Metacritic Games

NBA 2K2 (Xbox)

Features devastating new low post moves, exclusively captured by NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace. Exploit your defender with a quick drop step, back him down into the key, pull up for a sweet fadeaway, or pass to the open man. Includes real street courts - hoop it up at nine of the most famous playgrounds around the country, such as Rucker Park or Venice Beach. [Sega]

Sega
Sports
Players: 4
E (Everyone)
Developer: Visual Concepts
Released February 25, 2002

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

90 / 100

Critic Reviews

100	GamePro EA's "NBA Live" has better character models and Microsoft's "Inside Drive" has the best-looking arenas, but Segas NBA 2K2 is the complete package for basketball on the Xbox.
92	Operation Sports Visual Concepts has started their series on the Xbox in outstanding fashion. If you are looking for the best the series has to offer, I suggest you go out and get this game.
91	Official Xbox Magazine This game has it all – great gameplay, tons of depth, awesome AI, and plenty of gameplay modes...it sets the standard for all future basketball games. [Apr 2002, p.78]
91	Gaming Age A franchise mode, season mode, exhibition, playoffs, and even a deep street mode that could be a game all to itself, round out the massive game that is NBA 2k2.
90	Hot Games It's the best, most well-rounded basketball game out there, and soars above the competitors.
90	GamerWeb Xbox Exquisite...By far the best basketball game available on the Xbox.
90	Electronic Gaming Monthly This is the best hoops game I've ever played. [Apr 2002, p.141]
90	Xbox Nation Magazine Sega Sports has gone back to tweak the intricacies of the series' already stellar gameplay, making it even hotter than its Dreamcast and PS2 counterparts. We're talking tamale on the sun here, folks. [Spring 2002, p.88]
90	Game Informer Xbox 2K2 got the cosmetic makeover the PS2 version sorely needed. [Mar 2002, p.83]
90	Total Video Games Perhaps the most impressive part of NBA2k2’s presentation is not the graphics, sumptuous as they are, but the audio. The commentary in this game is wonderful, the best in any sports game to put it simply.
90	Electric Playground The most well-rounded simulation in this highly-competitive genre.
89	GameSpot Thanks to the street-ball mode, it's like there are two games in one--the graphics are on par with most any basketball game on the market, and the gameplay is tight and intuitive.
88	IGN The best NBA sim available on the Xbox, getting the nod over Inside Drive.
86	GameShark The crowd doesn't just scream the entire game, it cheers louder when the home team is winning on on a run and less if they are not.
86	Team Xbox Flows like silk. The action is fast paced and high scoring.
80	Play Magazine Impossible to put down. [Mar 2002, p.46]
80	Sports Gaming Network An average basketball game...All in all, Visual Concepts didn't really push the bar too much as they've done in previous versions.