NBA Inside Drive 2004

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NBA Inside Drive 2004
DeveloperHigh Voltage Software
PublisherMicrosoft Game Studios
PlatformXbox
Release
  • NA: 18 November 2003
  • JP: 22 January 2004
GenreSports
ModesSingle-player, Multiplayer

NBA Inside Drive 2004 is a 2003 sports video game developed by High Voltage Software and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox. Released under the Microsoft XSN Sports series, the game offered additional online functionality, including tournaments and leaderboards. Upon release, NBA Inside Drive 2004 received average reviews.

Gameplay

Gameplay

Players can play matches of basketball in several modes, including single exhibition games, or franchise games played as seasons or playoffs.[1] In the game's franchise mode, players select a team and complete up to 25 seasons of matches, managing the roster of their team's players, salaries and performance in between matches.[2][3] A Manager mode allows players to create and edit players, teams and rosters.[1] The game features three difficulty ratings: rookie, veteran, and all-star.[3] The game supports Xbox Live multiplayer play, with players able to create online tournaments and view leaderboards on the XSN Sports website.[2]

Development and release

NBA Inside Drive 2004 was unveiled by Microsoft in May 2003 at E3 as part of its 2004 XSN Sports lineup,[4] alongside Links 2004, NHL Rivals 2004 and NFL Fever 2004.[5] The announcement featured a game demo showcasing a match between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.[6] The game was later showcased at the Leipzig Games Convention.[5] The game's cover features NBA champion basketballer Shaquille O'Neal.[4] Sports commentators Kevin Calabro, Marques Johnson and Kenny Smith also provided play-by-play commentary for the game.[3] The game's gold master was finalised in November,[7] and NBA Inside Drive 2004 was released on 18 November 2003.[8] The game was the last in the Inside Drive series, following Microsoft's postponement and eventual cancellation of first-party sports titles in 2004.[9]

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic71%[10]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Electronic Gaming Monthly6.8/10[11]
GameRevolutionC+[2]
GameSpot6.8/10[3]
GameSpy3/5[12]
GameZone7.8/10[1]
IGN8.4/10[13]
Xbox Nation5/10[14]

NBA Inside Drive 2004 received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[10] Pre-release reception was tepid, with IGN considering the game was only a "slight upgrade" visually,[6] although several critics expressed that the XSN Sports features were a major improvement for the game.[15][16]

References

  1. Lafferty, Michael (11 November 2003). "NBA Inside Drive 2004". GameZone. Archived from the original on 8 December 2003. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  2. "Inside Drive 2004". GameRevolution. December 2003. Archived from the original on 3 March 2004.
  3. Colayco, Bob (21 November 2003). "NBA Inside Drive 2004 Review". GameSpot. GameSpot. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  4. Goldstein, Hilary (13 May 2003). "E3 2003: NBA Inside Drive 2004". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  5. Schneider, Peer (23 August 2003). "GC 2003: Microsoft Booth Report". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  6. Goldstein, Hilary (15 May 2003). "E3 2003: NBA Inside Drive 2004 Hands-On". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  7. Scott, Jonathan (13 November 2003). "Play Ball". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  8. Scott, Jonathan (20 November 2003). "NBA Inside Drive On Sale". IGN. IGN. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  9. Robinson, Jon (30 March 2004). "Game Over". IGN. IGN. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  10. "NBA Inside Drive 2004". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
  11. "NBA INside Drive 2004". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 174. January 2004. p. 152.
  12. Steinberg, Steve (2003). "NBA Inside Drive 2004". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 15 December 2004.
  13. Robinson, Jon (6 December 2003). "Inside Drive 2004". IGN. IGN. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
  14. Pearlman, Jeff (March 2024). "NBA Inside Drive 2004". Xbox Nation. No. 12. p. 60.
  15. "NBA Inside Drive 2004". Play. No. 22. October 2003. p. 83.
  16. "NBA Inside Drive 2004". GamePro. No. 182. November 2003. p. 160.