Ok, I know what you're all thinking:
"Is he really reviewing ANOTHER roster update?"
The answer is yes, if not so I can rant 'n rave a little more, for
Microsoft has released NBA Inside Drive 2000 Roster Update
leaving only EA Sports' NBA Live 2001 running the court and, much
like Shaquille O'Neal going to the free throw line for two, that's
definitely not a good thing. (Whoa, deja-vu)
Much like NFL Fever 2000, when NBA Inside Drive 2000 was
released last year, it injected a little life into the PC basketball
market. It challenged NBA Live 2000 right from the tip off with
incredible ball physics, exceptional gameplay and fantastic
animations. Unlike NFL Fever 2000, NBA Inside Drive 2000 actually
tracked player and team statistics through a single season,
although it lacked any kind of career mode. Sure, it sported a
number of flaws but, like Vince Carter, this was a rookie destined
to become an All-Star.
A funny thing happened on the way to the bank… Microsoft took
the off-season too literally. Content with it's performance the
previous season, I guess Microsoft decided it was satisfied with
what the game had to offer, simply bundling a Roster Update with
NBA Inside Drive 2000. I suppose this isn't such a bad thing if you
didn't purchase NBA Inside Drive 2000 the first time around, but
fans of the series must now purchase the exact same game a
second time in order to receive the rosters and official schedule for
the 2000-2001 NBA season. Does a simple Roster Update warrant
another $20 purchase? Didn't I already ask that question in my NFL
Fever 2000 Roster Update review? The answer is still, and always
will be, no! Does this Roster Update confirm that Microsoft won't
release any further roster updates throughout the NBA season?
Presumably so, otherwise why would you purchase the game
again when you can wait for the next Roster Update to be made
available? It makes little sense and it certainly doesn't adhere to
supporters of the series. It's very much like a slap in the face. If the
Roster Update is only useful to those who own NBA Inside Drive
2000, just make the rosters available for free and if people want
the game, they can buy it on its own. Doesn't that make more
sense?
It really is a shame Microsoft decided not to partake in this year's
basketball season, I was looking forward to their sophomore effort.
Instead, all they have to show for is a Roster Update that is…
basically the same as the original rosters in NBA Inside Drive 2000?
They must have a bunch of chimps working around the clock on
this one.
To your immediate right is a bunch of screenshots from NBA Inside
Drive 2000. Some of them feature gameplay, while the rest feature
coaching/managerial menus that I'd like to use to demonstrate just
why this Roster Update isn't a Roster Update at all. For starters, as
many of you know I'm sure, the NBA season doesn't start for quite
some time yet, making the timing of this Roster Update a little
awkward, but allow me to point out the main flaws anyway. One of
the screenshots shows the roster for the Orlando Magic while
another shows the roster of the Los Angeles Clippers, hence the
following list of inaccuracies:
Los Angeles Clippers:
Maurice Taylor - Signed with the Houston Rockets
Derek Anderson - Signed with the San Antonio Spurs
Darius Miles, Keyon Dooling & Quentin Richardson - Where are
they?
Orlando Magic:
Ron Mercer - Signed with the Chicago Bulls
Grant Hill - One of the first free agent signings, where is he?
Tracy McGrady - Left his cousin in Toronto, or did he?
The list goes on and on. None of the free agents have been
assigned to their appropriate teams and none of the trades (Shawn
Kemp for example) have been made as of yet. On top of that, none
of the rookies have been added to their respective squads. In other
words, THERE'S NO ROSTER UPDATE!
This brings our review to an abrupt end because there's nothing
new about NBA Inside Drive 2000 Roster Update… not even a
roster update! I'm not here to review the game itself, we already
did that a year ago, I'm here to review the Roster Update and in
that respect it's simply a pathetic attempt by Microsoft to cash in on
unsuspecting victims and I'm here to stop this flagrant foul from
occurring.