Electronic Arts NBA Live 07 video game

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Date Published: 3/1/07

Electronic Arts has been trying to make their NBA Live series to basketball video games what Madden NFL is to football video games. NBA Live '07 gets them closer, especially on the Xbox 360, as the next-generation video game features very realistic players and animations and brings in gameplay modes missing from last year's launch title.

These include the Dynasty Mode, the All-Star Weekend, and Superstar controls. The Dynasty Mode puts you in charge of your favorite NBA team, letting you handle everything from scouting recruits to managing player happiness and fatigue. It's a unique way of playing the game from a GM's perspective, and multiple players can control different teams in this mode, which adds a lot of depth to the video game.

The All-Star weekend might just be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the entire video game. Filled with competitions such as a slam dunk contest and 3-point shooting and culminating with the All-Star game, the weekend gives you a nice snapshot of all the video game's features.

Superstar controls give you flexibility with different players, implementing special moves such as extreme dunks or accurate jump shots. Some players can have multiple levels of Superstar skills that are increasingly more difficult to pull off, but also look cooler and further boost your team's momentum. The basic game controls are easy enough to pick up, with these more advanced moves taking some time to master.

The graphics on NBA Live '07 are extremely well done, with recognizable players and smooth animations. There were some noticeable glitches from time to time, such as players that get stuck with one another, but for the most part the gameplay was smooth.

Marv Albert and Steve Kerr deliver the commentary faithfully, and the video game features a strong ESPN tie-in that lets you get current scores and news when you're on Xbox Live - it's a nice touch that integrates the game with real world basketball.

NBA Live '07 isn't a perfect basketball video game, but the next-generation version has caught up with all the features that the current-generation consoles had and delivers them in a well-rendered package.