This is an NBA Live game review for PlayStation and Xbox. NBA Live is one of EA's most popular video games. Each year, numerous basketball games are released but NBA Live's yearly version always seems to be among the front runners. 2010's edition is no different, with its quality graphics, user input, and animations, this very last version of NBA Live has received extremely positive reviews.
NBA Live 2010 featured additional jerseys, a first for the franchise. Throwback jerseys from the 1980s and 1990s were added in as well as several alternate ones for a number of teams. Using special codes, even more uniforms and shoes can be unlocked. It is unsure if every team will receive new game jerseys but two codes have been announced so far and more are likely to come.
The animations in this version received a major overhaul too. The video game boasts faster and more fluid graphics that allow for ultimate play. Details like the in game graphics and basketball courts were made to appear extremely real. It is a little grainy when zoomed in on some screens but overall looks very well. The players, the background, and other smaller graphics are also more detailed. This year's game has a more realistic background, unlike the previous installments. Crowd members were designed to look and sound more lifelike and real. The players themselves were made with more personal and exact details such as personal accessories, hairstyles, and tattoos. The stars in this year's edition were made to be easily recognizable than previous ones. The game's controls were altered slightly so that it isn't necessary to control the players one hundred percent of the time. Using this auto mode can result in more turnovers though. For those who want to, it is quite possible to expand the control over the players.
Game play on this year's NBA Live was made simple enough so that even someone who has never played any basketball video games will still be able to get the hang of it. Actions like passing and shooting are single button functions. Both of the PlayStation and Xbox use the main joy stick on the controllers to move the players around. It is simple to play defense as well, just position one of the basketball players in front of one from the opposing team will result in the sim automatically doing the rest. The revamp of the players' DNA from previous versions has largely improved too. The last edition's DNA will update each NBA player's abilities and attitudes nearly instantly. This latest version will also let players to compete in real games nearly as they occur in real time. And with the NBA's rosters and change ups updating immediately inside the game, it means for a much better Dynasty Mode too.
This version's soundtrack was revamped and updated to more current artists and bands. This year, there are a lot more songs, which drastically cuts down on the redundancy of music during the training mode and games. The tracks were even programmed to react to the tempo of the games to get the user more involved.
