<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
(	O
alternatively	O
known	O
as	O
NBA	B-Application
2K4	I-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
2003	O
basketball	B-Application
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Visual	O
Concepts	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
fifth	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
NBA	O
2K	O
franchise	O
and	O
the	O
successor	O
to	O
NBA	B-Application
2K3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2003	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
is	O
the	O
predecessor	O
to	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
in	O
the	O
NBA	O
2K	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
simulates	O
the	O
experience	O
of	O
the	O
National	O
Basketball	B-Application
Association	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
basketball	B-Application
in	O
general	O
,	O
and	O
features	O
a	O
mix	O
of	O
realistic	O
NBA	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
arcade	O
style	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
play	O
NBA	O
basketball	B-Application
games	O
with	O
real	O
teams	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Chicago	O
Bulls	O
and	O
San	O
Antonio	O
Spurs	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
playing	O
street	O
basketball	B-Application
with	O
customizable	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
several	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
24/7	O
,	O
a	O
mode	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
creates	O
their	O
own	O
basketball	B-Application
player	O
and	O
takes	O
on	O
NBA	O
stars	O
,	O
and	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
first	O
for	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
received	O
a	O
positive	O
reception	O
upon	O
release	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
critics	O
calling	O
it	O
the	O
best	O
basketball	B-Application
game	O
available	O
for	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
is	O
a	O
basketball	B-Application
simulation	O
game	O
that	O
simulates	O
the	O
experience	O
of	O
the	O
National	O
Basketball	B-Application
Association	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
basketball	B-Application
in	O
general	O
,	O
and	O
features	O
a	O
mix	O
of	O
realistic	O
NBA	O
simulations	O
,	O
and	O
arcade	O
style	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
several	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
24/7	O
,	O
a	O
mode	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
creates	O
their	O
own	O
basketball	B-Application
player	O
,	O
and	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
play	O
NBA	O
games	O
with	O
real	O
teams	O
and	O
players	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
playing	O
street	O
basketball	B-Application
with	O
customizable	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
creates	O
their	O
basketball	B-Application
player	O
,	O
customizing	O
the	O
physical	O
appearance	O
(	O
facial	O
features	O
,	O
hair	O
,	O
skin	O
colour	O
,	O
accessories	O
,	O
jersey	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
)	O
,	O
and	O
journeys	O
across	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
competing	O
against	O
other	O
basketball	B-Application
players	O
,	O
including	O
NBA	O
stars	O
,	O
in	O
tournaments	O
or	O
street	O
pickup	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
upgrades	O
their	O
basketball	B-Application
player	O
's	O
abilities	O
and	O
attributes	O
,	O
thus	O
getting	O
better	O
,	O
unlocks	O
different	O
animations	O
,	O
and	O
equips	O
different	O
accessories	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
complete	O
events	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
may	O
play	O
playoff	O
games	O
,	O
play	O
through	O
a	O
full	O
NBA	O
regular	O
season	O
,	O
practice	O
in	O
an	O
empty	O
arena	O
,	O
play	O
street	O
basketball	B-Application
games	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
considerably	O
different	O
to	O
regular	O
NBA	O
games	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
manage	O
a	O
team	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
mode	O
,	O
where	O
players	O
can	O
fire	O
coaches	O
and	O
other	O
personnel	O
,	O
trade	O
players	O
,	O
and	O
play	O
through	O
the	O
NBA	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
in	O
2003	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
is	O
the	O
only	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
NBA	O
2K	O
series	O
not	O
to	O
feature	O
"	O
2K	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
also	O
one	O
of	O
two	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
(	O
the	O
other	O
being	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
2K5	I-Application
)	O
to	O
have	O
"	O
ESPN	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
title	O
and	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
received	O
"	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
on	O
both	O
platforms	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
review	O
concluded	O
,	O
"	O
With	O
its	O
excellent	O
graphics	O
and	O
myriad	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
is	O
a	O
good	O
,	O
strong	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
Jon	O
Robinson	O
said	O
:	O
"	O
Sure	O
,	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
a	O
pro	O
hop	O
button	O
and	O
the	O
separation	O
of	O
the	O
shoot	O
and	O
dunk	O
buttons	O
would	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
all	O
the	O
better	O
,	O
but	O
even	O
without	O
those	O
features	O
,	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
is	O
still	O
overall	O
the	O
best	O
playing	O
basketball	B-Application
game	O
this	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
,	O
basketball	B-Application
fans	O
have	O
an	O
excuse	O
to	O
be	O
playing	O
a	O
game	O
at	O
four	O
in	O
the	O
morning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Varanini	O
had	O
minor	O
complaints	O
about	O
certain	O
gameplay	O
aspects	O
,	O
mostly	O
the	O
controllability	O
while	O
on	O
a	O
fast	B-Application
break	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
,	O
"	O
There	O
's	O
just	O
so	O
much	O
to	O
like	O
about	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
that	O
any	O
basketball	B-Application
fan--casual	O
or	O
hardcore--would	O
be	O
deemed	O
insane	O
for	O
even	O
considering	O
passing	O
it	O
up.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Bob	O
Colayco	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
said	O
:	O
"	O
While	O
there	O
are	O
a	O
small	O
handful	O
of	O
faults	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
ESPN	B-Application
NBA	I-Application
Basketball	I-Application
has	O
just	O
about	O
everything	O
a	O
hardcore	O
NBA	O
fan	O
could	O
ask	O
for	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
you	O
're	O
a	O
hardcore	O
NBA	O
fan	O
with	O
an	O
Xbox	B-Application
or	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
your	O
game	O
library	O
just	O
is	O
n't	O
complete	O
without	O
a	O
copy	O
of	O
ESPN	O
NBA	O
Basketball.	O
"	O
</s>
