User manual GAMES NINTENDO GAMECUBE NBA 2K3

WARNING: PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE PRECAUTIONS BOOKLET INCLUDED WITH THIS PRODUCT BEFORE USING YOUR NINTENDO ® HARDWARE SYSTEM, GAME DISC OR ACCESSORY. THIS BOOKLET CONTAINS IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION. WARNING - Electric Shock To avoid electric shock when you use this system: Use only the AC adapter that comes with your system. Do not use the AC adapter if it has damaged, split or broken cords or wires. Make sure that the AC adapter cord is fully inserted into the wall outlet or extension cord. Always carefully disconnect all plugs by pulling on the plug and not on the cord. Make sure the Nintendo GameCube power switch is turned OFF before removing the AC adapter cord from an outlet. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: READ THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS BEFORE YOU OR YOUR CHILD PLAY VIDEO GAMES WARNING - Seizures Some people (about 1 in 4000) may have seizures or blackouts triggered by light flashes, such as while watching TV or playing video games, even if they have never had a seizure before. Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition should consult a doctor before playing a video game. Parents should watch when their children play video games. Stop playing and consult a doctor if you or your child have any of the following symptoms: Convulsions Altered vision Eye or muscle twitching Involuntary movements Loss of awareness Disorientation CAUTION - Motion Sickness Playing video games can cause motion sickness. If you or your child feel dizzy or nauseous when playing video games with this system, stop playing and rest. Do not drive or engage in other demanding activity until you feel better. CAUTION - Laser Device The Nintendo GameCube is a Class I laser product. Do not attempt to disassemble the Nintendo GameCube. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only. Caution - Use of controls or adjustments or procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure. To reduce the likelihood of a seizure when playing video games: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Sit or stand as far from the screen as possible. Play video games on the smallest available television screen. Do not play if you are tired or need sleep. Play in a well-lit room. Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour. CONTROLLER NEUTRAL POSITION RESET If the L or R Buttons are pressed or the Control Stick or C Stick are moved out of neutral position when the power is turned ON, those positions will be set as the neutral position, causing incorrect game control during game play. WARNING - Repetitive Motion Injuries Playing video games can make your muscles, joints or skin hurt after a few hours. Follow these instructions to avoid problems such as Tendinitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or skin irritation: Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour, even if you don't think you need it. If your hands, wrists or arms become tired or sore while playing, stop and rest them for several hours before playing again. If you continue to have sore hands, wrists or arms during or after play, stop playing and see a doctor. To reset the controller, release all buttons and sticks to allow them to return to the correct neutral position, then hold down the X, Y and START/PAUSE Buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds. L Button R Button Control Stick C Stick TABLE OF CONTENTS Default Command Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Main Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Playing a Quick Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Selecting Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 THIS GAME SUPPORTS SIMULTANEOUS GAME PLAY WITH ONE, TWO, THREE OR FOUR PLAYERS AND CONTROLLERS. On The Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Pause Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Choosing a Game Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Franchise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Playoffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Tournament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Setting Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Loading and Saving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Managing Your Roster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Sega Sports Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 1-4 Player Simultaneous 3 DEFAULT COMMAND SUMMARY OFFENSE Control Stick. . . . . . . . . . . . Run/Dribble A Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pass B Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shoot/Rebound X Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crossover Dribble Y Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Display Passing Icons * press corresponding button to pass to player L Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back-down the Defender R Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turbo/Speed Burst Z Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toggle Pivot Mode Down Control Pad . . . . . . . Access Offensive Play Menu * press corresponding button to select offensive play Up Control Pad . . . . . . . . . Call for Pick C Stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pass in Direction of Stick Z+A Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . Fake Pass DEFENSE Control Stick. . . . . . . . . . . . Run A Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Switch Player B Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Block Shot/Rebound X Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steal Attempt Y Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Display Switch Icons * press corresponding button to switch to player L Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Face-up the Ball Handler R Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turbo/Speed Burst Z Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Call for Double Team Down Control Pad . . . . . . . Access Defensive Play Menu * press corresponding button to select defensive play Y+L Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . Switch to Last Player Back Z+A Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . Intentional Foul COMPLETE CONTROLS For a more complete listing of controls including advanced dribbling, passing, shooting, and post moves, (See On The Court on p. 9.) GETTING STARTED 1. Turn OFF the POWER Button on your Nintendo GameCubeTM system. · Make sure a Nintendo GameCubeTM Controller is plugged into the Nintendo GameCube. · If you're playing against friends, plug additional Controllers into the Nintendo GameCube. · In order to save your game progress, make sure a Nintendo GameCubeTM Memory Card is inserted into Memory Slot A. 2. Press the OPEN button and insert the Nintendo GameCubeTM Game Disc onto the optical disc drive. Close the lid. 3. Turn ON the POWER Button. The Nintendo GameCube screen appears followed by the NBA 2K3 introductory video. · If these screens do not appear, begin again at step 1. TITLE SCREEN Once you're up and running, the NBA 2K3 Title screen appears. · To go directly to the Main menu, press START. (See Main Menu on p. 6.) 4 5 · If you do not take an action, a game demo begins featuring two computer-controlled teams in a randomly generated matchup. · To exit a game demo and return to the Title screen, press any button. MAIN MENU NBA 2K3 is the complete pro basketball experience. More than a game, in NBA 2K3, you can own and operate your own NBA franchise and help your team win from the court, the clipboard, and the GM's desk. But it's not all business; NBA 2K3 also has a strippeddown Street mode, where you play for love of the game. GAME MODES Choose one of six play modes including Street, Franchise, Season, Playoffs, Tournament and Practice. (See Choosing a Game Mode on p. 20.) OPTIONS Multiple categories of options give you the power to customize your game at all levels, from the broadcast booth to the rulebook. (See Setting Options on p. 49.) Loading and Saving Everything you can customize in NBA 2K3 can be saved and accessed later if you have a Nintendo GameCube Memory Card inserted into your Nintendo GameCube system. (See Loading and Saving on p. 53.) ROSTER MANAGER Use the Roster Manager to make team personnel decisions such as releasing free agents, initiating trades, and editing ratings. (See Managing your Roster on p. 54.) To access menu controls from any game menu, press the X Button. · To select a Main menu item, press the Control Pad to highlight it, then press the A Button to select. The appropriate next screen appears. QUICK GAME Play a quick exhibition game between any two teams. This is the fastest way to suit up and lead your team onto the court. (See Playing a Quick Game on p. 7.) SEGA SPORTS CHALLENGE Prove how good a sports gamer you are by posting your NBA 2K3 statistics to the Sega Sports Challenge online ranking board. (See Sega Sports Challenge on p. 58.) PLAYING A QUICK GAME This one-game format is a perfect introduction to NBA 2K3, and when you have mastered the game, it's perfect for schooling your friends. · To begin a Quick game, from the Main menu, choose QUICK GAME. The Team Select screen appears. 6 7 SELECTING TEAMS Choose from over 35 teams, including all 29 NBA franchises, the 2002 NBA all-star teams, and fantasy squads made up of legends from past decades, and if you created any new NBA 2K3 teams, they're here too. To select teams: 1. Press the Control Pad to move your icon to the side you wish to control during the game. The Away team is on the left; the Home team is on the right. 2. Press the L/R Buttons to cycle through the teams until you see the one you want. · If you assign your name to your controller, you can save your personal stats. To create a user name, see Sega Sports Challenge on p. 58. · To assign an existing user name to your controller, press the Z Button to scroll through names. · If you want to customize the game, you can bring up the Team Options screen and select uniform types, load any team's playbook, or choose to play in any NBA 2K3 arena. · To access the Team Options screen, press the Y Button. To change an option, press the Control Pad to highlight it, then press the A/Y Buttons to cycle forward/back through choices. 3. Press START to continue. ESPN's Bob Steele and Rod West breakdown the matchup, while the teams step onto the court for player introductions. Note: If you leave all Controller icons in the center of the screen, the game is played in Simulation mode, which means all players are computer controlled. ON THE COURT When both teams are on the court, the arena announcer introduces the starting five for each team. Following player intros, the teams line up for the opening jump. · To bypass player intros and go directly to the opening jump, press the A Button. Note: The controls described in this section are defaults. For information on alternate configurations, see Setting Options on p. 49. THE OPENING JUMP To start the game, both teams send their big men to center court to take part in the opening jump. The referee stands at center court with the ball, and when he tosses it up, the each player jumps and attempts to tip the ball to a teammate. · To go for the tip, press the Control Stick in the direction of the goal you're defending, then wait for the referee to throw up the ball, and press the B Button. The game is on. · If you gain possession, get ready to set up your offense. If you lose the jump, hustle back on defense. 