NBA Live 06 - Review
Added November 29th, 2005 by Kisan Parikh
Introduction:
Many had high expectations for NBA Live 06 for the Xbox 360. The Xbox version (non-backwards compatible) was great, the screens were pretty, and the next-gen was being hyped up like crazy. Unfortunately, NBA Live 06, just like Madden 06, really doesn’t offer anything close to what was expected. For those that were disappointed by Madden’s lack of depth, brace yourselves, because NBA Live 06 takes this lack of depth to a whole new level.
Gameplay:
The game starts off by throwing you into the futuristic Practice Gym right from the start. This Practice Gym allows you to play around with dunks and shots with the player of your choice, but it also serves to be the backdrop for the slick D-Pad based menus. This is great stuff, but that’s about where the good stuff ends.
Many had high expectations for NBA Live 06 for the Xbox 360. The Xbox version (non-backwards compatible) was great, the screens were pretty, and the next-gen was being hyped up like crazy. Unfortunately, NBA Live 06, just like Madden 06, really doesn’t offer anything close to what was expected. For those that were disappointed by Madden’s lack of depth, brace yourselves, because NBA Live 06 takes this lack of depth to a whole new level.
Gameplay:
The game starts off by throwing you into the futuristic Practice Gym right from the start. This Practice Gym allows you to play around with dunks and shots with the player of your choice, but it also serves to be the backdrop for the slick D-Pad based menus. This is great stuff, but that’s about where the good stuff ends.
The gameplay in the 360 version of NBA Live 06 can be described in one word: constipated. A sluggish and tiring pace has replaced the fast-action gameplay that we have seen in past Live games. This truly feels like a completely different game than the Xbox version, and this isn’t in a good way either. EA obviously was aiming to make the game more simulation-styled, and this is apparent with the improved AI defense. Unfortunately, the game just feels way too slow and loses much of the fun factor.
To make matters worse, the camera in the 360’s NBA Live 06 is just atrocious. The default camera quite often fails to follow the play. You are forced to watch plays from a distance as you make long passes, and sometimes, believe it or not, the ball handler isn’t even in view. The camera work seems to focus on the wrong thing at the wrong time, and it is a constant annoyance. The additional view options were just as bad, and following the wrongly-paced gameplay was a pain.
The one nice gameplay addition is the new coaching system. At every stoppage of play you have the option of adjusting your game to suit the opposition. You can change lineups, offensive strategies, defensive strategies, and even set up plays. This is all done through the D-Pad, and you are forced to manage time as well. If you can’t get everything done in the set amount of time, you are forced to use a time out. The new system is intuitive and cool, but it doesn’t fix the gameplay problems.
Just as was done in Madden 06, popular features were cut out of Live 06. The fantastic Freestyle Superstar Feature was cut completely. This was the feature that infused individuality into the series as it gave different types of players a unique arsenal of moves on both sides of the ball. After playing with this feature in the Xbox version, the game felt like it was immensely lacking something.
In addition, game modes have been slashed with impetus for the 360 version. Remember the All-Star Weekend that everybody loved? Gone. That means no 3-Point Contest and even worse, no Dunk Contest. The Dunk Contest will be missed the most, as it provided great alternative Live gameplay. The worst news, however, is that Dynasty Mode got the axe as well. In its place we have received Season Mode.
Season Mode allows you to play a single season in an attempt to win the championship. You are given only the bare essentials such as trading and free agents, and there isn’t even a salary cap. Any form of Dynasty Mode would have topped this last-minute throw in. I don’t see why anyone would put time into generating the spiffy new menus when there wasn’t a solid single player game mode.
The game modes that are offered in this version are simply Play Now, Season Mode, and Xbox Live. There is a well-developed Create-A-Player mode, but honestly, who cares? There’s not much of a game to use your customized player in anyways. The Xbox Live mode of play is the basics that you would expect. Nothing was expanded on from the Xbox’s version. You are able to create and join matches, and you can also hop into lobbies to find competitors. There was minimal lag online, but the gameplay lags enough on its own.
