So Real It Almost Hurts.(sports video games)(Brief Article)

Fall is Nirvana for fans of American sports, and not just because of the World Series and the kickoff of the NFL, NBA and NHL seasons. Autumn is also the time when armchair quarterbacks and poolside point guards start playing the latest pro-sports videogames. Last year nearly a quarter of all videogames sold were sports games, led by Electronic Arts' long-dominant Madden NFL series. But EA's not alone: Sega, Microsoft and Sony are all trying to get at your wallets. We took a look at this year's crop of football and basketball games to help you decide which one's right for you.

Realism is the name of the game in the sports genre, and a glance at any of the football titles reveals a watchmaker's attention to detail. Not only can you see the slits in players' jerseys in Microsoft's NFL Fever 2003 (Xbox), but the game's slick lighting accurately models the reflections of stadium lights on players' helmets. The makers of Sony's NFL Gameday 2003 (PS2 only) focused their efforts on their character animations; it really shows in their gang tackles, where multiple defenders can bring down the ball carrier, just like the pros. Electronic Arts (PS2, Xbox and GameCube) has added short, dynamic animated scenes between football plays, like Minnesota Vikings bad boy Randy Moss shoving a broadcast camera--shown from the cameraman's POV. These minor touches do nothing for the actual play of the game, but they do pull you into the experience.

Sports-game developers can't succeed on flash alone, though. Every year they have to come up with unique features to make their games stand out. On the basketball side of things, EA's NBA Live 2003 (PS2, Xbox and GameCube) introduces "freestyle" control, which allows you to pull off specific dribble moves and defensive stances, ...