I'm not a huge sports fan. I'll watch a basketball game if it's on and I've got nothing else to do, but I don't follow a given team avidly (since the heyday of the Bulls, anyways). And as far as basketball games go, I've searched for a fun, complex title to beat out the original NBA game for the Sega Genesis with little success. Until now. NBA Inside Drive for the X-box is a slam dunk.

Gameplay: (9/10)
Inside Drive offers a multitude of multiplayer modes; season, exhibition and playoffs. The computer AI is neither cheesy nor easy on any setting. The control mechanics take a game or three to get used to, but once you grasp them, the action and the give and take in the game are sweet!

It's very realistic and while I've preferred arcade style basketball games in the past, I've been converted. And there are billions of variables. Substitutions, player trades, on-the-fly coaching, defense and offense settings (at any point during the game, mind you) will keep you in the game for quite some time.

Next gen console systems have always been in short supply when it comes to two player games, but X-Box has offered up a solid crop of multiplayer titles with Inside Drive near the front of the pack. Novices and Advanced players will have a lot of fun with this one. Beware, though, button pounders: you can't pull off infinite three pointers and you will get fouled if you don't abide by the rules (unless you turn the fouls off in the options menu, that is).

Graphics: (7/10)

Sports games haven't caught up with action apps when it comes to matching the gameplay with their cinemas graphics-wise, but it's getting closer. There's nothing tremendously thrilling about the on-screen graphics during gameplay, but the replay cinemas and post-game reports are very well done. I expected a bit more from an in-house release, but I've got no complaints.

Sound: (8/10)

The announcing can be repetitive sometimes, but not so much that it will annoy you. The rest of the sounds on the court and in the crowd really add to the experience, making you feel like you're in the game. They announce cars on fire in the parking lot over the PA for god's sakes! The crowd flips out over turnovers, there's a decent amount of trash-talking, and the music only clicks on in response to action during the game.

Overall: (7/10)

If you're one of those college freaks who picks up twenty basketball games and holes up until four in the morning with eight other friends crunching stats and pounding each other in two player matches, Inside Drive is a no brainer. If you like arcade style basketball better, you might want to rent it first. It's certainly worth a checking out, though. I love it.