The gameplay of NBA Live 06 on the 360 gets away from the high-speed, arcade gameplay of past Live games, and the game ends up feeling way too slow. The game is a much thinner version of the Xbox counterpart with no Superstar Moves or All-Star Weekend. Dynasty Mode being left out is merely the knockout punch.
Graphics:
NBA Live 06 is a very good looking game with nothing to back it up. Opening sequences with players being introduced look great, and the players are more real than ever. The build of every player looks accurate, and the facial mapping is near perfect. Big name players such as Shaq and Dwayne Wade closely resemble their real life counterparts. Additionally, there are some nice depictions of sweat in the game. Animations are jaw-dropping for the most part, especially on big dunks, but some areas of the game look a bit blocky at times.
To make matters worse, the camera in the 360’s NBA Live 06 is just atrocious. The default camera quite often fails to follow the play. You are forced to watch plays from a distance as you make long passes, and sometimes, believe it or not, the ball handler isn’t even in view. The camera work seems to focus on the wrong thing at the wrong time, and it is a constant annoyance. The additional view options were just as bad, and following the wrongly-paced gameplay was a pain.
The one nice gameplay addition is the new coaching system. At every stoppage of play you have the option of adjusting your game to suit the opposition. You can change lineups, offensive strategies, defensive strategies, and even set up plays. This is all done through the D-Pad, and you are forced to manage time as well. If you can’t get everything done in the set amount of time, you are forced to use a time out. The new system is intuitive and cool, but it doesn’t fix the gameplay problems.
Just as was done in Madden 06, popular features were cut out of Live 06. The fantastic Freestyle Superstar Feature was cut completely. This was the feature that infused individuality into the series as it gave different types of players a unique arsenal of moves on both sides of the ball. After playing with this feature in the Xbox version, the game felt like it was immensely lacking something.
In addition, game modes have been slashed with impetus for the 360 version. Remember the All-Star Weekend that everybody loved? Gone. That means no 3-Point Contest and even worse, no Dunk Contest. The Dunk Contest will be missed the most, as it provided great alternative Live gameplay. The worst news, however, is that Dynasty Mode got the axe as well. In its place we have received Season Mode.
Season Mode allows you to play a single season in an attempt to win the championship. You are given only the bare essentials such as trading and free agents, and there isn’t even a salary cap. Any form of Dynasty Mode would have topped this last-minute throw in. I don’t see why anyone would put time into generating the spiffy new menus when there wasn’t a solid single player game mode.
The game modes that are offered in this version are simply Play Now, Season Mode, and Xbox Live. There is a well-developed Create-A-Player mode, but honestly, who cares? There’s not much of a game to use your customized player in anyways. The Xbox Live mode of play is the basics that you would expect. Nothing was expanded on from the Xbox’s version. You are able to create and join matches, and you can also hop into lobbies to find competitors. There was minimal lag online, but the gameplay lags enough on its own.
The gameplay of NBA Live 06 on the 360 gets away from the high-speed, arcade gameplay of past Live games, and the game ends up feeling way too slow. The game is a much thinner version of the Xbox counterpart with no Superstar Moves or All-Star Weekend. Dynasty Mode being left out is merely the knockout punch.
Graphics:
NBA Live 06 is a very good looking game with nothing to back it up. Opening sequences with players being introduced look great, and the players are more real than ever. The build of every player looks accurate, and the facial mapping is near perfect. Big name players such as Shaq and Dwayne Wade closely resemble their real life counterparts. Additionally, there are some nice depictions of sweat in the game. Animations are jaw-dropping for the most part, especially on big dunks, but some areas of the game look a bit blocky at times.
In addition to the players, the arenas featured in the game look great. The crowd is fully three-dimensional and reacts according to what happens on the court. During gameplay the fans are given a nice blur effect. Unfortunately the fact that the camera is so goofy hurts the game visually, because there are many times when it is hard to follow the action.
As mentioned earlier, NBA Live is visually strong in the menu system. The presentation is great and options can be accessed through sliding menus or through the intuitive D-Pad system. On the grand scheme of things, NBA Live is superb graphically, but the impressive visual aspects only stand up for so long due to lackluster gameplay.
