NBA Live 06

NBA Live 06 adds some dash to its flash for the pro game.

With the NBA's 2006 season looming there's one thing fans of the Golden State Warriors, the L.A. Clippers, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Portland Trailblazers can look forward to-NBA Live 06 is here. You can take any team from worst to first with this topnotch game, which just gets better each year.

The Game within the Game
There's a lot of emphasis on style as well as gameplay in Live 06. The most readily noticeable are the improved graphics that come at the hand of a new graphics engine. Player models are more refined than with last year's game, with the Xbox version naturally outmuscling the PS2's in this regard.

But Live has more than just good looks going for it. Freestyle Superstars mode is new for 06, and it enables you to fire up the unique abilities of the bonafide stars of the NBA. You can make players like Amare Stoudamire, Tim Duncan, and Steve Nash who dominate in their prospective positions and team roles in real life, kick ass in the game with special moves unique to them. The unique system classifies recognized superstars into eight offensive classes-playmakers, power players, high fliers, shooter, and inside or outside scorers-and two defensive classes-inside and outside stoppers. Of course, some teams have more than one superstar while others don't have any (and you fans know who we are talking about).

Aside from the enhanced one-on-one, the five-on-five gameplay also gets a bit of a brain boost. Fast-breaks and transitions spread the court in a more realistic fashion than before, and the two-person motion capture technique makes for some very cool animations on defense.

All-Star Plays
Moreover, 06's controls spin on a dime, but that doesn't mean your superstars are going to run amuck. Sure, Shaq can pivot and jam a two-handed dunk but he has to have at least a millimeter of inside position, and Jason Kidd can complete a no-look pass but his teammate's better have their heads on swivels. Looks like the Live A.I. has also have been turned up a notch since last season. And just like Live 2005 the PS2 controller layout just feels a little more intuitive than the Xbox's.

Also in keeping with NBA Live's showtime personality, the All-Star Weekend mode is more grandiose than ever, at least in its gameplay. The 3-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contests are a hoot and a half. Slam Dunk seems to bust more moves than ever. These are particularly fun as multiplayer diversions.

Hoop It Up
NBA Live 06 runs out onto the court with nary a hitch. It pumps up the star power with plenty of show, but Superstar Freestyle doesn't ignore the go. Whether your real-life NBA team is headed for playoff stardom or a ticket to the lottery, NBA Live should make the 2006 just a little more enjoyable.--Atomic Dawg

KEY MOMENT: Your point guard makes a killer crossover but dishes off to your slashing center as his man tries to switch on you.

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