I haven't purchased a baseketball game in some time. I never really got into them much, but I have always found them enjoyable. It usually ends up being a huge dunk/3 pointer contest. The new NBA Live tries to change that with the new 'Freestyle' mode, but doesn't really hit it's mark. This is a fun basketball game that has several flaws. On the offensive side of the ball, I have noticed that it's quite hard to move down the lane with any consistancy. The defense is quite tough in this game and you get your shot blocked quite a bit. I usually ended up tossing up a three or running around with my point guard until I saw a forward open and dished it to him for a dunk. That's not how basketball should be played. On the defensive side, it is way to easy to steal the ball. You can do it on almost every possesion, if you do it right. Just double team the ballhandler with at least one guard and they will swipe the ball from them. Like I said before, blocking shots is way to easy. Even for human controlled teams. The franchise mode is lacking a lot of what made Madden & NHL fun. Instead of getting to build a stadium or upgrade your GM's office, you get to buy a bunch of NBA gear. Basically this amounts to buying new shoes, jerseys, etc. for the players that can be used in the game. Whoopie-doo. You can buy training sessions with points that you get in the game, but that only builds up your players skills. When you win by 20 a night, you don't need that. I feel it would have been more fun if you had some interesting unlockables to acquire. The graphics are pretty good. Not as good as ESPN, but nothing to complain about. I hate rap music, but I found myself tapping my toes to the music every now and then. I feel this game only warrants a purchase if you are not a hard-core sim gamer and just want a party game to play with some friends. NBA Live serves it's purpose in that way. Other than that, there might be better options out there for you to buy. I recommend the game, but you might want to rent it first.
This is a basketball game that just doesn't seem realistic enough. The camera of this game also seems to be a little off. The graphics are nicely curved though and the gameplay can be very enjoyable. The sound of the gam... Read Full Review
EA Sports continues its long running NBA series with NBA Live 2004. The previous game was a fast paced arcade take on NBA basketball, but this year, EA opted to slow the game down and focus on more deliberate gameplay. ... Read Full Review