Audio:
The other strong aspect of the game has to do with how it sounds. The crowd really gets into the game, and roars when your team is on a run. The crowd reactions are given a bit more attention than the commentating and in-game sounds, and I like the way this works. The play-by-play is scaled back by not being as abundant as we have previously seen. Steve Kerr and Marv Albert do their job well.
The soundtrack is another solid one from EA, and it features a good mix of songs that fit the game’s atmosphere. For those who prefer their own tunes, don’t worry, because the 360 allows you to listen to your own songs whenever you want.
Controls:
The control scheme for the game was slightly altered to match the Xbox 360’s controller. The shoulder buttons are used to execute direct passes and ally-oops. Nothing is too much of a surprise in terms of the general control layout, and everything works just like in has in the past.
The new between-play strategy system is seamlessly integrated into the D-Pad. This new feature is much more intuitive than digging through the start menu to change lineups and strategies. I’m hoping that next year’s version will allow me to use this feature in a game that has a better pace.
Replay:
NBA Live 06 for the Xbox 360 absolutely suffers in terms of replay value. With so many features omitted, there aren’t many hours that you could get out of the game. For those who can tolerate the gameplay, online play might provide some good playing time. Unfortunately, there aren’t any new online features to be enjoyed in this game. Now that EA has finished building their graphics system, I’m hoping that I can look forward to some actual modes of play in next year’s version of the game. As of now, those without Xbox Live won’t get many hours out of NBA Live at all due to the fact that Season Mode is a throwaway.
As mentioned earlier, NBA Live is visually strong in the menu system. The presentation is great and options can be accessed through sliding menus or through the intuitive D-Pad system. On the grand scheme of things, NBA Live is superb graphically, but the impressive visual aspects only stand up for so long due to lackluster gameplay.
Audio:
The other strong aspect of the game has to do with how it sounds. The crowd really gets into the game, and roars when your team is on a run. The crowd reactions are given a bit more attention than the commentating and in-game sounds, and I like the way this works. The play-by-play is scaled back by not being as abundant as we have previously seen. Steve Kerr and Marv Albert do their job well.
The soundtrack is another solid one from EA, and it features a good mix of songs that fit the game’s atmosphere. For those who prefer their own tunes, don’t worry, because the 360 allows you to listen to your own songs whenever you want.
Controls:
The control scheme for the game was slightly altered to match the Xbox 360’s controller. The shoulder buttons are used to execute direct passes and ally-oops. Nothing is too much of a surprise in terms of the general control layout, and everything works just like in has in the past.
The new between-play strategy system is seamlessly integrated into the D-Pad. This new feature is much more intuitive than digging through the start menu to change lineups and strategies. I’m hoping that next year’s version will allow me to use this feature in a game that has a better pace.
Replay:
NBA Live 06 for the Xbox 360 absolutely suffers in terms of replay value. With so many features omitted, there aren’t many hours that you could get out of the game. For those who can tolerate the gameplay, online play might provide some good playing time. Unfortunately, there aren’t any new online features to be enjoyed in this game. Now that EA has finished building their graphics system, I’m hoping that I can look forward to some actual modes of play in next year’s version of the game. As of now, those without Xbox Live won’t get many hours out of NBA Live at all due to the fact that Season Mode is a throwaway.
Summary:
All things considered, NBA Live 06 is a giant letdown to those expecting bigger and better things on the Xbox 360. Sadly, the game offers much less than the Xbox version, and gamers are expected to pay more but get less. We did get everything we saw in the screenshots, but there is nothing at all behind the great graphics. The modes of play from the Xbox version have been omitted, and Season Mode has absolutely no depth. This year’s title seems rushed and unfinished, and you should probably wait until next year’s version before investing in the Live series on the Xbox 360.
All things considered, NBA Live 06 is a giant letdown to those expecting bigger and better things on the Xbox 360. Sadly, the game offers much less than the Xbox version, and gamers are expected to pay more but get less. We did get everything we saw in the screenshots, but there is nothing at all behind the great graphics. The modes of play from the Xbox version have been omitted, and Season Mode has absolutely no depth. This year’s title seems rushed and unfinished, and you should probably wait until next year’s version before investing in the Live series on the Xbox 360.
