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: