A premiere NBA Finals matchup features basketball's two best teams going at each other shot-for-shot, rebound-for-rebound in an all-out quest for dominance.
That's what we finally have with this year's crop of NBA video games, with EA Sports' latest "NBA Live" installment shaking off the miscues of past years to provide a worthy competitor to the defending champ "NBA 2K" from 2K Sports.
The good news for gamers is you can't go wrong with either one, and the series' 2010 battle is heading into a decisive Game 7 that will likely go into overtime.
Let's go to the highlights.
—"NBA 2K10" (2K Sports, $59.99 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, $49.99 for the Wii): 2K Sports' "NBA 2K" series has been at the top of its game for a while, and it really polished the graphics and broadcast-style presentation for its 10th-anniversary edition.
A revamped main menu highlights the new NBA Today feature, which lists the day's top games if your system is connected to the Internet, so you can jump right into a real matchup. The feature will also pull from what's happening in the league to freshen the commentary from Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg and Cheryl Miller.
The player models and arenas look great, and the crowds' reactions to three-pointers, turnovers and steals seem true-to-life. There are also a ton of little entertaining touches, such as the Mavericks' Champ the Horse mascot annoyingly doing the worm behind the basket during a game in Dallas.
The on-court improvements are subtle but significant. It's tougher to throw into the paint or post, and wide-open players are more likely to hit their outside shots.
The right trigger provides offensive and defensive turbo bursts, but it's best not to overuse this feature. The left trigger, which on defense allows you to key on a player to press him tighter or push him in a certain direction, can be effective, but it's also risky as a quick offensive move could leave the defender in the dust.
There's an occasional glitch or animation delay here or there, but nothing that detracts from the experience.
"NBA 2K10" offers a wealth of game modes, including co-op and head-to-head online play, an NBA Blacktop section that pits current stars versus legends in stylized dunk contests and a new My Player mode, in which gamers can build a player from scratch, begin a career in the summer leagues as an undrafted rookie and shoot for the top.
Three-and-a-half out of four stars.
—"NBA Live 10" (EA Sports, $59.99 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, $49.99 for the Wii): EA Sports is known for its sharp graphics and presentation, but I've never seen vivid colors jump off the screen like they do in "NBA Live 10."
The energy of a packed house begins to build even before the opening tip-off, with star players warming up to cranked-up arena music and crowds going wild for team-specific pregame rituals such as LeBron James' chalk toss.
The detail on the players is outstanding, and they behave on the court like their real-life counterparts. The broadcast team of Marv Albert and Steve Kerr is solid, and they'll work in real-life streaks and stats into the commentary if your system is connected to the Internet.
But it's on the court where "NBA Live 10" really shows its improvement from past installments.
The series has stepped up its defense to make games more realistic, with less frequent fast breaks and fewer wide open paths to the basket.
The new freestyle passing system is intuitive, allowing players to hold the left trigger and point the right stick toward a particular player.
With the title focusing its efforts on presentation and gameplay, "NBA Live 10" does lag behind "NBA 2K10" in game mode offerings.
There are plenty of online options, including head-to-head matches, online leagues and team play, and a new Adidas Live Run feature that lets players jump online and compete with up to nine friends in a five-on-five pickup game.
Dynasty Mode is back, offering players full control of a franchise to hire staff, head into training camp and play a full-season schedule.
One new mode this year is Dynamic Season, which (once the season starts) will let gamers play any scheduled game on a given day.
But noticeably missing is any type of create-a-player career mode, which EA offers in its NHL' series. Maybe this could be added in a future edition.
Three-and-a-half out of four stars.
Game News
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October 7, 2009
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