It is unfortunate, as some of the more nuanced controls of the game do work well. Post moves to get open shots well with the right stick, and the combination of the triggers and right stick make for some nice flashy dribbling moves; though, shaking free of defenders does not require much. Calling player-specific plays to run or calling for a pick to get off an open shoot is a breeze. It makes for solid play, if you can refuse the temptation to just run near the bucket and dunk. The free throw mechanics make the ancient ‘stop the swinging balls so they meet’ method seem revolutionary. Free throws in Live 09 are completed by pressing and holding the shoot button to activate the horizontal red and green meter at the top of the backboard. Once the meter has reached the smaller section of green lines, releasing the button will nails the shot. The gameplay style is not arcade, but the loose controls make it feel too far gone from simulation, too.
The game lacks enough game modes to keep most interested. Your control of the franchise, in dynasty, is standard. The opportunity to start just prior to the 2008 draft, to re-pick your team’s selections as you see fit, is a great idea. Your control over player development comes in the form of training drills, giving boosts to players who complete each drill you play through. Your GM skills also get some help by providing a running list of upcoming free agents for the next season and providing instant trade-scenarios when you offer a player up on the trade block. Those who typically simulate a large number of games each season will find the game’s use of play-by-play updates of simulated games annoyingly slow. The ability to jump in to the game at any point while it is being simulated is great for those who want to play hero in the waning minutes of a hotly contested game. Those with a flair for the international game will find the FIBA Championship mode enjoyable, though too few teams are truly competitive. Academy drills give you a chance to practice up, but do little for you outside the dynasty format. All-Star weekend features the typical set of events, with the dunk contest suffering from overly simplistic controls and a weak set of dunk options.
There is a Be A Pro mode, similar to the brilliantly implemented feature in NHL 09, but it is badly gimped here. Rather than allow you to create and nurture your own player, you take the role of an existing NBA player. This would work fine if you could play through their career, or at least one season, but the mode lasts for all of one game. Playing through single-games with just one player lacks the player development aspect so important to the rest of the game. The lack of created players also dampens the enjoyment of the Live ‘clubs’ and ‘team play’ modes. Also similar to the NHL 09 online user-created clubs, players have the chance to create their own clubs to compete against other clubs; with statistics and records stored for rankings. Without user-created players to mold, players select a set position to play on each team. It makes for an entertaining experience, but one that feels sadly single-serving. Too often, you end up with whiners who quit minutes into the game, when they realize they cannot ‘be’ Kobe or LeBron if someone else beat them to it. Being a league of superstars, nobody really wants to play through a game as a role-player.
At least the presentation is fantastic. From the small things, like allowing most replays to be triggered by the user rather than forced, to Marv Albert’s commentary, NBA Live 09 delivers a satisfying visual and audio experience. The commentary attempts to take player DNA into account when calling the game, but it could use a little tweaking going forward. Hearing what a player typically does in the post is much more valuable than hearing which direction he goes when making a wide-open dunk on a fastbreak. The graphics are great, but the more you play the more likely you are to begin noticing the same canned animations; as the lack of variety gets to be an issue after a few games. NBA Live 09 is a passable attempt at an NBA game. The DNA concept is decent, but needs some work to make it work well enough to forgive all else this one gets wrong.
