NBA 07 – PS2 – Review

Exceeding
the quality of 99% of the video games available (on any console), NBA 07 tells
an entertaining, well-paced, well-written story. Cheesy dialogue was not
accepted. Therefore, it’s not included. Facial expressions – an area so many
games butcher – actually exist!

Characters
frown. They get angry, and show a real sense of emotion. You’ll spot the
tension in their eyes, and the wrinkles in their cheeks. It’s really
incredible. I’ve seen impressive face work from cartoon-style games like
Kingdom Hearts and Jak & Daxter. But with the exception of Metal Gear Solid 2
and 3 (and the upcoming Final Fantasy XII), I can’t think of any PS2 games
that offer anything beyond a stiff face with lifeless animations.

NBA 07’s
story centers on two familiar stars, The Kid and Big W. Both are playable and
have unique stories to keep you interested. The Kid is still his old, angry,
arrogant self. He’s constantly at odds with Big W, who doesn’t have the time
to care. He’s got more important things to worry about.

The game
starts with Big W trying to cope with his son’s mysterious (initially)
illness. He visits often, donning his NBA Cares t-shirt, pacing the room until
an eventual discussion with the boy’s doctor. Like any worrying parent, he’s
never satisfied with the doctor’s assurance that they are doing everything
they can. He’s also never able to fully keep his composure. This worsens when
the son’s condition takes a dive, leaving the viewer with only one indication
– that tragedy must be around the corner.

Meanwhile,
The Kid continues arguing with teammates, pretending to be the number-one
star. He hates it when anyone else wants to step ahead. He also isn’t too fond
of teammates who don’t have as much faith in him as they used to.

The latter
story isn’t as interesting as Big W’s sorrowful tale, but it’s just as
important. The two meet up frequently to argue, to convey their dislike for
each other, and to play a game or two.

Speaking of
playing, there are a few amusing scenes that gamers are sure to get a kick out
off. The game you’re playing – NBA 07 – is actually in the game. While playing
it, The Kid is seen holding what appears to be a Dual-Shock 2 controller. But
guess what: it’s wireless. Back in the 90s that’s the kind of thing developers
would have done to avoid an extra, unnecessary piece of animation. But NBA 07
doesn’t skimp on graphics, and with today’s technology, there’s no need to
forgo something as basic as a wire. Therefore it could only mean one thing:
he’s got a PlayStation 3!

I’d love to
tell you the real significance of the game within a game, but that would spoil
one of the surprises. A surprise that actually relates to gameplay, and
involves a situation where the player will perform actions very similar to
those performed by real athletes. It’s over fast, but you gotta see it.

The
voice-overs and dialogue are the best part. You could look away from the
screen, listen carefully, and still be entertained. This game features real
actors, with a story written by real writers. It’s like a basketball
role-playing game. I’ll bet you didn’t even think such a thing could exist.

Green
Means Go, White Means Rebound

NBA 07
continues to be more of an arcade game than a straight simulator. The shot
gauge is back, indicating when and when not to shoot. It’s slightly more
forgiving this time around. If you’re an experienced NBA 06 player, the
difference won’t seem that great.

The controls
are still loose and arcade-like – a plus in some areas, a disappointment in
others. There were times when I’d run past my target (in a mini-game), and
times when I’d unintentionally run out of bounds after stealing the ball.

NBA 07’s
biggest gameplay change revolves around the rebound. When a shot gets botched,
players can now order their teammates to grab the ball and push it into the
net. You’ll know it’s time to do so when a white circle appears on the court.
More often than not the circle is very close to the net, and the only way the
rebound will work is if another player is in that circle when the shooter
misses.

Scenario,
Scenario

NBA 07’s The
Life Vol. 2 takes a look at what it is to be an NBA all-star. The game goes
inside the lives of two fictitious NBA players, creating an unusually
compelling story.

