NBA Live 08 brings basketball to Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC, and PSP.
When the game is on the line and the ball is in your hands, what will you do? Will you penetrate, drive the lane and rise above the rim for a monster dunk, or find an opening on the perimeter and sink a game-winning three? Take control of the game with a full arsenal to win the one-on-one match-up from every spot on the floor with NBA Live 08.
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC, PSP
Genre: Sports
Release dates: October 2nd 2007 (USA), October 5th 2007 (EURO)
Players: 1-4
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Origin: Canada
Taking a page out of NBA Street Homecourt’s book, NBA Live 08 introduces Quickstrike Ballhandling. This gameplay mechanic is mapped to the right analog stick and gives you the direct responsiveness you need to perform a full repertoire of ankle-breaking ball-handling moves that let you dominate on the perimeter. Pass the ball inside and win in the post with all-new ‘own the paint’ post play for the big men down low. Use the new shot-countershot control to string together combos of fakes and shots to fool your defender into committing and create space for the game-defining bucket. On the perimeter, in the paint, and with complete authenticity to the sport of basketball, dominate with your go-to move to win the game.
NBA Live 08 introduces hot spots, where real NBA shot data is used to illuminate the locations on the floor where your players are most effective. Couple this with all-new signature go-to moves that capture the essence of the NBA’s best, and you can now play the game on a console like you see it from the stands. Even cover athlete, Gilbert Arenas AKA Hibachi, has play tested the game to give it his approval in this video…
He even mentions his Xbox Live gamertag!
So what are NBA Live 08’s main features?
* All-New Quickstrike Ballhandling—Whether you’re pushing the ball upcourt or backing down a defender inside, quicker, more responsive ball-handling moves allow you to break down opponents and take complete control of your game with the right analog stick.
* Own the Paint—Put the ball in the hands of your big men and go head-to-head in the lane. With all-new moves and counters, including pump fakes, drop-steps, and spins, post play has never been better.
* See Who’s Hot and Who’s Not—Using actual NBA shot tracking data, know who to feed and who to defend based on a shooter’s Hot Spots, an all-new on-screen overlay showing you exactly where a player is most dangerous.
* Dominate with Your Go-To Move—Every player has a go-to move that they consistently go to when the game is on the line. Now the signature go-to moves of the NBA’s best players have been realistically re-created to help you score when it counts. That patented step back jumper? A fadeaway with the big leg kick? If it’s in the game, it’s in the game.
* A New Look and Feel—5-on-5 gameplay has never looked so good. Featuring enhanced player spacing and behavior logic in the half-court, upgraded passing and rebounding mechanics, and an all-new two player interaction engine.
* All-New Shooting Mechanics—From deep three-point shots well beyond the arc to 10-foot jumps shots in the paint, every shot attempt has been redesigned to provide more fluid, realistic results. Dunks and lay-ups are now assigned to the same button command making highlight reel plays even easier to perform.
* The NBA Goes Live—Player faces, team uniforms, and authentic arenas jump to life behind the power of next-generation game graphics. Whether you’re working on your game in the revamped practice gym or playing in front of a packed house, feel what it’s like to be an NBA superstar.
* Like Butter – Running at a smooth 60 frames per second, NBA Live 08 is as close as you can get to the court, without dropping dime for courtside seats.
Watch the NBA Live 08 launch trailer.
As a conclusion I’d have to say it’s easy to jump into a basketball match for casual gamers and deep enough for gamers thanks to the realism in graphics and controls that get shown off right in the beginning tutorial. It gives you gameplay that’s faster, smoother and more convincing than possible before.
And that’s where the biggest downsides are: it’s far too easy to make open shots, especially with a star player, and it doesn’t matter how long you hold the button down, you can tap a button, and seems like it will go in more times than not. But what if the other team has the ball? Well, there’s no chance to play strategy on defense, but the key is defense, so you end up getting in a player’s face to disrupt the shot by stealing, blocking and posting up a player. This works but ends up making the game more of a casual game. Now let’s rate this game on its fun-basis.
FUN FACTOR – 7.0
The game moves from unnatural controls, to CPU opponents that match the same players you choose. To at the same time having great realism down to sweat drops on players faces in the heat of a match, and fun new scenarios like the FIBA World Championship that puts an American eight-team tournament against the rest of the world.
Graphics – 8.0
Best looking player models, stadiums, animations ever, with just a few clipping issues. Signature shots and dunk look awesome and that’s what should look their part.
Audio – 8.0
Al Michaels gives great commentary, this is where the Live series shines. The in-game audio suffices and the soundtrack includes a wide variety of music, something for everyone during the action-packed moments.
Ingenuity – 7.0
Not quite a slam-dunk. It’s easy to learn but that makes it more unrealistic, so while it’s ok fun, with the heavy focus on realism in the game it feels out of place.
Replay Value – 7.0
What sets the game apart from other basketball games is the franchise mode. While multiplayer both online and locally with friends should give you some fun, you can also start online leagues to play in. How long you’ll play really comes down to whether or not you’re a fan.