Xbox

NBA Live 06

EA’s NBA Live 06 delivers with its incredible new gameplay feature, Freestyle Superstars. The game focuses on showing a difference between player types aside from merely what position they play. EA has also provided a great boost in visuals, and the addition of an Xbox Live enabled All-Star Weekend is huge. This game is sure to provide hours of fun for many, and I recommend that all NBA fans pick this one up.

This is my favorite two-player sports game of the year so far. The Superstar moves really change the way you play the game, and for the better, as for the first time in years you can really tell the difference between players like Shaq and Eric Dampier. I also really enjoyed the deep Dynasty mode and Player Evolution. The ability to take a team like the Bobcats, develop your rookies any way you want, and watch as some young shooter off the bench becomes the next Reggie Miller is something that will keep you in the game until the real Bobcats make the playoffs for real.

Although there are a few problems with the Freestyle Superstar system, it's still one of the most innovative elements we've ever seen in an NBA game. Being able to dominate players with Shaq or throw cross-court, no-look passes with Tony Parker is a wonderful addition, and it actually makes you feel like you're playing the game with real NBA players, not just a bunch of identical players. It just may be the next best thing to hitting that buzzer-beater in your driveway.

One of the most enjoyable games the franchise has produced, NBA Live 06 is just one of those games that does the sport right. With a deep Dynasty mode, loads of addictive game modes and its somewhat solid controls this year’s offering is worth the purchase price. While NBA 2K6 has all the goods this year, this is certainly a game you don’t want to skip. Buy this one right away if you’re looking for a good EA Sports basketball game.

I had a lot of fun playing the dunk contest in NBA Live 2005, but I couldn’t really get deep into the actual games. This is not so in NBA Live 06. I’m thoroughly enjoying the actual season games this time around and I have to attribute most of this love to the Freestyle Superstar system. The graphical upgrade is also a surprising inclusion in NBA Live 06, but one that also changes how I view the genre. With a bit more refinement (and more Xbox love) NBA Live 06 would have been legendary. I’ll happily settle for NBA Live 06 right now, and cross my fingers that EA balls above the rim in the next-gen.

EA has probably produced the best Live installment in the series, but that doesn't mean they've made the best basketball game or even touched the potential the series has. There are still some major kinks that could be addressed but perhaps I'm being a bit too picky. After all, it's the most fun and most energetic basketball game out there. It'll be interesting to see what steps EA takes next year, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy owning people in the paint with my overpowered Shaq.

NBA Live 06 is best played amongst a group of friends looking to kick back for some b-ball fun without having to worry too much about realism or depth. The Superstar control sets will ensure that each game has a lengthy highlight reel while keeping the gameplay fast and fun. Fundamental issues with the game and its key features keep it out of the upper echelon of basketball titles.

Despite the addition of the Freestyle Superstar system, NBA Live 2006 doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from its previous versions. For fans of the series, though, don’t let that discourage you from getting the game. By all means, even if it’s just that addition, playing with the superstar skills is pretty fun, and changing them and experimenting to see which ones fit your style of play is very satisfying. The online matches are also highly entertaining as well. I just hope that with the upcoming next-gen versions of Live approaching, EA does something to spice up a series that’s starting to get a stale.

The new graphics engine is anything but impressive and the A.I.-assisted defense could be smarter, but NBA Live 06 still can claim to be ( arguably) the best NBA basketball video game title versus NBA 2K6. Fans of the EA style of sports gaming will be once again thoroughly enjoy shooting the rock with NBA 06, while the smaller majority may prefer NBA 2K6. Still, it’s safe to say that despite not being an unbeatable dynasty amongst NBA video games anymore, NBA Live 06 still provides the deepest NBA basketball gaming experience around, and the many different online offerings via Xbox Live will be especially attractive to online sports gamers looking to satisfy their basketball jones in cyberspace.

NBA Live 06 continues the tradition of a solid EA Sports basketball franchise. There are still some small issues to contend with, but the game is good enough to overshadow most of them. The Freestyle Superstars are a nice addition to the gameplay, and online dunk contests will always be fun. It is another step forward for the NBA Live series. Now I can't wait to see what they do with a next gen system!

While NBA Live 06 makes a couple of steps forward with the Freestyle Superstar Controls, it manages to make a couple steps backward at the same time. The fact that these abilities literally take over and unbalance the game, as well as show up the flaws that the game had from last year makes the title an adequate upgrade for the hardcore fan at best, a mild improvement at worst.