8 9 OFFENSE DRIBBLING · To dribble the ball, press the Control Stick in any direction. The ball handler maintains his dribble as he moves in the direction you choose. · To turbo run while dribbling, press and hold the R Button. · To perform a crossover move and try to get by a defender, press the X Button. · To fake a defender and go back the other way, press the X Button to start a crossover move, then press the X Button mid-move to quickly reverse back the opposite way. · To spin past a defender, hold the R Button to run toward the defender, then press the X Button. Sega Sports Tip: Be careful with your dribbling. The fancier you get the more likely you'll have the ball picked by the defense. · To call for a pick, press Up on the Control Pad. When your teammate comes out and stands still near you, dribble past him, using his body to block your defender. · To call a set play, press Down on the Control Pad to access the Offensive Play menu, then press the button that corresponds to the play you want to call. POST MODE · To enter Post mode, press and hold the L Button. The ball handler turns his back to the defender in order to protect the ball. · While in Post mode, press the Control Stick into the paint to backdown the defender. PIVOT MODE · To enter Pivot mode, press and hold the Z Button. The ball handler maintains his dribble but holds his ground. · While in Pivot mode, press the Control Stick to jab step left/right. Try to get the defender to commit, then go past the other way. · While in Pivot mode, press the Control Stick forward to step into the defender while protecting the ball. Get him on his heels, then crossover right by. PASSING · To pass the ball to a teammate, press the Control Stick in the direction of the player you want to pass to, then press the A Button. · For more accurate passing, Button Y Button to access teammate icons, then pass to the player you want by pressing the button that corresponds to his icon. · For passing on the fly, while dribbling, press the C Stick in the direction of the player you want to pass to. The pass is automatic. · For a fake pass, press the Z+A Buttons. Your player makes a passing motion but holds on to the ball. Sega Sports Tip: When playing with the Ball Handler Auto Switch option OFF, press the Y Button to call for a pass. SHOOTING · To shoot a jump shot, press the B Button and release at the height of your jump. The type of shot is determined by your court position. · For a layup, dribble into the paint, then hold the R Button to run toward the basket and press the B Button. If the player has a high dunk rating, he may go for a slam. 10 11 · To pass out of a layup, press the A Button in midmove. The player dishes off. · For a pump fake, tap the B Button once quickly. The player makes a shooting motion but holds on to the ball. · To attempt an Alley-oop, pass to a player breaking for the basket. If the timing is perfect, he'll go for the slam as he receives the pass in the air. FREETHROWS · When a foul sends you to the line, press the L and R Buttons to bring the two green arrows together. When the two arrows become one, pointing directly into the hoop, press the B Button to shoot. STEALING · To attempt a steal from the ball handler, press the X Button. · To attempt to steal a pass, get in between the two players and press the B Button when the pass is on its way. · For a lunging pass steal attempt, hold the R Button for a speed boost, then press the B Button. BLOCKING · To attempt a shot block, press the B Button as the ball handler releases his shot. · For a swat block or a lunging block attempt, hold the R Button for a speed boost, then press the B Button. PLAYING WITHOUT THE BALL · To go up for a rebound, press the A Button to control your player closest to the ball, then press the B Button to jump up for the rebound. · To dive for a loose ball, press the B Button. If the ball is going out of bounds, your player will attempt to save the ball and direct it toward a teammate. · To post up, hold L to enter Post mode, then use the Control Stick to battle for position in the paint. PAUSE MENU You can pause the game at any time to access Pause menu options or just take a break from the action. The game clock stops while the Pause menu is active, so you'll rejoin the action exactly where you left off. · To pause the game, press START at any time. The Pause menu appears. · To return to the game from the Pause menu, press START. DEFENSE PLAYING D · To control the defender closest to the ball, press the A Button. · For more accurate control, press the Y Button to access teammate icons, then switch to the player you want by pressing the button that corresponds to his icon. · To control the last defender back, press the Y Button, then press the L Button. Control switches to the player closest to the basket you're defending. · To face-up the ball handler and halt the dribble, press the L Button. The defender challenges the ball handler in a low defensive stance. · To call for a double-team, press the Z Button. · To commit an intentional foul, press the Z+A Buttons. · To call a set play, press Down on the Control Pad to access the Defensive Play menu, then press the button that corresponds to the play you want to call. 12 13 REPLAY Step into the broadcast booth to run the film on the last play and view the action from virtually every possible angle. SUBSTITUTIONS You have five players in the game and seven on the bench at all times. There are countless reasons to send in a substitute: when your star player is in foul trouble, you're down late in the game and want your best shooters on the floor, or simply to rest a tired player. To make a player substitution: 1. Highlight the name of the active player you want to take out of the