1 on 1 Review: NBA 2K7 vs. NBA Live 07 (Xbox 360)
- September 26, 2006 17:26 PM PST
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You've finally landed an Xbox 360, and basketball season has begun. You've run into a dilemma, however, two great basketball games and there's only room for one in your living room. Which one do you get - the silky-smooth gameplay of NBA 2K7 is tempting, yet the EA shine of NBA Live 07 is mesmerizing. We break down the essentials and announce the winner in this 1 on 1 Review of NBA 2K7 vs. NBA Live 07.
You can read the full review of NBA 2K7 HERE.
And the full review of NBA Live 07 is available HERE.
Graphics
Since the frame rates hardly falter for both 2K7 and Live 07, it boils down to which game's character models match up with their real-life counterparts, attention to detail, and compatibility between high-def and standard-def TVs.
Winner: NBA Live 07
NBA 2K7 (eft) is pretty, but NBA Live 07 (right) is sexy!
Hands down, the winner of the best graphics award goes to NBA Live 07. EA has been and still is the champion when it comes to stunning visuals. The over-the-top sweat and life-like character models land NBA Live 07 big points this season.
Although the team at Visual Concepts worked hard to par with EA, some players are better referenced than others and the lack of quality assurance testing on standard television sets is disappointing. Like Dead Rising, if you're not HD ready you won't be able to read any text displayed in NBA 2K7.
Controls
As intimidating as basketball games are, the control scheme needs to be simple enough to attract newcomers, but versatile enough not to limit the many basketball essentials such as shooting, dunking, and dribbling.
Winner: NBA 2K7
NBA 2K7 makes it so easy to have so much fun
The NBA 2K series is on point with an intuitive control scheme that caters to beginners as well as vets of the series. Whether you're the button or analog type, both can be used to set up and array of shots, all of which feels like second nature. NBA 2K7 wins again this season for the best control scheme.
NBA Live 07 has adopted a similar right-analog control scheme this year called total freestyle control, which allows the player to activate superstar moves depending on a three-tiered level system. It's a bit ambitious and still has some kinks to be smoothed out.
Sound
Every season it's the same old thing, hip hop 'til you drop. The genre fits the game, but which of the two offers more?
Winner: NBA Live 07
Basketball has never been so uplifting
NBA Live 07 has its fill of hip hop, but good hip hop beats at that. You'll hear tracks from Gnarls Barkley, The Black Eyed Peas, and Jurassic 5, need we say more.
The track list for NBA 2K7 is not a total loss; it's just repetitive and doesn't carry the upbeat energy NBA Live 07 does. A better variety from DJ Godfather would have been nice as all the tracks sound the same.
Fun Factor and GamePro's Basketball Game of Preference
Ultimately, which game is more fun to play? Yeah, all the extra game modes are nice and creating-a-character is fun, but the time you spend on the court is the most valuable.
The Big Winner: NBA 2K7
NBA 2K7 takes the cake when it comes to fun, and the frosting too
It was a tough decision this year between the two, but the sweet weight system and smooth animations makes NBA 2K7 feel like a real basketball game. And a fun basketball game at that. Every sports game can be intimidating to play, but NBA 2K7 is a party game for anyone to play.
NBA Live 07 is a solid title, but plush graphics and a banging soundtrack only goes so far. Compared to last season, NBA Live 07 is a huge improvement as many of the features missing from last year's game return and are better than ever. Get the total freestyle control system smoothed out, and come back next year.
