The stands fill and all eyes turn to the monitor, waiting with barely contained excitement for the tip-off of the new season of NBA Inside Drive. Many things have changed and improved with time—we'll look at those things in a minute. Some things, however, never change, like the familiar voices of Kenny Smith, Kevin Calabro, and Marques Johnson singing the tune (hymn or blues, depending on which team you’re rooting for) of basketball. They bring to NBA Inside Drive their sass and style, their experience and insight, providing commentary that will inform you, amuse you, and carry you straight to the hoop.
Practice Mode Before you hit the court for an official game, you’ll want to take some practice shots. You can do this in two ways: Shoot-around Practice or Free Throw Practice. NBA Inside Drive 2004 has improved "juke" controls that you can explore here. Try a few crossover dribbles, post moves, fall-away shots, and feints.
Step up to the line and practice your free throws. It takes a certain skill to swish through that hoop every time; you have to release at just the right moment to get the perfect arc on the ball. Hone your finesse for those times when you’re on the spot with the crowd breathing down your neck and your own teammates relying on your skill. Practice makes perfect, so you’ll definitely want to take advantage of this mode.
Offense Once you’re on the court, the real challenge begins. Setting up passes using the game’s icon pass scheme gives you fast and furious control over the ball. You’ll witness alley oops, bank shots, lay-ups, and much more. The variety of moves and responses go far to replicate the pace and frenzy of a real game. You’d better focus; the ball’s on the move.
To make it even better, the game’s got a new camera angle that puts you right in the middle of the action. You’re so there that you’ll be able to smell the sweat, hear the shoes scuffing the floor, and feel the heat wafting off your fellow players. They call it their Drive Cam, for obvious reasons.
Defense The opposing team sure as heck isn’t going to stop to wait for you. They’re in your face, and they want the basket just as badly as you want to stop them. You’ll have to stay on top of them, or they’ll run you down. You become a wall between them and the hoop. You block. You steal the ball—and how satisfying is that? You even foul, sometimes on purpose. That’s life “in the paint.” You do it or you get it done to you. (Or, more likely, a little of both.)
I found it more difficult to play defense than to play offense, for obvious reasons. There’s no predicting where the ball’s going to go. You just have to react and hope you’re alert enough to block it before it flies. In NBA Inside Drive 2004, however, they’ve incorporated some smooth moves that will take your opponent by surprise.
Draft and Trade Maybe you think you have what it takes to be the manager of a basketball team? You have to be discerning to spot the players who will develop into primo starters and those who will remain reserves forever. A quarter century’s worth of customized seasons awaits you in NBA Inside Drive 2004.
Make trades, even unbalanced ones. Draft rookies. Build your ideal NBA team. The power is in your hands. The players are all looking to you to make them an offer they can’t refuse. You da man(ager).
When was the last time you sat on your couch yelling orders, curses, and cheers at the game on TV? How many times have you shouted, "If I ran that team … " Well, your couch-coaching days are over. Thanks to NBA Inside Drive 2004, you now have the opportunity to dive right in and make the teams your own. Find out just how cool you are when it’s all up to you.
And, there’s more! NBA Inside Drive 2004 will take advantage of Xbox Live® for online play. Check back soon for more information—it’s gonna be a slam dunk!