game, then press the A Button. A check mark appears next to his name. 2. Highlight the name of the player on the bench you want to send into the game, then press the A Button. The players switch position in the list and status. Reposition Camera Rotate Camera Fast Forward Rewind Play/Pause Zoom In Zoom Out Show/Hide Controls · To return to the Pause menu from the Replay screen, press START. CONTROLLER Access the Controller Assign screen to switch control from one team to the other or to allow newcomers to join the game in progress. This screen works similarly to the Team Select screen (p. 8). OPTIONS See Options on p. 49. TIMEOUT Both teams begin the game with six Timeouts. Take a Timeout when your team is fatigued, you need to strategize, or when your opponent has too much momentum. · You may take a Timeout only when your team has possession of the ball. When you are on defense, this option is not available. · Repeat until you have made all the substitutions you want. 3. When you are finished, press the B Button, then press the A Button to confirm and return to the Paused menu. The substitutions will take place at the next break in play. COACHING From the Coaching screen, you can make mid-game strategy adjustments such as defensive assignments, Play menu selections, double team tactics, and more. MATCHUPS Each of your players on the floor has an assignment to guard a specific player on the other team. If your team is getting beat at any position, edit the assignment to try to correct the mismatch. 14 15 To edit a matchup assignment: 1. Highlight the name of the player whose assignment you want to change, then press the A Button. A check mark appears next to his name. 2. Highlight your other players on the floor and compare their stats to the assigned player's stats. 3. When you see a matchup you think is better for your team, press the A Button. The players switch assignments. · Repeat until you have made all the edits you want. 4. When you are finished, press the B Button to return to the Paused menu. The edits take place immediately. PRESSURE Determine how much defensive pressure your players should apply on their man assignments. · To change Pressure settings, highlight the player you want to edit, then press the A/Y Buttons to cycle forward/back through options. Sega Sports Tip: If the matchup is even, apply Regular pressure. If your man is consistently getting beat, apply Loose pressure to keep the opponent in front of you. If you have the advantage, apply Tight pressure and play aggressive D. SETTINGS Coach Settings are options you can set to assume more control over coaching duties such as calling timeouts and substitutions and setting a game plan. Timeout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Choose MANUAL to call your own timeouts or AUTO to have them automatically called when appropriate. Substitution. . . . . . . . . . . . Set MANUAL to call your substitutions or AUTO to have them automatically called when necessary. Offense Playcall . . . . . . . . . Set MANUAL to call your offensive plays or AUTO for automatically called plays. Select W/MSG to display the name of the play on the screen during transitions. Defense Play Set . . . . . . . . Set MANUAL to call your defensive plays or AUTO for automatically called plays. Select W/MSG to display the name of the play on the screen during transitions. Late Game Fouling . . . . . . Late Game Fouling is your last resort when you're trailing at the end of the game. Set to AUTO for automatic intentional fouls when necessary. W/MSG displays your strategy. Game Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . Move the slider to the right to speed up the tempo for a faster paced game or to the left to slow down the tempo. Fast Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . Move the slider to the right to play a fast break style, where your players move the ball up court as quickly as possible. Crash Boards . . . . . . . . . . . Move the slider to the right to play an aggressive rebounding style of play or to the left to focus on the transition to D. 16 17 DOUBLE TEAM If your opponent has a player or two that consistently record career games against your team, than consider double-teaming them. · To double-team a player, highlight his name in the list, then press the A/Y Buttons to cycle forward/back through options. · When you select the IN PAINT option, the player will be double-teamed only when he is in the key. Sega Sports Tip: Any time you double-team a player you leave another one unchecked, so only double-team your opponent's strongest players. If you double-team an average player, you may end up leaving their star wide open. OFFENSIVE PLAYS NBA 2K3 features 25 different offensive plays. Use the Offensive Plays screen to choose the four plays you want access to on the court in the Offensive Play menu. To set your offensive plays: 1. Press the Control Pad to highlight a play you want to add to your Offensive Play menu, then press the A Button to select. The Button Assign screen appears. 