to shoot but I seem to be doing fine in the practice mode with my release. I have players on my team that should be hitting at least 45% of their jumpers yet they can't hit a dang thing. In NBA Live I was able to hit a decent amount of jumpers unlike this game. The way the crossovers are implemented I do enjoy unlike Live where it's just a fancier way of walking and does nothing but. The franchise mode is an excellent addition to the series and I look forward to it for the remainder of. Another nice add-on was the street ball mode which in my opinion is a bit too easy. If you wanted to steal the ball, all you have to do is push them and you won't be fouled. It's all good though, you would just have to refrain from doing it, but it does get a bit tempting to do when playing against a friend. The graphics are better than last years and the sound is excellent also. All in all, it's a great pick up if you're a hoops fan but if you get frustrated easily it's best to stay away.

This is by far the greatest game i've ever played. And i'm sure it will be for you too if your a big basketball fan. This game is the reason I bought a dreamcast in the first place. This game is the first to play like real basketball. Players cut towards the basket and run off screens and you can actually back people down on the post if you have a larger man. I have played both Nba live 2001 (playstation2) and obviously Nba 2k1 (dreamcast) and there is no comparison. Alright the gameplay on nba live is simply boring, the spin moves are tremendously slow, the crossovers don't work, and you can't back down mugsy bougues with shaq on the post. Nba 2k1 has far superior dunks and blocked shots as nba live. Live reminds me of bulls v.s. blazers where the only way to get into the paint is off a screen that usually doesn't work. Plus nba 2k1's gameplay is so much faster as well. And if you want to play a basketball game for a while nba 2k1 is what you need. Nba 2k1 has a franchise mode where you draft new players after the season ends, and live does not.Nba 2k1 also has more legends like Benard King, Bob McAdoo, etc. it has an east and west all legends team of the decade, but still no kareem. If your a die hard basketball fan such as I, you'll absolutely love this game. So look out Ea sports because sega sports is taking over the basketball giant. But please sega sports why can't you give us a college basketball game as well.

NBA 2K1 is definitely better than 2K. I want to keep this short, my friends and I have our own season going with the Knicks. And we play Everyday!!! We love the season roster update available on sega.net. Tho there are some areas that I think it can be better.

~Call Head Coach's Name ~All Star Level is too easy for me (need more challenge) ~All Point Guards and Centers are generally overated ~How can you practice your plays without any opponents on practice mode?! ~What happened to created players as BANGERs? ~Same old commentator's lines (maybe I played it too much) ~More trash talking on street ball mode please. (Hence: Street Ball = Trash Talking) ~No Cheerleaders? No girls, no motivation to win. ~Learned so many dirty tricks that I can easily blow out All-Star teams with the LA Clippers on all-star level (that's how much I play it)

As this might sound like a bad review. I just want to say I still love this game. I bought it when it first came out and I'm still loving it. You guys reading this should take my word and go get this game. Oh by the way, NY Knicks are the best. =)

NBA2K1 is hands down the best basketball game on the market. NBA live for PS2 doesn't compare. The graphics, gameplay, and season mode are all superior to Live '01.

I played nba line 2000 and 2001 they .... The cameras on 2K1 are unreal. The arenas are almost exact and the crowd tries to destract you when you shoot free throws by waving ballons at you. The street courts are the best. I love to play ball with the old school boys. you can play with the best players of the 50s 60s 70s and 80s. the only bad part about this game is it don't have jordan but that is not a loss. Practice mode is cool because you can practice your dunks free throws and half court bombs. the dunks on this game are endless. Create player and team is another good feture. Franchise mode is awsome i took the bulls and trded some player to some good ones and won it all like 10 time. the refs like to call elligal defense alot and on allstar it's almost imposible to beat the other team by more than tweenty unless you are playing the bulls or the Clippers. If you have a DC and not this game you should get it now.

Maybe I just got spoiled with the winning streaks I could amass in NBA2K. I don't know, I just don't enjoy 2K1 for the simple fact that it regresses in as many areas as it moves forward. Game play may be much more realistic, but it's not as much fun. The pace is slower unless you bump the game speed to "fast", then it seems a bit too fast. The graphics are still top-notch for the players and court, but the crowd has gotten much more pixellated. Play issues include players who no longer run close enough to the basket to dunk when the ball is passed to them (remember in 2K, they'd stand right under the thing?). Now they run to within a couple feet of the hoop then move back out a couple more, meaning you have to have to drive around the ridiculously adept defenders to do anything but take short jumpers. It's all but impossible to drive the lane against any but the worst teams. Those guys come out of nowhere to block your path! I'm usually able to blow out the 2K guys by 20-30 even on all-star difficulty. On pro difficulty in 2K1 I can barely win against the loser teams.

