Well, I've played it. EA sports has never let us totally down in its previous titles. NBA Live 97 was a very nice game : it introduced the 3D world to the Playstation and took the market by storm. Live 98 was a totally different game, with a redesigned game engine (which gave a smooth but cartoony look to the players), and a helluva lot of options. Live 99 was an overall improvement as well, with a better sim engine. Yet it seemed that every NBA Live game had its own major flaw (possibly excluding Live 97). NBA Live 98 included nearly no fouls, and outside shooting was horrendous. NBA live 99 had no fatigue on its players, and control for rebounds was terrible. This year Live 2000 promised all these flaws fixed, attempting to master the perfect NBA Basketball game for the Playstation. How does it Fare?
On first glance, NBA Live 2000 looks like a well polished game. It busts in blasting Naughty by Nature's "Hip Hop Hooray", which I love.Playing two five minute games, I know that the fatigue factor was fixed for Live 2000. The graphics are very similar to that of NBA Live 99, and this year they added a nice little "swoosh" to the net. Gameplay is MUCH different. Its a lot harder to drive the lane, and this year there is a workable post game! Duncan can actually do his moves! In the Michael Jordan one-on-one mode, I think EA has done something good. This mode is pretty challenging, and the cool part to this is that after you beat Jordan, you can BE Jordan. There is also the "Unlocking Legends" Feature, in which you have to do certain things to be able to play with the legend players, for example, you must get a triple double in one game in simulation mode with fouls on (I think that is what it is) to be Elgin Baylor. This is very cool, yet I'm sure for all you lazys out there there is a code to unlock them without the work.
Here are the categories & What i think about them.
Graphics
Well the look of this game isnt too bad. The engine is very similar to last year, if not identical. The stadiums are detailed (with arena's official names), and all of the new jerseys are included (the cut offs). Everything is pretty furnished and looks nice. The only gripes that I have is that at some points when you pass the ball around the game gets choppy and its hard to see. In my mind its not a huge glitch, but it takes away from the game. Also, the knuckle touches have to be loaded, and I find them to be pretty pointless anyway so I keep having to press start when Im shooting a free throw. Also I dont like how the instant replays have to be loaded, they should revert to how it was in 98. Also in the instant replays, the graphics are choppy... EA has to work on that. However, the dunks are phat now because of the rim and backboard shaking and the net having a tite little swish, So overall, I am liking the graphics.
Gameplay
The gameplay is much improved this year. The computer is a lot smarter this year. An example is that if you leave your man ungaurded, the computer will find him and let him take the shot. Another thing is that the lane is very hard to drive. Unlike NBA Lives of the past you cant just take your defender off the dribble. The key to scoring is ball movement now. But this is not neccessarily a good thing. All you have to do is keep passing and faking and an open shot is there for you. At first it is hard, but you get used to the type of defense the computer plays..and you master it, just like Lives of before. But, this computer is much less predictable, and its as good as I think its gonna get for a while. Another good thing about the gameplay is that when you are fouled, no longer will you make impossible shots just because you got fouled. Youre lucky to get fouled and get the bucket. Overall, gameplay is much improved however, and is very good.
Presentation
Well from the minute you turn on NBA Live 2000 you know its serious from its opening video. But by now you expect that from EA. The opening video is very good, and get you in the mood to play some hoops. Then the game pops up jamming "Hip Hop Horray"...and I know if you were around in the early 90's that song was tight and still is. But the menu for NBA Live 2000 isnt very good. When you press the "O" button, a menu pops up from the side and presents many scrunched up icons that do not mean much when you look at it. For example theres a stick figure for "players" and a group of stick figures for "rosters". This isnt too great. And somehow they mixed in re-order roster, Trades, and FA signings in one screen. I like their attempt to make everything simple & in one place but in actuality they made the screen much more complicated. So much so, that most people believe there is no create a player mode. (Its actually at players, but dont press X, press the right arrow) The presentation for the game is pretty good, but something we've already seen, but now with Reggie Theus providing "color commentary". The speech is garbled & choppy and Theus' addition doesnt do much to the game except update you on your players stats occasionally. Yet, overall the presentation is good, but basically something we've seen before.
Sound
Well Live thrashes to a start with the track "Hip Hop Horray", which I know gets a big thumbs up. Yet it seems to me that the rest of the music isnt that good. Its rap, which is good, but its more old school and I dont know if its even that. The rap is good, but the background music is kinda funky. But, the songs are good enough, lets remember that this is a playstation game, its not gonna blast out with DMX. The sound effects are good, but again something we've had for a while. The only difference is the addition of Reggie Theus, a stoic and choppy sounding commentator, who could have been left out. However, Don Poier's commentary is very good, something I this year picked over the Arena Announcer (which is also good), even though I don't know exactly why I did because the commentary is basically the same. But.. I don't like the sound they try to put into the 1 on 1 game. They try to put in some trash talking into the scene, but it doesnt fit. When people are out on the court, they dont talk as nice as EA says they do. I can guarantee you they dont say "No Wayyyyyyyy" when they get decked and hit the floor. EA trys to put in a little too much here, and I'd prefer to turn that part of Live Off. The quality of sound is excellent however, and overall the sound is good.
OVERALL
NBA Live 2000 promised a great improvement in gameplay, and it gave us exactly that. The graphics are essentially the same as 1999, and the options are almost exactly alike. What NBA Live 2000 has to offer is good clean simulation basketball, with very realistic gameplay and great retired players. Now, Do I think you should buy NBA Live 2000 if you haven't? Well it depends. If youre into simulation basketball, updated rosters, and a game that can make you feel like this is the real NBA, get NBA Live 2000. If you are content with NBA live 99 and see no room for improvement in gameplay, then I do not reccomend buying this game. In some aspects even 1999 has better graphics than 2000, because it is not choppy and has more camera angles. But if you are looking for an arcade basketball game, I reccomend Live 2000, because not only can you play arcade mode, which is very similar in many ways to NBA Jam, but 1 on 1 also...with all rules off if you would like. NBA Live 2000 is a very good game, and exactly what we expected. Now, heres the question, can Live get any better on the playstation, or is this the pinnacle? I am not too sure , but I think we have reached the playstations potential. So, I recommend every night you go over to your playstation and give it a little hug, because its leaving soon - if you expect to play a better basketball game than NBA Live 2000. :)
Graphics - 8.0
Gameplay - 9.0
Presentation - 9.0
Sound - 8.5
Overall - 9.0
Thank you for reading my review, I hope my comments have helped you in your descision to buy NBA live 2000. Please click one banner at least before you leave, you lose nothing but 2 seconds of your time! Thank you!
Join The adClix WebSite Revenue Program
Copyright (C) 1999 Jordair23@aol.com