2. Press the Control Pad to the button you want to assign to the play, then press the A Button to select. The Offensive Plays screen appears with the button assigned. · Repeat until you have made all the edits you want. 3. When you are finished, press the B Button to return to the Coach menu. The edits take place immediately. DEFENSIVE PLAYS NBA 2K3 features 10 defensive plays, which you can assign to your Defensive Play menu. Set defensive plays the same way you set offensive plays (above). STATS From the Game Stats screen, you can access comprehensive team and player stats, as well as an injury report, for the current game at any time during the contest. TEAMS Compare the two teams in 23 categories including number of timeouts remaining, free throw percentage, points off the bench, team fouls, assists, blocks, and more. HOME The Player Stats screen posts stats for the home team in 19 categories including multiple categories for rebounds, field goals, free throws, and three pointers. · To sort players by leaders in a particular category, press the Control Pad to highlight the category, then press the A Button to select. AWAY View stats for the away team exactly as you would for the home team (above). SHOT CHART The Shot Chart screen uses broadcast-style graphics to show the spot on the court from which each shot was taken and indicates whether or not the shot was made. · To view shots by the entire team or by individual players, press the L/R Buttons. · To toggle between the home team and the away team, press the Z Button. · To view shots by single quarter or by all quarters played, press the A/Y Buttons. 18 19 INJURIES The Injuries lists any injuries sustained by players during the game and informs you of how long the injured players will be out of the lineup. QUIT Quit playing the current game in progress. When you choose QUIT from the Paused menu, a series of Quit options appear. Cancel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Return to the Paused menu without quitting the game. Quit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quit the game and return to the Main menu. Rematch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quit the current game and immediately start a new game between the same two teams with the same game settings. Simulate to End. . . . . . . . . Quit the game but have the remainder of the match simulated. All individual and team stats will be compiled and recorded. CHOOSING A GAME MODE Use the Game Modes option to choose one of NBA 2K3's six unique, in-depth game modes including Street, Franchise, Season, Playoffs, Tournament, and Practice. STREET Take it to the street. This is hoops at its most basic and most fun; in fact, this is the way they're probably playing at your neighborhood park right now. Set the playground rules and hit the asphalt court. · To begin playing in Street mode, set the Street options, then press START. The Controller Assign screen appears. Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Play 2 on 2 (two players on each team), 3 on 3, 4 on 4, or 5 on 5 for a regulationstyle game. Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choose from nine legendary playgrounds and gyms, where some of the greatest got their starts. Game Point . . . . . . . . . . . . In Street ball, regular baskets are worth one point and "treys" are worth two. The first team to hit Game Point (7-21) wins. Win By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . When set to 1, the winning team is the first to hit game point. When set to 2, the winner must hit game point and be leading by two points. Note: If a team hits game point but is not leading by two, the game continues indefinitely until one team goes ahead by two points. CPU Player Select . . . . . . . If you are playing against the computer, set this OFF to select the computer team's players or ON to let the computer select its own players. 20 21 Duplicate Players . . . . . . . . Set this option ON to allow players appearing on both teams or multiple times on the same team or OFF for no duplicates. Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weather conditions, such as HEATWAVE, FOG, and RAIN affect players and the court just as they would in real life. This option is not available in gym, where every game is played indoors. Time Of Day . . . . . . . . . . . . Choose DAY to play under the sun or NIGHT to play under the lights. This option is not available for gym, where every game is played under the lights. CONTROLLER ASSIGN SCREEN All Street games are played between the Ringers and Ballers fantasy teams. At this screen, you can assign your controller to the team you will represent in the upcoming game and assign your user name to your controller. · This screen works similarly to the Team Select screen (p. 8). · When your controller assignment is complete, press START. The Select Street Players screen appears. SELECT STREET PLAYERS SCREEN You can populate your Street team with any combination of players available in NBA 2K3. To select Street players: 1. Press the L/R Buttons to choose the team from which you want to select a player. 2. Press the Control Pad to highlight the player you want to add to the roster. 3. Press the A Button to select. The player is added, and the highlight moves to the next player slot on the opposing team. · If you are playing against the computer and you set CPU Player Select ON, the computer will select its own player, if you set it OFF, you must select a player for the computer-controlled team. 4. Continue selecting Street players until both rosters are complete, then press START to head down to the court. (See On The Court on p. 9.) Sega Sports Tip: Don't worry if your teammates have never played together on the same team. The Ballers will be wearing blue and the Ringers will be in red, so you can tell who is on which team. FRANCHISE Choose an NBA franchise and operate it from the front office to the free throw line. As GM/Coach/Player, you can take care of all personnel decisions, play the role of coach on the bench, and execute the game plan on the court. · To begin playing in Franchise mode, set the Franchise options, then press START. The Team Select screen appears. · If you set Customize League ON, the Customize League screen precedes the Team Select screen. Season Length. . . . . . . . . . Play 14, 28, 56, or full 82-game seasons with your Franchise. Preseason Games . . . . . . . Set ON if you want to play the preseason matches or 22 23 OFF to begin playing with your first game of the regular season. Trade