NBA Live 08

THE BAD:
Faulty AI, unrealistic and unbalanced gameplay, arcade nature will put off sim fans

SUMMARY:
The NBA live series has always been the most popular basketball game since its inception in 1995. However, recent additions to the series have been plagued by problems such as unrealistic gameplay and poor gameplay mechanics. This year’s edition of the basketball franchise still suffers from gameplay problems and will most likely appeal only to casual NBA fans or those who prefer arcade style hoops.

Like its predecessors, NBA Live 08 is an arcade basketball game at its core. Games are played at a very fast run-n-gun pace which often results to very high scores. Playing good defense is almost next to impossible when using the default gameplay sliders as CPU controlled teams will make 80 percent of their shots most of the time. Shot blocking is rampant and dunks and adjusted shots are more common than simple lay-ups. The AI is also pretty faulty as you’ll notice players standing still instead of grabbing a rebound or getting the loose ball. Even more frustrating is the fact that user controlled players will sometimes take jumpshots under the basket instead of laying it up or leaning forward while shooting a jumpshot (which increases the chance of the shot not going in) instead of just shooting straight up. Finally, don’t be surprised if you see one of your players take a shot while facing away from the basket. Needless to say, gameplay balance is off.


A new feature in NBA Live 08 is The Crown. It’s a ranking system that tracks all of the player’s in-game accomplishments and offers tons of stuff to do which in return will unlock extras like new teams, and retro uniforms. This new feature is pretty cool and could motivate the player to play more and explore the game further. The freestyle moves that made regular NBA games look like all star exhibitions have been replaced with Go-to moves. These are signature moves automatically executed by star players when they find themselves in key situations. Examples of these are Kobe’s fade-away jumper or Arenas’ step back three. The All-star weekend makes a return and although the slam-dunk competition and the three point shoot-out remain unchanged, they are still very entertaining to play. The Handles and 2ball minigames are still here and the Dynasty mode which gives the player total control over his chosen team is still very deep.

Live’s presentation has always been great and this year’s version is no different. Graphically, this is one of the better looking PSP games on the market. Players look exactly like their real life counterparts and NBA arenas are accurately recreated. In-game animations are very fluid (although slightly exaggerated) and the look of the all-star weekend modes is very faithful to the actual event. The audio is also very solid. Commentary by Marv Albert and Steve Kerr never gets old and is always entertaining to listen to. In game sound effects and crowd cheers are crisp and the soundtrack is more diverse than the usual all rap collection. The Controls are smooth and responsive even for the PSP although separating the shoot button from the dunk/lay-up button would have worked better.

NBA Live 08 really isn’t for everyone. Arcade hoops fans and PSP owners who are fans of the series will surely enjoy the game. Those looking for simulation style, realistic NBA basketball are better off looking elsewhere.