NBA Live 07

Do you enjoy basketball? Then you’ve probably heard of the NBA and some of the titles that are already out there and possibly even NBA Live 07.

OK this game isn’t the newest kid on the block but it’s still a fair attempt at capturing the excitement and pace that you expect from the live game. Unfortunately for me it’s not going to be winning any real awards for its looks nor for its controls but I can give it a couple of thumbs up for sound effects and the thought that went into the game. I am a little biased here as there’s only been one truly great basketball game out there for me – NBA Jam, and in truth it’s got a lot to live up to.

NBA Live 07 is an end to end style game (e.g. when it’s your turn up is towards the bucket and down is towards your end). Whenever the possession is changed, the camera angle changes ends also – this means the controls do too! The issue I have with this view, is that your shooting is hampered due to when you get to the opponents end both teams are all jumbled together making it hard to see who’s on your side or not. On the flipside, the blocking and defensive play is aided as they’re closer to you – making it clearer and easier to play.

The graphics as I touched upon earlier are pretty bitty and blocky – something that even earlier games seemed to have overcome. Positively they do have some shading and human features which make it better than some other titles I could mention.

The controls aren’t the greatest, especially if you prefer using the d-pad, meaning you have to use the keypad to get the most from this game. Unfortunately the controls are pretty complex – as there are four shot/control buttons for you to switch player, shoot, pass and dunk. This gives a great element to the game if you can pull the tricks off however, with one false move you get to easily slip up and be dispossessed and must try to protect your net from your opponents (who even on the easier levels are much better at scoring than you). For me, I found that dunking was far too intricate a process to complete, even with quite a bit of practice – so I tended to score ‘safer’ two and three pointers.

Speaking of scoring, power of shots and indeed the aiming are not even factored into this game in truth, which means that you’ll rely more on luck than skill.

The music and captured speech are a nice touch and indeed made the game more addictive. The vibration option also was a pleasant surprise to find included in the game and was able to confirm you scored at the far end of the screen!

In brief then, this is a fair attempt at capturing the game and provides you with some excitement that is synonymous with the game. The loading time is long but not terrible along with the actual game-play. It’s challenging and indeed you may lose more than you win, but if you’re able to pull off a few slam dunks you’re going to be walking on air – regardless the score!

Rating 64%

Positives

Sound effects and music are impressive

Current roster of players (well, for ‘07)

Challenging

Moderately addictive

Negatives

The end to end camera angle just doesn’t work well enough

Graphics are pretty crud!

Controls are quite fiddly

You can swap players about but can’t edit team tactics for any deeper level of game-play