Allen Iverson – tattoos, whole armband and all – dishes the rock, cuts through the lane, receives the feed and pushes up a nice little lay-in.

Sure you know this is a console program, but it looks so very good, and plays quite realistically. The wonderful thing about NBA 2002 Inside Drive, an Xbox release from Microsoft, has got to be the graphics. But through in a variety of options that include camera angles, realistic player animation for all the slams, soft jumpers, and floating hooks like in the real game, and you have a product that brings the joy of the sport to wonderful life.

But that doesn’t mean this is a simple game to play, or that you will rack up monster numbers with your team. Even at the rookie level, this game will challenge.

Pick the Washington Wizards and you may have a struggle getting Michael Jordan to perform up to his capabilities. Pick another team to build your franchise around, and Jordan is liable to kill you. The same goes with the Lakers: Kobe is a remarkable player in all facets of the game, but his actual ability rests on your selection of shots. If he takes everything, he won’t be as effective playing for you. When the CPU controls him, it plays to his skills and he can be a killer.

This is a game with depth of play, requiring skills on the controller, and a variety of options.

If you have played Microsoft’s NFL Fever title, you will instantly recognize the player interface, and the options thereof. If not, this is still a game that is easy to navigate through.

Each player is wonderfully realized – you see a player on the floor, and can almost instantly recognize which player it is. And the player’s style of play is also intact. Jordan will take that patented fall-away jumper, which is almost impossible to stop; Iverson will drive inside with reckless abandon; Vince Carter is a flier; and Shaq is big, nasty and almost unstoppable inside (can you say ‘hack-a-Shaq’).

As for the game controls, you will not have to do a number of contortions to get the players to do what you want. Obviously, the controls are broken down for offensive and defensive controls, but the overlap makes sense. For example, to shoot you hit the X button. On defense, the X button puts your defender into the air to block (almost the jump shot action). The A button will get your offensive player to pass, while it will switch which defensive player you control (the inherent action is the same, you are switching players).

The left thumbstick controls player movement. If you just inbounded the ball the under your own basket, a slight movement of the stick will have the dribbling player walk up court. Push it a little harder, and the player breaks into a slow trot; crank it to the side and he will run. There is also a turbo mode, which is reflected in the top speed the player can produce.

You can allow the CPU to control the shots, or you can put it on manual, which means you have to fire at the top of the jump, with the window for success fleeting. Free throws pose another challenge. Depending on player ability (as in shooting percentage), the meter (tab the B button to start the shot process, trying to stop it on the speed notch, and – on the return – on the accuracy notch) will move either quickly or slowly. Unless you have an impeccable sense of timing, you won’t be able to turn Shaq into a 90-percent free throw shooter.

Graphically, this game is on the borders of superb. The ball may not seem to be attached to the players hands, unlike the real game, and the actual net graphics are not that strong, but the shadows, reflections off the hardwood, and animations are terrific. The backgrounds (as in fans) are not as well done, but sacrificing that element of the game for realistic on-floor animation is a no-brainer.

The sound may be somewhat cliché (the color commentator will throw out such lame remarks as how a players jumping ability “really elevates his game to another level”) but it is well rounded. And there is another element to the sound that, while very viable, is not on the game disk.

If you have ever watched a game on television and become a vocal participant, you will find yourself doing the same in this game. You may be yelling things like “there is no way Stockton can hit that many three-pointers in a row!” When that starts happening, forget the announcers, or the sound of the fans – those things will fade out and all you will hear is yourself yelling (while fingers are stabbing) to guard that guy!

Game modes include an exhibition game (recommended to learn all the controls), season and playoff. You can draft players, trade, work on the playbook and generally control most aspects of running a team. When you go into a season, and pick a team or two, all other games with teams controlled by the CPU will be simulated.

Never having been a huge fan of NBA console games (or NBA games on a PC – the college game is more fun), it can safely be said that that previous notion has been reversed. This program has inspired a passion for the game, or for this game, at least.

Gameplay: 9.4
This game moves so very well through all phases of the game. Transitions are almost like watching a game on television (which is one of the camera angles that really brings this game home).

Graphics: 9.2
Exceptional is a word that really applies. Players are recognizable, and while the ball may not seem to be firmly attached to the hands of the players, it is still amazing to watch the moves and animation.

Sound: 8.5
The announcing can be unremarkable at times, with clichés and terrible taunting, but overall this game is very solid.

Difficulty: 8.5
This game really uses the controller to affect all the moves and joys of the game. There are several difficulty levels, which will definitely challenge any fan of the sport.

Concept: 9
Some games will bypass certain players because of contracts with other titles, but this game seems to include them all, and really realizes them on the court.

Multiplayer: 9
This is an exceptional two-player game. This game can support up to four players.

Overall: 9.3
This is a very well done, incredible foray into the world of professional NBA games. While some games include other elements (like a three-point shootout and other all-star competitions), NBA 2002 Inside Drive goes straight to the heart of the professional sport – season and playoffs. Some of those other elements can allow you to get a better grip on some control elements, but because the AI feeds off individual player’s abilities and brings those to rich life, those side games are not really necessary. This game is an absolute joy to play.