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Playstation | Sports | NBA Live 2001 | Review

There is no Boxart for - NBA Live 2001
NBA Live 2001 6 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 5.0
  • SOUND: 4.5
  • CONTROL: 4.0
  • FUN FACTOR 5.0
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.7
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.7
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Review: NBA Live 2001

Review by HUMANTORNADO | 11/24/2000 | 14:47:41 PM PST

EA's perennial powerhouse basketball sim NBA Live is in the PlayStation house once again, and this year it doesn't disappoint. Still, there's some seriously stiff competition from NBA ShootOut

EA's perennial powerhouse basketball sim NBA Live is in the PlayStation house once again, and this year it doesn't disappoint. Still, there's some seriously stiff competition from NBA ShootOut: a veteran that took time in the off-season to really improve. NBA Live has a lot of fun features and some great gameplay, but in this season's battle of the basketball giants, the game is down to the buzzer.

Big Bawlin'
NBA Live has more bells and whistles than ShootOut. There's a three point shootout minigame and a great one-on-one game with Michael Jordan (or any of the other NBA superstars) in a playground court, and the signature "challenges" that are in other EA sports games are in NBA Live as well. Gamers can unlock extras with the cards they earn from doing things like getting a triple double. It's a nice feature that adds a bit to the game. There's also a solo practice mode that ShootOut doesn't have. Here you can pick a player and practice shot timing and dribble moves, but little else.

As in ShootOut, NBA Live has four levels of difficulty, and there are Exhibition, Season, and Playoff modes to pick from. Delving further into the game option menus, you can opt to have the computer keep the score close automatically, and there's a great rebound indicator to mark where the ball is going to fall. ShootOut doesn't have this, and it really helps in the critical rebounding aspect of the game.

On the court, NBA Live performs well with the AI players showing some initiative in shooting as well as on defense. The flow of the game is well done, and even though players get bunched under the hoop at times, the player spacing, sets, and plays are quite convincing.

Opening Tip-off One area where NBA Live shines over ShootOut is the presentation and graphics. Live uses player models that have even fewer polygons than in ShootOut, but the texturemaps are more detailed, and the animations are much smoother. In addition, the framerate is higher making the game flow better. In-game graphic overlays and replays are also very strong, and there is a lot of "between play" action on the court with players questioning referee calls and the like. Bob Elloitt and Don Poier are in the broadcast booth for this year's Live, and while the audio commentary keeps better pace with the game than in years past, it isn't quite as compelling as Shootout's.

Just Shoot It!
NBA Live sports a player lock like ShootOut that turns off player switching and lets you play as the same player for an entire game. On an individual player level, NBA Live has more options. You can fake any move by holding down the R2 button along with a move button, and there are a number of individual shots you can use to get the rock into the basket, like a jump hook and fadeaway. You can also call for a pick to free your man up. Team play and set calling, however, are severely hampered by the fact that you need to hit the tiny Select button to pull up the play menu. On defense, a sweet option lets you call for a double team to help you out, and the O button puts up a hand check to keep the opponent at arm's length. You can also switch directly to a specific player using icon switching on defense as well.

If you want a game that's more tailored to individual play rather than team cooperation, then NBA Live is a great choice. It also ekes out a slightly better score on the graphics front, and there are some extra bells and whistles like the one-on-one game. Still, this year's hoops head-to-head is a very close call. Both ShootOut and Live will give gamers a run for their money, and they both have excellent production values. For this season it's really just a matter of taste.