NBA 2K1

NBA 2K1, released in 2000, was one of the Dreamcast's most notable sports titles and laid the foundation for the NBA 2K series that continues to this day. It was developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega Sports; the game built on the first NBA 2K from the previous year and added new content, updated player rosters, and improved match presentation, including a new theme tune and broadcast graphics meant to remind TV viewers of actual basketball broadcasts.

The game boasted smooth basketball player animations, realistically captured movements, and commentary that made the match feel like a TV broadcast. Besides regular games, it also offered a season mode, in which the player managed a team through an entire season including training and transfers, and the ability to create your own player from basic attributes all the way to appearance, which was above the standard for the time, as were additional modes focused on shooting contests and exhibition matches outside the classic game. The controls relied on a combination of buttons for shooting and passing with an analog stick for movement, allowing finer control over dribbling than earlier basketball simulations, and players could also choose between several difficulty levels according to their own experience.

Critics and players alike praised the game above all for how accurately it captured the rhythm of real basketball, the smoothness of its animations, and the responsiveness of the AI controlling both teammates and opponents, and together with NFL 2K1 it was one of the titles that let the Dreamcast briefly outpace the competition on PlayStation in the field of sports simulations. The NBA 2K series continued to develop from this installment onward and remains today one of the longest-running and commercially most successful sports franchises in video games. Looking back at the game today shows just how solid a foundation Visual Concepts laid for the entire future series.

Why play it: One of the founding installments of the NBA 2K series, offering the smoothest basketball simulation of its time on the Dreamcast.