| NBA Inside Drive | |
| Platforms: | Microsoft Windows, Xbox |
| Developer: | High Voltage Software |
| Publisher: | Microsoft, Microsoft Studios |
| First Release Version: | NBA Inside Drive 2000 |
| Latest Release Version: | NBA Inside Drive 2004 |
NBA Inside Drive is a series of video games based on National Basketball Association, published by Microsoft Studios. Its main competition was NBA Live, a series from Electronic Arts.
| Name | Release Date | Systems | Cover Athlete | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBA Inside Drive 2000 | August 26, 1999 | Microsoft Windows | Ray Allen | Milwaukee Bucks |
| NBA Inside Drive 2002 | January 21, 2002 | Xbox | Vince Carter | Toronto Raptors |
| NBA Inside Drive 2003 | October 15, 2002 | Paul Pierce | Boston Celtics | |
| NBA Inside Drive 2004 | November 18, 2003 | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers |
| NBA Inside Drive 2000 | |
| Developer: | High Voltage Software |
| Publisher: | Microsoft |
| Genre: | Sports, Simulation |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | Microsoft Windows |
The first game in the series, NBA Inside Drive 2000, was released for Microsoft Windows on August 26, 1999.
NBA Inside Drive 2000 received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.
| NBA Inside Drive 2002 | |
| Developer: | High Voltage Software |
| Publisher: | Microsoft Studios |
| Genre: | Sports, Simulation |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | Xbox |
After an almost two-and-a-half-year hiatus, NBA Inside Drive was brought back as NBA Inside Drive 2002 and was released in 2002 for Xbox. The game's development time was 18 months.[1]
NBA Inside Drive 2002 received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.
| NBA Inside Drive 2003 | |
| Developer: | High Voltage Software |
| Publisher: | Microsoft Studios |
| Genre: | Sports, Simulation |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | Xbox |
Less than one year after the 2002 installment, NBA Inside Drive 2003 was released for Xbox.
NBA Inside Drive 2003 received "average" reviews according to Metacritic.
| NBA Inside Drive 2004 | |
| Developer: | High Voltage Software |
| Publisher: | Microsoft Studios |
| Genre: | Sports, Simulation |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Platforms: | Xbox |
The last entry in the series, NBA Inside Drive 2004, was released in 2003. It launched with other XSN Sports titles that featured a website where players could organize their own tournaments, seasons, or games.
Inside Drive 2004 received "average" reviews according to Metacritic. In Japan, where the game was ported for release on January 22, 2004,[2] Famitsu gave it a score of two sevens, one six, and one seven for a total of 27 out of 40.
Following Microsoft's release of their 2004 professional sports titles, all of them were discontinued including NFL Fever and NHL Rivals. In February 2005, Microsoft sold NBA Inside Drive and its other sports franchises to Ubisoft.[3]