Deadline . . . . . . . . . . If you want to continue making player transactions beyond the standard NBA trade deadline period, choose OFF. Point Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . Points are what you use to pay players and coaches in NBA 2K3, so playing with Point Limits creates a virtual salary cap. Trade Override . . . . . . . . . . When ON, you have the power to push your trades through even if the other team does not agree to the terms. Round Format . . . . . . . . . . Set the duration of each round of postseason action from 1 GAME elimination to a BEST OF 7 series. Fantasy Draft Roster . . . . . Set ON to build your team roster through a fantasy draft. Customize League . . . . . . . With this option set to ON, you can customize the league by moving any team into any conference and division you wish. Import NCAA 2K3 Class . . If you have an NCAA 2K3 class saved to a Memory Card, select ON and you can draft players as NBA rookies. Quarter Length . . . . . . . . . You can play with default 5-minute quarters or adjust quarter length from 1-12 minutes. Simulated Quarter Length Set quarter length for simulated games from 1-12 minutes for fast game simulation, but don't be surprised to see single-digit scores for really short games. User Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . If you assign a user name for your Franchise, you can save your personal stats. CUSTOMIZE LEAGUE SCREEN If you set the Customize League option ON, this screen precedes the Team Select screen. At the Customize League screen, you can adjust what teams appear under which NBA conference and division. To customize the league: 1. Press the Control Pad to highlight a team you wish to move, then press the A Button to access the scrolling arrows. 2. Press the Control Pad to the team you wish to swap spots with, then press the A Button to select. The teams switch places. 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the league is set the way you want, then press START to advance. The Team Select screen appears. 24 25 TEAM SELECT SCREEN At the Team Select screen, you choose one team franchise to own and operate. You can base your choice on personal favorite or stats and rankings, which are displayed for every team. · To select a team, press the L/R Buttons to scroll to the franchise you want, then press START to advance. The Coach's Desk screen appears. · If you set Fantasy Draft ON, the Fantasy Draft screen precedes the Coach's Desk screen. FANTASY DRAFT SCREEN In the Fantasy Draft, every player is up for grabs in a round-by-round selection process that completely shuffles the NBA team rosters. Devise your own draft strategy and put together a totally custom team. · When it is your turn to make a draft pick the Fantasy Draft screen appears for the current round. To draft players: 1. Press the L/R Buttons to cycle to the position you want to fill, then press the Control Pad to the player you want to pick, and press the A Button to select. 2. When the confirmation prompt appears, select YES to draft the player or NO to cancel. 3. After every team drafts a player, the next round begins. Repeat these steps until all players are assigned to teams, at which point the draft is over and the Coach's Desk screen appears. Sega Sports Tip: As the draft progresses, press the C Stick Button to cycle to your roster and keep up on your team's needs. It's great to pick the highest rated player each round, but in the long run, it is more valuable to build a balanced team. COACH'S DESK This is where you conduct transactions, create and evaluate game plans, track player stats, and more. CALENDAR The Calendar lists daily league games and keeps note of final scores. You can use the Calendar to confirm your next opponent and select whether to play or simulate the game. · To page through the Calendar to check out your schedule, press the L/R Buttons. · To play the next game, make sure the box next to the matchup is checked, then press START. The game summary begins as the teams take the court. (See On The Court on p. 9.) · To simulate your next game, uncheck the box next to the matchup, then press START. When you are prompted to confirm your decision, select YES. · When all games have been played or simulated for the day, press START to view the Nightly Wrap-Up and progress for the next day. 26 27 FRONT OFFICE This is where player personnel decisions are made. You can negotiate contracts, initiate trades with other teams, place your players on the trading block, and field offers as they come in. · To begin wheeling and dealing, choose a Front Office option. · Remember the 500,000 per year limit. You may trade player(s) that take you over the point limit and teams over the limit can trade as long as the point values match up. A team over the point limit or a team in making a trade that would take them over the limit may acquire in trade no more than 115 percent plus 10,000 pts in point value of the players being traded out. TRADING BLOCK The Trading Block is where you display the players you think you can get along without and entertain trade offers from other teams coming to you. To place a player on the trading block: 1. Highlight one of the three trading block slots, then press the A Button to select. Your team roster appears. 2. Highlight a player you would consider trading to another team, then press the A Button. The player appears in the trading block slot, although he also remains on your roster. · To remove a player from the trading block, highlight him in the trading block slot, then press the A Button and select WITHDRAW ITEM. · If another team is interested in trading for the player at any time during the season, that team will make its interest known on this screen. Entertaining trade offers from other teams: · When another team is ready to offer a trade for one of your players on the block, you are notified on the Player Trading Block screen. 