This is an NBA Live game review for PlayStation and Xbox. NBA Live is one of EA's most popular video games. Each year, numerous basketball games are released but NBA Live's yearly version always seems to be among the front runners. 2010's edition is no different, with its quality graphics, user input, and animations, this very last version of NBA Live has received extremely positive reviews.
NBA Live 2010 featured additional jerseys, a first for the franchise. Throwback jerseys from the 1980s and 1990s were added in as well as several alternate ones for a number of teams. Using special codes, even more uniforms and shoes can be unlocked. It is unsure if every team will receive new game jerseys but two codes have been announced so far and more are likely to come.
The game's graphics also received a massive overhaul. It features smoother and quicker animations that allow for a more maximum play. Items like the courts and lights were designed to look more realistic. When enhanced on a plasma screen, the game is grainier but overall looks extremely well. Other smaller graphics like the background and the players are more detailed as well. Unlike previous installments, this year's NBA Live game has a much more realistic background. The members of the crowd were designed to look more real and lifelike. Even the players themselves were give more exact and personal details such as tattoos, hairstyles, and other accessories. The basketball stars in this edition were made to be more easily recognized than previous ones.
The game's controls were altered slightly so that it isn't necessary to control the players one hundred percent of the time. Using this auto mode can result in more turnovers though. For those who want to, it is quite possible to expand the control over the players. Game play on this year's NBA Live was made simple enough so that even someone who has never played any basketball video games will still be able to get the hang of it. Actions like passing and shooting are single button functions. Both of the PlayStation and Xbox use the main joy stick on the controllers to move the players around. It is simple to play defense as well, just position one of the basketball players in front of one from the opposing team will result in the sim automatically doing the rest. The revamp of the players' DNA from previous versions has largely improved too. The last edition's DNA will update each NBA player's abilities and attitudes nearly instantly. This latest version will also let players to compete in real games nearly as they occur in real time. And with the NBA's rosters and change ups updating immediately inside the game, it means for a much better Dynasty Mode too.
The soundtrack was updated and revamped for this version to include more current bands and artists. There are more songs this year and that cuts down drastically on the music's redundancy during the game and training mode. They were programmed to change and react to the beat of the games.
