NBA Live 09 represents the latest
step for EA Sports’ long-running basketball franchise. After some pretty dismal
entries at the start of the high-def console generation, NBA Live seems to
beginning to hit its stride. NBA Live 09 offers some pretty compelling updates
for hoops fans, including the new Dynamic DNA updating system, which all but
ensures that NBA Live 09 has some staying power. While there are still some
problems plaguing the franchise, NBA Live 09 offers a few truly groundbreaking
features to make it definitely compelling option for basketball fans.
NBA Live 09 adds some pretty nice
updates over its predecessor. The on-court action has been cleaned up from
previous entries and some great new moves have been added to the roster. New
pick-and-roll controls let you control both your ball-handler and the screener
for two-man plays, improved fake-out moves like quickstrike anklebreakers feel
intuitive and help you get the drop on your opponents, and the new play-calling
system is a great touch that allows you to tweak your offense as well as an easy
and intuitive one for newcomers.
Dynamic DNA is the biggest new
feature offered in NBA Live 09. Using the NBA Live 365 persistent online
element, this great new feature allows players to have access to constantly
updating stats for all of the players and teams in the game that reflect their
performance in the real-world and applies it to the game. If one player is on a
roll for a game or two, the game will update his stats, and adversely if he
plays poorly, the game will reflect that. This is a great new feature that
basically negates the concept of roster updates in future games, and will
possibly give NBA Live 09 some serious legs in the postseason.
There is also a pretty solid online
component in NBA Live 09. The online team play element allowing for 10-player
games online has returned, albeit with a pretty huge addition in clubs. Each
club can have up to 50 different members, with five players from each club
participating in online games, earning leaderboard points for their club,
posting team blogs to announce upcoming games and so on. All in all, the
community aspect is great in NBA Live 09, offering players a great platform to
interact and play together.
Unfortunately, there are some
plaguing issues that rear their ugly heads in NBA Live 09. There are still a
couple of glitchy moments in the on-court play, including some framerate
stutters that disrupt the flow of the game. While the animations boast modest
improvements over previous versions of the game’s engine, there are still some
wonky looking moments that will pull you out of the game.
Secondly, the “Be A Pro” mode is
nowhere near as fleshed out as it is in EA Sports’ other offerings. Essentially,
instead of taking you player through the motions of working up from a rookie to
NBA stardom, you’ll only be able to play as one existing NBA player for one
game. The game will fix your control exclusively on your chosen player, but
instead of really playing to the best of your on-court position, you’re simply
vying for the ball and trying to get the most points on the scoreboard. This
mode lacks the depth and scope that it has in other sports titles launching this
year, and feels like a pretty weak addition to the game’s otherwise impressive
formula.
Graphically, aside from the
aforementioned glitches and framerate stutters, NBA Live 09 is a pretty good
looking basketball game. The animations are generally very smooth and the
character models look good without the creepy lifeless effect that often plagues
sports titles.
Soundwise, the game also performs
quite well, with a great commentary track and good court ambience. The
soundtrack is the standard EA Sports’ soundtrack that fans of the series (or any
other EA Sports game, for that matter).
NBA Live 09 features some nice
additions, but also boasts some shortcomings that keep it from truly hitting the
mark. Still, the on-court game feels great and the online elements will
certainly keep you busy for a long time.
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Gameplay: 8.0
The on-court action is very solid, and the new Dynamic DNA feature is a
fantastic addition. The slim Be A Pro mode is pretty disappointing,
unfortunately, and doesn’t really offer much to the game.
Graphics: 8.0
While there is the occasional framerate stutter that can cause some gameplay
problems, the animations are great and the character models are very detailed
and look realistic without being creepy.
Sound: 8.0
NBA Live 09 features some pretty good commentary and a soundtrack that you’d
expect from an EA Sports title.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.0
While some of the features (like Be A Pro) aren’t as fleshed out as they
should be, others like the Dynamic DNA system are excellent additions.
Multiplayer: 8.5
The new club-based online team play is a great touch and adds a great
community element to the game and the franchise.
Overall: 8.0
NBA Live 09 is a solid step up for the franchise, adding a cool new online
community element and the great NBA Live 365 element is a pretty revolutionary
element not just for the franchise, but for the sports genre as a whole.
Unfortunately, there are some shortcomings that hurt the overall experience,
like a barebones Be A Pro mode and a few on-court technical issues.