Of course,
you can’t call it a game without adding some play. The Life Vol. 2’s version
of "play" is not that far from the first. You’ll encounter many timed
scenarios, mini-games, one-on-one duels, and other b-ball events. The
scenarios include (but are not limited to):

• Take the lead into the
  half

• Don’t let opposing PG
  score X amount of points

• Don’t let opposing PG disc
  more than one assist

• Score more points than
  SF/PG

• Make field goals with
  SF/PG

• Dish three assists

• Score two three-pointers

There are
training games where words are verbally and visually called out to announce
your objective. Players will run through an obstacle course a number times,
shooting hoops and throwing passes in unorthodox ways. (You have to push the
analog stick up and toward one corner to get the pass icon to line up with the
pass hoop.)

Those of you
who played The Life Vol. 1 will be glad to hear that Vol. 2 has thrown away
the cheap requirements of last year’s game. The objectives are identical in
some cases, but they don’t require you to be 100% successful. They require you
to accomplish something, which is likely to please some and disappoint
others.

If my goal
is to "dish a few assists" and "score a few three-pointers," my job ends when
that’s done. I can leave the game and return after the clock has run out. Only
when a point-specific goal (such as "win the game") is involved must you stick
around.

There’s no
doubt that this is better than being forced to complete objectives that are
cheap and lengthy. But at the same time it kind of diminishes the first-time
challenge. You can re-play missions and complete more challenging goals to
unlock bonuses. Or you can shoot to unlock everything the first time through.
It’s a secondary element in both cases. Unless you strive to complete all of
them every time, you’re not going to feel like the game provided that great of
a challenge – especially if you finished The Life Vol. 1.

If you’ve
played NBA 06, you don’t have to speculate about the content of NBA 07. The
game is still quick, making it a couple tenths more impressive than NBA Live
07. But its gameplay is repetitive and mirrors that of the last edition –
minus the cheapness. What we’re left with is a game that’s entertaining at
times, but is not nearly as rewarding as the story that’s being told.

Review Scoring Details for NBA 07

Gameplay: 6.9
Slightly more
satisfying than NBA Live 07. It’s faster, more intuitive and more
entertaining. Both would’ve been better suited for the arcade, not at home as
a simulator. Neither are full-fledged simulators. They’re both lenient on
physics and realism. This year, NBA 07 is the game that does it better.

Graphics: 8.5
There are two
sides to NBA 07’s visuals. The first is the gameplay, which looks pretty good.
The other is the story, which involves some of the best character interaction,
animation, and facial expressions created in a PS2 game. You’ll be impressed,
no question. I can’t wait to see what the artists do with PlayStation 3.

Sound: 8.5
NBA 07’s voice
acting is top-notch. The interesting “pump you up” sounds (loud, thumping
drums; controller vibrations when the clock is about to run out, etc.) are
cool as well. The rap music is repetitive and lackluster, and eventually
sounds like it’s all running together. Your musical preferences will determine
whether or not you’ll like the soundtrack before you pop the game into your
PS2. But there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be impressed by the story.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Last year’s game
was just plain frustrating. NBA 07 cuts the fat, creating a less stressful
experience.

Concept: 9.0
I feel weird
giving the game’s concept a 9 for its story. But all things considered, this
is pretty groundbreaking. It’s entertaining, well-acted, well-written, and
features polygonal character designs with real facial expressions and
emotions. You’ll actually care about the cast, a rarity in any title that
isn’t labeled “RPG” or “a Hideo Kojima game.” Heck, I’ll even go as far as to
say that this story is more entertaining than any of the basketball flicks
I’ve seen. With more and more games going to the big screen, maybe that’s
where The Kid and Big W will end up.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Again, NBA 07 is
marginally more entertaining than NBA Live 07. It’s all in the game speed. I
have an equal number of issues with both game’s control style, but NBA 07’s
quickness can’t be denied. This is the faster game.

Overall: 7.0
All technical
issues aside, NBA 07’s only drawback is that it doesn’t have the long-term
playability of the top games in other sports genres (World Tour Soccer, Hot
Shots Golf, the Gretzky series, etc.). The Life Vol. 2’s mini-games become
tiresome once they start to repeat. Multiplayer is fun in pieces – a game
here, a game there. This is not, however, the kind of game you’ll play all
day.