PSP

NBA

NBA isn’t a complex basketball game. It doesn’t offer a myriad of gameplay options or modes. It does, however, provide competent gameplay, and a satisfactory audio-visual component. The multiplayer, though, is well implemented. There is something remarkable about being able to play against someone miles away on a portable. If you plan on using the game’s online component, NBA is a good purchase. Otherwise, wait for more capable basketball games to be released.

NBA as a few things going for it including being the only basketball game currently available for the PSP. If you enjoy videogame hoops and simply must have it for your new handheld then it’s probably worth your time and money. Serious fans of the sport will likely want to wait for something better to come along, at least something with more reliable shooting mechanics and much better A.I.

In fact, NBA 2005 is best for quick pick up games. Multiplayer WiFi mode enables two players to go head-to-head or up to eight players can take on the mini-games. There's decent five-on-five basketball if you don't mind playing in the Follow view, but the mini's can be an entertaining way to while away the time. This isn't a game that's going to make you want to abandon your big-screen basketball games by any means, but it can be enough to temporarily satisfy a serious basketball jones.

NBA is fun only part of the time, and during that time it feels shallow. Where's the depth? The crazed addictiveness of Gretzky NHL? The polished controls of World Tour Soccer? They're nowhere in sight. All that's there is a game that, while moderately impressive on the PSP, would leave you feeling gypped on any of the home consoles. Rent it for kicks, but save your dough for something more fulfilling.

For all its faults, NBA is a decent full court basketball game. In truth there hasn?t been a really great one, no matter the system. The two on two and twenty-one varieties have been done very well, but no one has been extremely successful at anything where you control more than two players at a time. So I wouldn?t say that NBA is any worse than its predecessors (with the exception of the double-tap to shoot) but it doesn?t solve many of the glaring issues that exist with this type of game. Still, It?s portable and online at the same time; two features that will go far towards selling copies of this particular game.

989 Sports has a good foundation here for the future in NBA. The shooting system, if implemented again along with a reduced block ratio, could be good though I can imagine it being far too easy after a while (similar to the system 989 used with the NCAA Final Four games on PlayStation 1 long ago). Get rid of the free throw system for something more conventional and intuitive, make the game more portable friendly in the graphics department, and fix the slippery gameplay and you might have a heck of a basketball game for NBA 2006 – but for now, NBA is a flawed game that has some awesome mini-games hampered by a troubled simulation end. If you need a hoops sim and can't stand NBA Street, or want something to play online and show off how cool Wi-Fi can be, this is your only choice, and that might be good enough as long as the problems with the game can be forgiven with time.

As much as I despise the "cha-ching" sound effect that accompanies the perfect release of a shot, I actually had a decent time with this game.

did appreciate the full-featured (for a handheld game) modes available, including a smooth multi-player mode and a couple of cool mini-games. Hopefully next year's model will expand the mini-games and add a deep franchise/dynasty mode to give the game more longevity. That is assuming Sony punches up the gameplay enough that I'd want to play longer.

989 has a good foundation for a basketball franchise here, but one can’t help but feel the title was rushed out the door to make the system’s launch. The graphics are great, and the mini-games and WiFi are great additional features, but the basic gameplay has a lot of problems, and the audio is virtually non-existent. If you’re a hoops fan looking for a quick game and some enjoyable mini-games, NBA will get the job done; but if you’re expecting deep gameplay, you’ll probably wind up disappointed.

Even though it's currently the only game in town in regards to NBA action, its really hard to recommend NBA, even for the most hardcore of basketball fans. There are some really good ideas in the game, but the number of flaws end up outweighing the good parts. If you really must have a basketball game, then NBA is your only option, otherwise its probably best to wait for another basketball game to come around.

Considering that this is the first basketball title on the PSP, you’d really hope that the sport came out with a slam dunk. Unfortunately, NBA comes across more like an air ball or a hard brick off the backboard. A limited seasonal play, shoddy AI and an inaccurate shooting mechanic has NBA riding the pine instead of charging the court. Definitely for the fanatical B-Ball player only.

When you first start playing, NBA looks like it's going to be a lot of fun, especially with the promise of online head-to-head play, but ultimately the game is a let-down on several levels. Weak AI combined with problematic controls make for an experience that is more frustrating than it needs to be. I suggest waiting to see how NBA Street turns out before committing to NBA for your roundball fix on the PSP.

It should be said that NBA includes almost everything it needs in terms of options-season, playoff, and even online modes are integrated (for both LAN and Internet play). Even better, the included minigames provide great short bursts of twitch gameplay when you're not quite up for a full game. NBA's certainly not a bad game by any stretch, but simply feels half-baked-somewhat of a throwback to NBA Shootout 2000 on my PlayStation, when I was expecting something a bit more contemporary.

In the end, NBA feels like a title with a lot of potential that just fell short in too many areas. It doesn’t help matters that there are now quite a few other basketball games on the PSP that play better and are a lot more fun. No turbo, dull Mini-Games, an unintuitive shooting system and an audio presentation that is sorely lacking... rent this one at best (but give MLB a try for sure).

Even though NBA does offer wireless head-to-head play, several game modes, and the unique advantage of being the only hoops game to ship with the PSP, these features are really all the game has to offer. Its core gameplay is decent, but roundball fans with more discerning tastes are sure to find plenty of faults with the game and likely won't be satisfied. NBA also makes a nice effort at trying to stand out with its unique shooting mechanic, but the two-button-press method of shooting just ended up being too awkward and unintuitive to be considered a plus. Unless you're absolutely set on having a basketball game to play on the go, you're probably better off waiting for better hoops offerings to come along on the PSP.

If you can get over these issues in the gameplay (we couldn't), feel free to try some multiplayer with nearby folks who are also dissatisfied with their recent purchase of the game. It might make you feel a little better in the long run.

To its credit, NBA 2005 is playable, and if you're just messing around with a friend I'm sure you'll have some level of fun, but I just plain think it's one of the few bad PSP launch games. It's an embarrassment to the sport of basketball as portrayed by videogames, a pick-up game between ten players who have broken legs and are trying to walk on them. I'm disappointed that Sony and 989 would release such a product for what should be a sensational console launch. If NBA represented the actual National Basketball Association, I'd pray for a lock out.

It's hard reviewing titles early in the life of a console, as no one's quite sure what the system is capable of. If this is the best that the PSP can offer for basketball titles, though, it's going to be disappointing for sports gamers. The on the court basketball is an uneven mess, and the game's "Season Mode" is an embarrassment. The online play is smooth and the "Quick Games" are a bit of fun, but this isn't a game I can recommend to any serious sports gamer.

Seeing as how NBA Street Showdown doesn't ship until the end of April, NBA is the only option available to PSP owners itching for a basketball fix, but honestly, it's probably worth waiting. B-ball fans with expendable income might find themselves entertained for a little while, but soon enough, the lack of depth will become painfully obvious. There aren't enough simulation options here to justify its differentiation from EA's action-oriented offering, and though you'll be missing out on online play, that's about the only thing you'll be missing out on.