• ID = PS0599
• STYLE = Basketball
• DEV. = 989 Studios
• PUB. = 989 Studios
• R-DATE = Feb-21-2001
• ESRB = E / For Everyone
• PLAYERS = 1-2 player
• LIST PRICE = $19.99
  

The ShootOut franchise makes the leap to the PlayStation2 with NBA ShootOut 2001. The venerable NBA simulator adds a cornucopia of technical advances to the game, such as greatly improved opponent artificial intelligence (AI) that is better able to manage passing, fouls, time-outs, and the clock, and a newly designed game engine that operates at 60 frames per second with state-of-the-art ball, rim, and collision physics.

The game's TV-style presentation is supported by 22 different camera angles and play-by-play commentary from New Jersey Nets broadcaster Ian Eagle. Graphically, the game is reproduced with all 29 NBA teams, more than 1,000 motion-captured moves and 50 signature dunks of the game's stars, and player models that incorporate height, weight, body style, texture-mapped faces, head shapes, and skin tones into their composition.

New control features for the series include advanced dribbling control, which gives players the freedom to dribble the ball between the legs, around the back, and crossing from one side to the other, and a touch shooting meter. The game also features extensive roster management tools, a create-a-player feature, team-specific playbooks, and animated referees calling fouls from the floor.

With NBA SHOOTOUT 2001, pro hoops get so realistic it’s scary. Boasting more details than you’d ever dream of, the game even include the real coaches and (brace yourself) cheerleaders! All of the NBA teams and players are here, and there even a few old-timers making guest appearances. Each arena, coach’s suit, and player’s face is rendered in the most striking detail ever, and all-new motion-capture animations assure that the gameplay is just like the real thing.

There are hundreds of hours’ worth of unique play-by-play (no more inappropriate declarations from bonehead announcers), and you can even make up your own dunks with the Create Dunk feature. Of course, you can pull off all of the trades, signings, and cuts that you’d expect from an NBA game, and there are several difficulty levels and modes of play to keep things fresh. Revamped Touch Shooting and Passing Control make for very lifelike play, and the background animations are absolutely unreal. For basketball fans, this is the best thing going.

• All NBA teams and players.
• Hundreds of hours of play-by-play.
• Create Dunk feature.
• Real coaches.
• Multiplayer action.

Amazon.com Review
Any game that uses Eric B. and Rakim's old-school hip-hop classic "I Ain't No Joke" as its theme has got to be worth checking out. Unfortunately, once the song stops and the first whistle blows, NBA Shootout 2001 proves a little hard to take seriously. While not the worst basketball game ever created, NBA Shootout 2001 (like most 989 Sports games this year) feels as though it was forced to market a bit too early. Overall, the PS2 plays a surprisingly lethargic game. In our tests, many a defense showed trouble mustering enough interest to stop a steady series of lay-ups. You can easily run the same play over and over with the PS2 taking too long to adjust.

NBA Shootout 2001 sports some of the best-looking courts yet seen in a video game. Sadly, while player graphics are decently rendered, only marquee players can be identified without a lot of squinting. While most of the animation runs smoothly, ball handlers run with the stiff upper bodies and painfully bad posture of Boris Karloff in Frankenstein. Disturbingly, you'll often witness balls flying through players and even players running through players! When the on-court action becomes intense, such visual problems become unforgivable.

If there is a redeeming factor of NBA Shootout 2001, it's the controls. Anyone who has played past Shootout games will easily pick up the 2001 PS2 version. Shootout rookies will also find an accessible round-ball game. However, the sloppy AI, uneven graphics, and lack of play modes (exhibition, season, and playoffs) make for a game that will disappoint most video basketball purists. In a bad year for PS2 basketball, we can only say "maybe next year." Those who can't wait should make NBA Live 2001 from EA Sports their first pick for the 2001 season. --Mark Brooks

Pros:
Best stadiums in video basketball.
Solid controls will be accessible to both Shootout veterans and newbies.

Cons:
Defense has no game.
Disappointing player graphics.
Horrible clipping problems cause confusion.