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NBA Live 09
EA Sports
definitive basketball series returns on PlayStation 3, PC and the XBox
360 which promises fans of the sporting genre another amazing basketball
experience. Featuring 1 – 4 players locally or up to 10 players online,
the title also features amazing high definition graphics (1080p) which
simply looks amazing on high end televisions. Although in its essence,
NBA Live 09 is your traditional arcade/simulation basketball game, EA
Sports have ensured to add a variety of new features to the current
version, giving gamers more realistic options while playing.
The most
noticeable feature of NBA Live 09 is NBA Live 365 which gives the player
daily updates of current the NBA season. Everything from statistics,
rosters to even injuries are automatically downloaded into your game,
giving you one of the most realistic console basketball experiences. A
valid XBox Live account is needed for this function.
FIBA World Championship is another addition to the franchise which
finally breaks away from the NBA and allows you to play an international
basketball experience as you guide one of the 24 national teams to the
world championship. It would have been nice if this option also included
live updates, however NBA Live 365 is a step in the right direction.
Game wise the title is quite reminiscent of the previous version,
however the on-court action has been tweaked and match that with new
player moves and NBA Live 09 is an entertaining upgrade over its
predecessor. It even offers a new pick and roll control system and also
some great fake-out moves.
The control system is perfect on the XBox
control system with novice gamers having little difficulty in picking up
the control and playing immediately. Even though it may have a steep
learning curve to master, novice gamers are given a true challenge while
more seasoned gamers can concentrate on other aspects of the title.
When it
comes to online, NBA Live 09 is a truly entertaining experience with up
to 10 players being able to play simultaneously. Each of the online
clubs can have up to 50 different members with five players from each
club participating in online games. There is even a great leader board
system that displays the points for your club and even team blogs which
is great for communicating with club members. Definitely a great
community experience.
With a variety of different gameplay options from exhibition to seasons
or even online, those wanting to make a “career” out of the game also
have the option of playing as “Pro” in the “Be a Pro” mode. Although not
as engaging as Fifa 09, it still gives a twist to the regular gameplay
modes but it would have been nice if you could have created your player
as rookie in order to become a superstar, rather than play an existing
player.
Graphically, the title is a pure eye candy on the XBox 360 that simply
looks phenomenal on our high definition TV. The player animations are
great and we only saw a few glitches but this was far and few. The
texture details on the characters are also quite detailed and one could
almost be mistaken in thinking that they are watching the NBA on TV.
The
reflective surfaces and lighting effects are still similar to last year
but all in all, one can easily notice the difference between the
previous games. The soundtrack of NBA Live 09 is truly pumping and suits
the genre perfectly as do the sound effects and almost perfect
commentary.
In conclusion, EA Sports have done a great revamp of the series and the
additions of NBA Live 365 and the online club mode has set a new
benchmark for the world of basketball gaming. With good graphics and
sound, my only complaint with the game is that the “Be a Pro” mode is a
little lackluster but it’s still one of the best basketball games
available! |
