This is a quick NBA Live game review for PlayStation and Xbox. NBA Live is one of Electronic Art's most well known console games. Every year, several sports games are released however NBA Live's annual edition always ends up being among the most popular. The latest version is no different, with its high tech graphics, new jerseys, and resolution, this final edition of NBA Live has garnered very positive reviews.
Additional jerseys are featured in the 2010 NBA Live, the franchise's first. 1990 and 1980 throwback jerseys were added as well as several teams' alternate jerseys. Even more shoes and uniforms can be unlocked when using special codes. Though it is unsure if every NBA team will receive new jerseys, only two codes have so far been announced but more are likely.
The animations in this version received a major overhaul too. The video game boasts faster and more fluid graphics that allow for ultimate play. Details like the in game graphics and basketball courts were made to appear extremely real. It is a little grainy when zoomed in on some screens but overall looks very well. The players, the background, and other smaller graphics are also more detailed. This year's game has a more realistic background, unlike the previous installments. Crowd members were designed to look and sound more lifelike and real. The players themselves were made with more personal and exact details such as personal accessories, hairstyles, and tattoos. The stars in this year's edition were made to be easily recognizable than previous ones.
The controls of the game were slightly altered so that controlling the individual players 100 percent of the time isn't necessary. This auto mode can sometimes result in more turnovers during game play though. It is possible for the control over the players to be expanded if you want to though. Game play on this year's NBA Live was made simple enough so that even someone who has never played any basketball video games will still be able to get the hang of it. Actions like passing and shooting are single button functions. Both of the PlayStation and Xbox use the main joy stick on the controllers to move the players around. It is simple to play defense as well, just position one of the basketball players in front of one from the opposing team will result in the sim automatically doing the rest.
The revamp of the players' DNA from previous versions has largely improved too. The last edition's DNA will update each NBA player's abilities and attitudes nearly instantly. This latest version will also let players to compete in real games nearly as they occur in real time. And with the NBA's rosters and change ups updating immediately inside the game, it means for a much better Dynasty Mode too.
The soundtrack was updated and revamped for this version to include more current bands and artists. There are more songs this year and that cuts down drastically on the music's redundancy during the game and training mode. They were programmed to change and react to the beat of the games.