1. Highlight the offer, then press the A Button and select VIEW DETAILS. The Player Trade screen appears displaying the complete offer. 2. Weigh the benefits and drawbacks of the offer, then press START to give an answer. 3. Select YES to accept the offer or NO to reject it. TRANSACTIONS TRADE PLAYERS The players you have on your team today may not be the group that can bring home the NBA Championship at the end of this season. Chances are you'll have to improve your team through player acquisition to reach the next level. To make player trades: 1. At the Player Trade screen, highlight a player you are ready to trade, then press the A Button. The player appears in your trade offer. 2. Press the C Stick Button to select the team you want to trade with, then highlight the player(s) you wish to trade for and press the A Button to add them to the offer. · Each team may offer up to three players or draft picks in one trade. As you set the trade, the interest bar shows the other team's interest in your offer. · To remove any player from the trade offer, highlight him again is the roster list and press the A Button. 3. When you think the offer is fair, press START, then select YES to make the offer. If the other team accepts the offer, the players switch teams. If the other team rejects the offer, you can modify the offer, initiate a trade with another team, or wait until later in the season and try again. 28 29 ROSTERS Roster options are the player-related functions of franchise management. You can only allocate up to 500,000 per year for your entire roster, unless it is to resign your own free agents. TEAM NEEDS The Team Needs screen is a handy guide that informs you if your team is lacking any position players. At the minimum, you should have a starter and a backup for each position. If your team has a need it is highlighted in red on this screen. 2. When the offer is set, press START to pitch it to the prospective coach. If he accepts, the new coach joins the team and your former coach becomes a free agent. LEAGUE INFO NEWS As GM, you probably have a good handle on what is happening with your team, but you'll want to check the News From Around The NBA to study the status of your rivals. As player injuries, transactions, and other key events occur, they are posted on this screen. TEAM INFO COACHING COACH CARD The Achievements screen posts your franchise performance under your tenure as GM. You can check your ranking vs. other teams and track your records, playoff appearances, NBA Championships, and more. SIGN COACH Securing the right coach for your franchise may be the most important move you make as a GM. Coaches are ranked poor, average, good and master in three vital categories. Try to sign the highest ranked coach you can afford. · To sort coaches by leaders in a particular category, press the Control Pad to highlight the category, then press the Y Button to select. To sign a coach: 1. Press the Control Pad to highlight the coach you want to sign, then press START to select. The Build Offer screen appears. · At the Build Offer screen, you can change the default offer by highlighting WAGE or YEARS and pressing the A/Y Buttons to build an offer that you can afford. The Team Information screen is a snapshot of the state of your franchise. You can view player injuries, trade draft picks, waived players, released coaches and the 36,000 exception. TEAM POINTS Player compensation is just one slice of the financial pie that you must manage as GM ­ coaching salaries and workout costs are also key considerations in building a championship-caliber team. At this screen, you can monitor your franchise to ensure you're getting the most bang for your buck. GAMEPLAN OFF PLAYS Using broadcast-style graphics, the Offensive Plays screen displays an animated example of each of the 25 offensive plays available to you. Select the four plays you want access to on the court in the Offensive Play menu. · To set your offensive plays, (See Offensive Plays 30 31 on p. 18.) DEF PLAYS NBA 2K3 features 10 defensive plays, which you can assign to your Defensive Play menu. Although defensive plays are not animated, you can set them in the same way you set offensive plays. (See Offensive Plays on p. 18.) STRATEGY Since you do not control your players when a game is simulated, set the strategy you want your team to play in your absence when you choose to simulate a game. Tempo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Move the slider to the right to speed up the tempo for a faster paced game or to the left to slow down the tempo. Fastbreak/Crashboard. . . . Move the slider to the right to play an aggressive offense style of play. Defense Aggressiveness . . Move the slider to the right to play an aggressive style of defense. Offense/Defense . . . . . . . . If you are more defenseminded, move the slider to the right; if you are more focused on putting up points move to the left. Offense Strategy . . . . . . . . Select INSIDE if you like to post up and score from the paint, OUTSIDE if you like to shoot the jumper, or BALANCED ATTACK. Defense Strategy . . . . . . . . Choose MAN TO MAN to match up in consistent guarding assignments or a ZONE option to patrol areas of the floor. Primary Off Option . . . . . . This is the player in whose hands you'd most like to get the ball. Secondary Off Option . . . . This is your second choice to have the ball on offense. ACTIVATE PLAYERS You must have at least 12 active players on your roster in order to field a team. If you have more than 12 players, 12 are active players and the rest are reserves. At the Activate Players screen, you can determine which players will be available to play in your next game and which players will be reserves. To activate a reserve player: 1. Press the Control Pad to highlight the reserve player you want to activate, then press the A Button to select. A check mark appears in the box next to his name. 2. Press the Control Pad to highlight the active player you want to swap positions with, then press the A Button to select. The players exchange status and swap positions. 