NBA Live 06

With the NFL and MLB exclusive licenses having been procured, the war over who can make the best NBA sim still rages on. For the Xbox 360: NBA Live 2006 and NBA 2K6 take completely opposite approaches to this new console market. 2K6 tries to slightly improve upon their solid game mechanics and impressive visuals, while Live 06 is more or less going through a “lets try this and see if it works” stage. If you’re looking for a new, fresh basketball experience then NBA Live 2006 just might be the game for you.

As soon as you’re brought to the main menu you see Live’s hit and miss strategy score big time! Instead of being directed to your run of the mill main menu system with drop down boxes you start out as Live’s cover boy and rising NBA phenom Dwyne Wade. Here you and up to three other friends are able to shoot around. There’s a scoreboard allowing for a little one-on-one action or if you’re not in the mood for that you can simply practice and hone your skills. One of the best parts is that when you do eventually decide to leave the practice court and indulge in a real NBA game you’re able to continue shooting while the game is loading.

As you enter the arena and the player introductions start you realize just how incredible the atmosphere is in NBA Live 2006. The reactive crowds, sports commentary, and accurate arenas mesh together nicely creating an atmosphere never before seen in a sports game. The one thing that could have made it better was more camera options. The options offered are detestable and make judging depth hard. This leads to several “oops, I stepped out of bounds” moments that cause frustration.

Passing is really the only option to quickly move the ball around the court. Players run as if they’re in knee high sludge. This makes fast break alley oops a tad bit harder to complete than usual. When play is stopped by an official you’ll have the opportunity of on the fly coaching. When time is stopped you, as a coach, can take actions such as: defense, strategy, lineups, and timeout which are all mapped to the D-pad. This allows the immersion to continue as you don’t have to pause the game in order to fine tune your line ups or decide when to double team Shaq. Posting up has had some upgrades making it one of the most enjoyable parts of the game. It’s actually quite beautiful to back some one down and then make a quick turn for a dunk or opt for the ever so graceful jump hook. Playing as a guard hasn’t changed. This game, or any game for that matter, has still not made use of the triple threat position; a fundamental element that is key to keeping your opponent alert and on his toes. One of the things that may come as a surprise is that you’ll be blocked many more times from a guard than you will a post player. This can leave you in disbelief as a guard will usually snatch 3-5 blocks in a game. One of the things that didn’t score is the new free throw system. Say goodbye to the intersecting balls routine. This time around you pull back on the right thumbstick in order to start the shooting motion; you then have to quickly push it forward to release the ball. Oh and it all has to be done in one smooth motion. It is nearly impossible to have a free throw percentage of 80% and a 70 percentage should be an achievement on its own.

The one downfall of Live that probably was expected by the developers was its lack of playing modes. You have the quick game, season, and Xbox Live modes available for play. There is no franchise or slam dunk contest this year leaving Live looking a little anorexic. Xbox Live offers Ranked and Unranked games each with the ability to play: a quick match, custom match, or you can create a match.

There is an above average create a player option which offers more customization than before with the ability to alter skull size, shape, and the like to your hearts desire. On a side note there is no replay system and the superstar moves don’t make an appearance either.