NBA Live: Mobile

NBA Live Mobile is the first game in Electronic Arts' NBA Live series for mobile devices and it is modeled after the concept of Madden NFL Mobile. It combines managing an NBA team and playing games as live events, seasons (with a play-off at the end), head-to-head matches and daily challenges. By doing well additional players can be earned along with collectibles, coins as a currency and experience to level up. Single challenges are grouped together as time limited live events on a map. They are a quick way to earn coins, experience points and fans by completing objectives.

Games are played as full five-on-five matches. A virtual analog stick in the bottom left corner is used to move a player around. The virtual buttons on the right side depend on the moment. While attacking there is a drive button to sprint, a pass button and a shoot button. The shoot button needs to be pressed and held as a vertical meter appear where a marker needs to be timed to get close as possible to the green zone for the best chance of scoring. Dunking and lay-ups can be done when close enough to the ring. While defending there is a guard button that needs to be pressed and held and an additional button to block. Some of the best players have special abilities, for instance allowing them to get a 100% shot when it is done from a specific position on the court. Players are switched automatically, but this can be turned off as well.

Teams can be managed and each player has a different score based on different statistics. Multiple team line-ups can be built based on offensive, defensive or neutral strategies. In multiplayer matches matchmaking is used to find players of a similar level. Each player plays two quarters against a computer opponent (one and three, two and four respectively) and these are then added up for a complete result.

The main currencies coins (basic) and NBA cash (premium) are used to buy player packs. There is also an auction house where players can offer cards and players or bid on them. The game encourages building complete sets to unlock additional players, collectibles and plays. Players can also be upgraded. The premium cash is used mainly in the later stages of the game, to get the best players or to assemble sets quickly. These sets upgrade attributes or provide bronze, silver, gold and legendary players with high statistics. The game is free-to-play and there is an stamina system that has a waiting time when it is empty before a new game can be started. Optionally this can be skipped by spending a currency.