NBA Live 09 Hands-On

Because NBA basketball games feature competing titles from both EA Sports and 2K Sports, there is always a great deal of anticipation to see how they evolve from year to year. Although we have yet to see what headway 2K has made on NBA 2K9 (besides getting Kevin Garnett on the cover), we recently had a chance to check out NBA Live 09 at EA's spring press event and, again this week to get some hands-on time with the latest build. Although some of the major additions to the game are still under wraps, we do have the green light to break down how NBA Live 09's presentation, controls, and gameplay feel this year.

With Live 09's new pick and roll controls, they may as well credit Kobe with another two points right now.

From the loading screen alone, it's obvious that EA intends to bring more life to the practice sessions that precede the game. Gone is the solitary half-court shoot around; in its place is a full training facility complete with two full courts, as well as fellow teammates practicing their jump shooting, ball-handling skills, and of course, their dunking. The addition of the NBA Live Academy (as it's known) isn't purely aesthetic though. In addition to giving gamers familiar with the series a chance to brush up their game, the training facility features a series of tutorials geared toward the fundamentals of the game. The tutorials are presented in the form of minigames in which you run actual basketball drills with the rest of your team. Drills include boxing out, low post defense, and outside shooting, among others. One drill that seemed particularly interesting was the fastbreak drill in which you need to score in transition before the defense can recover.

As with all of the drills, subsequent levels in that discipline become progressively more difficult. In the case of the fastbreak drill, for instance, the drills start with 2-on-1's, while higher levels require successful conversions of 3-on-2 and 3-on-3 breaks. While the more than 20 drills do hone skills you may use in a normal game, the focus on fundamentals (especially without the ball) has far greater application to Online Teamplay (OTP), a 5v5 online game mode released via patch for NBA Live 08 and returning for 2009. While OTP has undergone exciting changes, we won't be able to discuss it for a few more weeks (but trust us, it will be worth the wait).

As is routinely the case, every iteration of NBA Live features better visuals than the last, and NBA Live 09 is no different. New animations have been added for layups and dunks. Players now shoot off-balance fingerrolls and their bodies seem to adjust in midair to avoid defenders as you would see in an actual NBA game. In addition, the subsequent motion to the other end of the court has been tied in with the finish at the rim to eliminate the herky-jerky transition following a basket. One example of this was the wide arcing path that Kobe Bryant took following a baseline jam. The motion was exactly what you would expect from his momentum. Collisions near the basket also factor in the weight of the colliding players to determine which animation plays out.

The most important animation tweak this year, however, may actually be a fix to an issue that plagued NBA Live 08. Many of you have probably experienced the frustration of being stuck in an animation in NBA Live 08 where you could do nothing but watch as your player was forced out of bounds. This year's game addresses that issue in two ways. First, the addition of sideline contextual animations, such as leaning up against the defender while tight roping the sideline, should eliminate many of these turnovers. Essentially, there is a soft barrier that prevents animations from taking you out of bounds (though you can still run out of bounds on your own accord). Second, NBA Live 09 gives you the ability to break out of driving animations such as this at any time by disengaging from the defender (left analog away from the defender). Between the two additions, there should be much less cause for ripping out your hair this year.

NBA Live 09's shooting has changed for the better as well. Much like the system used in NBA 2K8, players must now release the shot button as close to the peak of their jump for the most accuracy. The difference is that NBA Live 09 will also offer a visual indicator to help players time their release. As of yet, the visual indicator has not been finalized, so we are unsure how intrusive or helpful it will be once the game is released.

While his skills have diminished, Shaq proves that a 300+ pound obstacle isn't totally useless.

The evolution of last year's "Quick Strike Ball Handling" feature, the "Quick Strike Ankle Breaker" feature places greater impact on the first step and its impact on the defender. By EA's own admission, last year's rendition brought flair to dribbling but was often unnecessary to blow by the defender. While the Quick Strike Ball Handling controls remain in this year's game, holding down the right bumper while initiating the dribble move will cause the ball handler to make a pronounced hesitation move directly prior to his next move. This is significant because it signals to the defender that a move is coming and that he must react in order to shut it down.

As with the low post game that debuted in NBA Live 08, the defender must correctly choose the appropriate counter or risk getting beat. For instance, if the move that follows the hesitation is a drive to the right, the defender must slide to his right to counter the move. Although this may seem to favor the offensive player (especially considering the array of options he has following the hesitation), the offensive player also risks turning over the ball or picking up a charge if the defender reacts properly. Other factors play a part as well. A Shaquille O'Neal may turn the ball over on his own accord while initiating an ankle breaker, whereas quick players, such as Chris Paul, will recover quickly on defense even if guessing the wrong way.