3. Continue until you are satisfied with your lineup of active players for your next game. SET LINEUP Of the 12 active players available for your next game, five start the game on the court; the others start on the bench and are available to substitute in at stoppages in play. At the Team Lineups, you can select your starters for the next game. 32 33 To set your starting lineup: 1. Press the Control Pad to highlight the bench player you want to add to the starting five, then press the A Button to select. A check mark appears in the box next to his name. 2. Press the Control Pad to highlight the starting player you want to swap positions with, then press the A Button to select. The players exchange status and swap positions. 3. Continue until you are satisfied with your starting lineup for your next game. STATISTICS If you like sports, then you love stats, and we've provided enough here to keep you occupied until it is time to begin preparing for your next game. Team Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check out how your team's performance on the court compares with any other team throughout the season. Player Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . View individual player stats for your franchise or any other team in the league. Stats are compiled after each game and are broken down into 30 categories. League Leaders . . . . . . . . . The League Leaders page ranks the top players in the league by the compiled season stats in all the standard categories. Rookie Watch . . . . . . . . . . . Rookie Watch follows the league's rookies through their first season and posts their performance on the hardwood. Team Standings. . . . . . . . . The Team Standings screen posts the season records of every team and displays their current divisional standings. All-Stars Votes . . . . . . . . . . Payers who receive the most All-Star votes in their positions are invited to play in the All-Star game on Sunday, February 9. Keep up to date on the All-Star voting results here. OPTIONS See Options on p. 49. SAVE If you have a Nintendo GameCube Memory Card inserted to your Nintendo GameCube system, you can save your Franchise progress at any time. · To save your Franchise, from the Save Game Data screen, create a new file, then use the keyboard tool to enter a name. This is the file you will load when you return to continue playing. QUIT Quit playing. If you have not saved your game progress, you are prompted to do so. After confirming your decision, the Main menu appears. THE OFFSEASON At the end of the season, players and coaches retire and contracts expire. This is the rebuilding period for any Franchise, and as GM, it's up to you to continue to build your program. Check your Calendar for notes on items to consider during the off season. 34 35 RESIGN PLAYERS At the Coach's Desk screen, a new Resign Players option appears, which lists all your players whose contracts are up. This option gives you the opportunity to re-negotiate the players' contracts if you choose to do so. Of course, you also have the option to let them go and try to fill in the holes with free agents and trades. NCAA IMPORT Following the four-week resigning period, it is time to look to the future. At this time, if you have a Nintendo GameCube Memory Card with an NCAA 2K3 class saved to it, you can import the players for an NBA entry draft. LOTTERY The 13 teams that finished the season with the worst records are included in a lottery for the top draft choices. The team with the absolute worst record has the best odds of securing the number one draft choice. After the lottery is run, draft choices are announced and it's time to start scouting. SCOUTING To scout, you organize workouts with the prospects you have your eye on. Your Scouting Manager creates detailed reports based upon the players' performances, which provides plenty of information to bring with you into the draft. NBA DRAFT When it comes to selecting draft picks, the NBA Draft works very much like the Fantasy Draft (p. 26), but the presentation and spectacle of the event is like nothing you've ever witnessed. Once the draft is complete, it's time to sign your rookies to contracts with your Franchise. SIGN ROOKIES AND FREE AGENTS This is a heavy negotiation phase. Sign as many key players as you can while staying under the cap and maintaining some points to run your franchise and make transactions down the line. Following the contract-signing marathon, it's time to get back to basketball. TRAINING CAMP Have your players work on specific aspects of their game to focus their abilities over the course of the season. Once training camp is over, it's time to start the next season in the history of your Franchise. (See Coach's Desk on p. 27.) SEASON Choose your favorite NBA team and take it through their entire 2002 NBA season schedule. If you have what it takes, you can lead your team to the NBA Finals! · To begin playing in Season mode, set the Season options, then press START. The Team Select screen appears. · If you set Customize League ON, the Customize League screen precedes the Team Select screen. Season Length. . . . . . . . . . Play a standard 82-game season, or choose one of three shorter season options. Trade Deadline . . . . . . . . . . If you want to continue making player transactions beyond the standard NBA trade deadline period, choose OFF. 36 37