Sega Sports started this series on the Dreamcast in 1999 when they came out with NFL 2K. It was a decent game, nothing special. And naturally, NFL 2K1 and 2K2 followed improving both gameplay and graphics. Now NFL 2K3 has hit the shelves drawing attention with the new ESPN license. The football experience has become more realistic than it ever has before. Menu's, scoreboards, half time shows, are all designed with the popular ESPN style. NFL 2K3 has drawn attention and given the Madden series long awaited competition.

The fast arcade type gameplay that was put into previous Sega Sports titles has been slowed down in 2K3 in order to provide more realistic football action. It still runs a little faster than the real thing, but many find that to be good, including me.

Players handle great and tackles are always performed when they are suppose to. So that means you'll never see someone run right through another player. Controlling offense and defense is not complicated. Playbooks and Audibles are simple to master and use. Finding the play you want is not going to take so long that it costs you a timeout. There is also the option of creating playbooks, but it's time consuming and annoying. So it would be wise just to stick with the defaults.

Graphics are beautiful. Smooth textures, realistic fields, authentic uniforms, and great player details fill this football experience.

NFL 2K3 has seven game modes: Franchise, Season, Playoffs, Tournament, Practice, Situation, and Online. The most important mode in any football game, or sports game for that matter, is the franchise, and Sega Sports came through. With features like coach creation, free agent wire, NFL combine, retirement negotiations, and six player trades, this franchise is tough to beat. Importing the NCAA 2K3 class of rookies is possible provided you have it saved on a memory card.

Trading players is not a hassle. Put players up on a well-designed grid and take a look at a bar that measures the team's interest in your offer. Make the offer once you think the team shows enough interest and that's that.

Online play is available if you have the hardware needed. Not only does this allow you to play other gamers around the world, but it also allows you to download updated rosters that have been put out by Sega. Keeping up with trades, cuts, and free agents is no longer a problem.

If you ever feel like starting a game in the 4th quarter down by a touchdown, you can. In Situation mode you can start in any quarter with any score. It's fun to try to see how big of a comeback can be made in 5 minutes.

The Sega Sports Challenge is a newly added feature that allows you to record statistics and see how you rank among others around the world.

NFL 2K3 has packed in a plethora of modes, features, and challenges. If you're looking for a great football game, look no further. Sega Sports deserves a pat on the back for this one. Look out Madden, there's a new kid on the block.