Games involving giant guys shooting hoops has had a surprisingly big impact on a country that prefers to watch 22 men chasing a ball. The standard was set by Microsoft's NBA Inside Drive 2003, with its intuitive passing system, but now Sega's new offering steps onto the court to challenge for the NBA crown - and it would be a fierce contender if it weren't for a few quibbles with the control system and the steep difficulty curve.

In terms of presentation, 2K3 is more than adequate. Arenas are varied and look great, and it's even possible to play street ball with the rain lashing down. There are nine street courts and 38 additional arenas. Some teams, like the Lakers, begin each game with a spectacle of light and sound. NBA 2K3 only falters when it comes to the players themselves - they're nowhere near as detailed as their NBA Live counterparts. Nice physics and animation do improve the situation though, as players jump and fall realistically according to their height and physique.

Depending on your level of expertise, you might initially find the CPU opposition a bit tricky. There's certainly no fault with the AI, which is more tactical than we've ever seen before. Opponents quickly learn which of your top-flight players to pressurise. This means that you can't rely too much on the likes of Kidd or O'Neil to score every hoop. It's far more of a team effort. Unfortunately, we also found it extremely difficult to mount a rock-solid defence. The ferocious AI was partly responsible, but it was more a case of not having enough control when trying to steal the ball.

Unfortunately, 2K3 just hasn't managed to match NBA Live's excellent Freestyle control system. The only real enhancement is a short cut that allows you to automatically pass to the player closest to the hoop.

1. Loads of arenas
2. All the NBA teams
3. Advanced AI
4. Street courts

1. Too difficult for beginners
2. Players could be a bit more detailed

Power
Disappointingly fuzzy visuals when compared to the other two Xbox basketball games.

Style
Excellent presentation with decent commentary and plenty of camera angles to view the action.

Immersion
Steep learning curve is hard on inexperienced players. Dedicated players will relish the challenge.

Lifespan
Endless amount of games in multiplayer mode - but you'll need to find human opposition.

Summary
A solid basketball game with all the fundamentals, but not quite as good as the other two games already out there.