Electronic Arts shows no sign of slowing down as they gobble up anything that gets in their way on the road to total console supremacy. And with the NFL license in the bag, it’s only a matter of time before they take over basketball too. So while I would recommend the 2K series over the EA series just about any day of the week, it would be disingenuous of me to claim that the NBA Live series hasn’t managed to improve with each iteration, finding new innovations to make the experience interesting for those who have yet to be pulled in. NBA Live 06 is hardly a slam dunk, but considering the game’s features as a whole, it’s at least a pretty good lay-up.

Apart from this little side note, NBA Live 06 is better than its predecessor and fans of arcade gameplay will really enjoy the new freestyle superstars. However you’ll have to see for yourself if you want to spend your money on this or rather save it for a more beautiful and probably better Xbox 360 version.

While NBA Live 06 does its best to put a new face on its game with the new superstar abilities and tweaks to its franchise mode, the series as a whole still feels stuck in neutral, like LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers. And both are still waiting to get to the next level... Thankfully, the core gameplay is solid enough that Live 06 is still recommendable to hardcore hoopsters looking to get a jump start on the upcoming NBA season. Those who appreciate the game's arcadelike feel will probably enjoy the superstar abilities a lot, as they are great fun to watch and they bring the game ever closer to an NBA Street look and feel. But for those who want more of a simulation-style game or for those who are looking for more of an evolution from recent iterations of NBA Live, you're probably not going to find what you're looking for in this year's game.

Le bilan est positif mais le faible nombre de nouveautés fait cruellement défaut à la franchise NBA Live. Ce ne sont finalement que quelques détails qui différencient ce volet de son aîné, même si ces derniers sont bien incorporés et fort appréciables. Les fans pourront se jeter dessus mais les hésitants devront attendre la performance de NBA 2K6 avant de faire leur choix.

EA is definitely focusing on an area of the sport that I feel that all developers should be, but the series has fallen far behind NBA 2K6 in nearly every category.

In NBA Live 06, there are so many modes to play. and I found that if you got tired of playing the season, you can always go to one of the other game mode to change things up a bit. I really think EA did a great job on this game, and I found it was like watch a really NBA game on TV. Recommended.

I'm a big fan of playing basketball and I am useless at football - but in the gaming world I would much rather play Pro Evo 5 than NBA Live 06. It's a decent attempt, but it lacks what it used to have, and if you own the 2004 or 2005 version then just stick with them and trade the appropriate players to the correct teams (although it may take some time to do this, it will save you a quiet a few pennies and a lot of disappointment.) What I really want to see is the Pro Evo equivalent of basketball games - soon, please!

There’s a lot to expect from two titles with the same game play, same graphics and same ideas (see the dribble stick). Unfortunately, it imitates the features in 2K6 a great deal. In the end, the replay value is all that matters. NBA Live gives the essential ‘alive’ feeling that most sports games have. The players and controls are very intuitive and the plethora of game modes make this a very interesting title, even more so for tournaments. In the long run NBA Live unfortunately doesn’t stack up with the amounts of moves and 24/7 mode that takes a good portion of 2k6. Still, it is not a terrible game, and it’s definitely worth checking out.

While EA is clearly shying away from a realistic take on the sport, Live 2006 is one of the better entries in the series with the superstar mode being by far its biggest highlight. And even with its fair share of shortcomings, Live 06 is a big enough leap from its predecessors to warrant a look. So, whether you're a veteran of the sport, like yours truly, or a casual newcomer, Live 06 is right up your alley.

Still, it verges on the farcical when you see a guy try to dunk from the three-point line. It also throws the animation and collision system into arrears as it tries to keep up. Fundamentals, people. Fundamentals.

Enjoying NBA Live 06 is really a matter of taste. If you're not down with actually thinking while playing videogames and you don't want to work for your points then you'll probably enjoy this game, and don't think for a second that I'm hatin' on Live and I plan to sing NBA 2K6's praises. 2K Sports' game is definitely a better product when it comes to gameplay, but I have issues with it as well. EA tried to best the competition with innovative features, but like last year, its shot rimmed out.

In the end, however, there is no way I can suggest that any person pay $60 for this game. The most I would pay for this game is $25, and that’s if I had a little money to throw around. If you need a NBA Live game, I suggest that you buy the Xbox or PC version instead. If you need a basketball game for the Xbox 360, I would suggest picking up NBA 2K6. Still, graphically this game is almost perfect, and with slider tweaks, NBA Live can be made into a decent basketball game. Hopefully, EA will focus on the gameplay and adding features in future versions - starting ASAP. With some work, next year's version can have more than just a pretty face.

NBA Live 06 is still a very arcade like game that relies heavily on guard play a little too much. There's still that horrendous rebounding issue and the addition of Freestyle Superstar mode makes some players score too easily. The on court action has improved a little bit but its' still pretty lacking. While the game will surely sell on name value alone, I can't recommend the game too much to basketball fans looking for a good solid representation of the game.