What I like a lot: - Illegal defense calls are done correctly! No longer can the center just lurk right under the basket waiting for blocks. (Drat, there went half my strategy :-))

- The street courts. They simply rock! The ambient sounds in the background and the crowd make it feel very real.

- Internet play! And it really works nicely. I was worried about lag, but it's a non-issue and the connections seem to be stable.

- Swat blocks

- The old teams....but why on earth doesn't the 80's West team include Kareem?!

What I don't like at all: - Head coaches no longer get their names called during the courtside intro! Why for crying out loud on a 1 GB disc couldn't they include 60 more little .wavs for the announcer instead of "And introducing...the HEAAAAAD COACH!"? Very lame.

- The commentary on star players. Living in Utah, I play the Jazz a lot and I'm already sick of the extended comments by Rod about Karl Malone's perfect physique....ugh! It happens every game.

- Bad crowd graphics. They add to the atmosphere as usual while playing, but you sure don't want to get close with the zoom on a reply.

- A number of players don't seem to have names during the commentary. John Starks is one, and few rookies get announced as anything but a number.

- The rosters are not completely accurate, although this shouldn't be too big an issue if they stick to their promise and have downloadable updates.

I wish there was a 3½ star rating, because I just can't call it 4. I like the game and the series very much, but this one just rubbed me wrong. Maybe it just needs to grow on me ;-).

I heard reports that sega is not continuing the Dreamcast after 2001 because of the hype over PS2 and lack of sales because of Sony. To too bad, Sega out done Sony on this one big time. NFL2k1 is better than Madden, NHL2k is even better than Sony's. Now comes b-ball (my sport), Sony should be slapped silly for putting out garbage after all the hype after the game. Dreamcast NBA2k1 has better game play, graphics, and just much more on the fun factor and not to forget the on-line gameplay. This is where you should spend your money.

I own every platform out right now, and overall I feel this is the best basketball game on the market. As far as gameplay goes I have no problem with it. The only thing that kept me from playing it non stop was little aspects such as no created players in franchise mode, but those things should be present next year. If you want the best basketball game on any platform, this is the way to go.

I went into Circuit City and played NBA 2K1 with my best friend for about 30 minutes. I just couldn't get away from it. The street ball option is the greatest thing in the world, I could've played that all day. Swatting your opponents shot is just great. Instead of it just falling right beside them after they block it like other games, sometimes in 2k1 they will block it so hard it goes out of bounds and hits the fence. The graphics are still flawless, and gameplay is better in my opinion. In 2k1 it isn't as easy as NBA 2k to block a shot. I remember when I'd be playing 2k, you could get blocked so easy. The game is great, and I really recommend this to any hardcore NBA fan. FIVE STARS!!

If you've never played Nba 2k or 2k1 you're missing out on alot,if you have a Dreamcast you have to play this game,Gameplay:The gameplay is really fun and exciting i could play for hours without getting tired of it,Graphics:The graphics are da bomb and ultra realisic their definetly the best graphics out of any b-ball game,(way better than nba live 2001 for ps2) over all i'd give this game a grade of an A++

I got NBA2k1 the day it came out and it is one of the best games I've ever played. The graphics are alot more crisp and it looks more real. The players look amazing with detail. The gameplay is great, the new moves and dunks look sweet and the total package is well worth the dough. The online play is a great add on as well, it is really fun competing against other people. It is much better than the first and you must pick this one up.

First off this is the Best Basketball game out there, but it could have been better! Graphics: Good, but I think it actually took a small step back when compared to last years. Some of the players look a little cartoonish, and the crowd (what crowd) was poorly done. Animations are great, the animation for a block shot is great with the ball flying into the stands, which gives cause for a little smack talking. New Dunks are crazy as well are the crossovers. The main menu is a joke. Grade:B-

GamePlay: Pretty much the same as last year. The crossover has been redone, which is a nice way to lose a defender, but can sometimes be a little tricky if not done correctly. A little more variety would of been nice (Iverson crossover vs J-Dub crossover vs T. Hardaway crossover)Grade:B

Extras: Online gameplay is a plus! Of course you have to find an opponent with a good connection, the lag affects game play significantly. The school yard parks are a nice addition to NBA2k1 as well as the Ol'skool legends! Franchise mode, is available, of course you can't have your created player in it ... Grade:A

Bottom line: Good graphics, good gameplay, online play, Franchise mode. Overall Grade:B+ This game gets a 3 1/2 from me. It is good, if you are looking for a basketball game, its the best one out there, but watch out for NBA Live on PS2, it just might give NBA2K1 a run for its money.

Gamer247 is OUT! GAME ON!

This is a good game. Season mode, practice, franchise mode,(great fun) and my favorite is street court. This mode is so much fun. You really have to be playing multi-player. This is so much fun if you have a mini tournament with your friends in this mode. If you dont have a extra controller you can always play online(which is always fun). Well, that is NBA 2k1.