Acclaims highly touted "high-res" graphics appear in the game, but the player models look so bad, one would think Acclaim should have lowered the resolution to beef up the player models or include some type of expansion pack support. Some of the bigger players (such as Shaq) are so large it's almost laughable. Also, the frame rate takes a dip once in a while, hindering the overall pacing of the gameplay.

The control, while not terrible, also needed some help. Thanks to the motion capture animation, the responses seem amazingly slow and it's almost impossible to pull off anything as intended. The arcade mode seems a little easier in this department, but it's still not quite accurate enough to be very playable. The faster pace in this mode allows for the controls to seem a bit more responsive, but not by much.

The extra modes Acclaim has included are beneficial, but nowhere near enough to save the gameplay. The 2-on-2 arcade mode and simulation are barely different compared to each other and run on the same engine. The 2-on-2 mode should bring the series back to it's roots, but the developers obviously didn't see it that way. The create-a-player mode can be used for some good laughs thanks to the already poor graphics and not much else.

Marv Albert is the commentator and is restricted to a few quotes, resulting in many repeats. The stadium sounds are just above adequate, but manage to retain the feel of being at an actual NBA game. The menu music is fitting and sadly, this is what could be the best part of this mangled mess.

Even the most die hard NBA fan will find very little to enjoy in this title. Just about everything that could go wrong in game development seemed to make it into this title. Even Acclaim's highly promised "Jaw-dropping high-res graphics" fail miserably. Acclaim needs to start over by putting a substantial effort forward towards creating a decent playing basketball engine.