Regardless of which game you choose, there's no denying it's a great year to be a fan of basketball video games.
I've never really given much thought to the athletes that grace the cover of sports video games -- unless you count not drafting the "Madden" coverboy for my fantasy football team, that is. But having played both EA Sports' "NBA Live 10" and 2K Sports' "NBA 2K10," it's downright eerie how the games seem to be a reflection of the players on the front of their respective boxes.
"NBA 2K10" features Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. Both have been arguably the best in their respective fields for some time now. Both have won multiple championships -- Kobe has four NBA rings and 2K's basketball franchise has claimed the title of "Best Basketball Video Game" every year since making the leap to current-gen. Most importantly, fans have come to know just what to expect from both the player and the game.
Meanwhile Orlando's Dwight Howard, one of the league's most energetic and exciting players, is featured in "NBA Live 10." Like Howard, "Live 10" is a breath of fresh air. Both bring new life to their respective arenas, electrifying fans with glimpses of their raw potential. But at the end of the day, both are still rough around the edges and need a little more polish before they're ready to contend for a title.
Here's a closer look at this year's crop of NBA video games:
"NBA 2K10"
"NBA 2K10" returns to the court with the same solid gameplay the franchise is known for, but many of the same legacy problems return, as well. It's still way too easy to drive to the basket (whether playing against the computer or another person) and alley-oops are almost automatic. A new fatigue system prevents players from abusing the turbo boost, which is a nice addition, and I was happy to see that individual players and teams still perform like their real-world counterparts. Few changes have been made to online play or The Association (although the NBA Developmental League is now included.)
Visually, "2K10" looks outstanding with lifelike player models and more signature animations than any other basketball game around. Arenas have received a makeover this year, as well, though the end result has been noticable slowdown and stuttering during games in certain buildings. Hopefully this can be addressed with a patch as it's quite noticable and really detracts from the experience.
The biggest changes have been made to the presentation, where the new NBA Today mode and dynamic commentary combine to make "2K10" one of the engrossing sports titles around. NBA Today brings the real into your game, allowing you to play any game on a given day's actual schedule. Not only will your rosters be automatically updated to reflect any changes in your players' performance, but the commentators will discuss actual happenings in the league. They'll talk about past performances, upcoming games and even holidays. It's an amazing package and really helps lift "2K10" above the competition.
"NBA Live 10"
Gameplay is what sets "Live 10" apart and, despite some quirks, it delivers the most enjoyable hoops experience out there. "Live 10" is just plain fun to play and a refreshing change of pace. Games are generally more realistically paced -- I can finally play 12-minute quarters and get accurate stats and scores -- with teams content to take mid-range jumpers and run set plays rather than try to drive to the bucket every time down the floor. It's still possible to get to the rim, but I've had games against both the AI and humans where the number of combined dunks could be counted on one hand. I love it that EA confined shooting to one button, and court spacing and player movement are fantastic -- watching a shooter like Rip Hamilton come off a screen to bury a jumper is a thing of beauty.
While "Live 10" does a lot right, it still has flaws that need to be addressed. Rebounding leaves plenty to be desired as players will sometimes stand around and watch the ball bounce around instead of aggressively tracking it down. This NEVER happens in the NBA and it's quite jarring to see it here. Also, there are way too many steals/intercepted passes/tipped balls by the AI. Yes, some of these turnovers were my fault but in some games it becomes downright ridiculous. And the new sizeup dribbling moves can be exploited with ease, especially on the perimeter. Yet even with its problems, I still had a blast playing "Live 10."
On the features side, "Live 10" integrates the real NBA into the game with not only Dynamic DNA -- which affects individual players and teams -- but a new Dynamic Season mode. Now gamers can play any game on the schedule and have their stats combined with those of the actual games. While this is a neat addition for diehard basketball fans, I'm not completely sold on the idea and I can't see this taking time away from my regular dynasty mode. Online now features full 5-on-5 play with the Adidas Live Run and offline there's a 32-team FIBA World Championship tournament.
In my review of "NBA Live 09," I talked about that game being the first step toward the series returning to glory. Well, a year has passed and EA hasn't taken another step -- it has taken a significant leap forward. But 2K has stepped up to the plate and matched EA shot-for-shot with its NBA Today feature and some amazing visuals. Regardless of which game you choose, there's no denying it's a great year to be a fan of basketball video games. Both games are certainly worthy of a purchase and I'm sure I'll be spending time with both this winter.
I've never really given much thought to the athletes that grace the cover of sports video games -- unless you count not drafting the "Madden" coverboy for my fantasy football team, that is. But having played both EA Sports' "NBA Live 10" and 2K Sports' "NBA 2K10," it's downright eerie how the games seem to be a reflection of the players on the front of their respective boxes.
"NBA 2K10" features Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. Both have been arguably the best in their respective fields for some time now. Both have won multiple championships -- Kobe has four NBA rings and 2K's basketball franchise has claimed the title of "Best Basketball Video Game" every year since making the leap to current-gen. Most importantly, fans have come to know just what to expect from both the player and the game.
Meanwhile Orlando's Dwight Howard, one of the league's most energetic and exciting players, is featured in "NBA Live 10." Like Howard, "Live 10" is a breath of fresh air. Both bring new life to their respective arenas, electrifying fans with glimpses of their raw potential. But at the end of the day, both are still rough around the edges and need a little more polish before they're ready to contend for a title.
Here's a closer look at this year's crop of NBA video games:
"NBA 2K10"
"NBA 2K10" returns to the court with the same solid gameplay the franchise is known for, but many of the same legacy problems return, as well. It's still way too easy to drive to the basket (whether playing against the computer or another person) and alley-oops are almost automatic. A new fatigue system prevents players from abusing the turbo boost, which is a nice addition, and I was happy to see that individual players and teams still perform like their real-world counterparts. Few changes have been made to online play or The Association (although the NBA Developmental League is now included.)
Visually, "2K10" looks outstanding with lifelike player models and more signature animations than any other basketball game around. Arenas have received a makeover this year, as well, though the end result has been noticable slowdown and stuttering during games in certain buildings. Hopefully this can be addressed with a patch as it's quite noticable and really detracts from the experience.
The biggest changes have been made to the presentation, where the new NBA Today mode and dynamic commentary combine to make "2K10" one of the engrossing sports titles around. NBA Today brings the real into your game, allowing you to play any game on a given day's actual schedule. Not only will your rosters be automatically updated to reflect any changes in your players' performance, but the commentators will discuss actual happenings in the league. They'll talk about past performances, upcoming games and even holidays. It's an amazing package and really helps lift "2K10" above the competition.
"NBA Live 10"
Gameplay is what sets "Live 10" apart and, despite some quirks, it delivers the most enjoyable hoops experience out there. "Live 10" is just plain fun to play and a refreshing change of pace. Games are generally more realistically paced -- I can finally play 12-minute quarters and get accurate stats and scores -- with teams content to take mid-range jumpers and run set plays rather than try to drive to the bucket every time down the floor. It's still possible to get to the rim, but I've had games against both the AI and humans where the number of combined dunks could be counted on one hand. I love it that EA confined shooting to one button, and court spacing and player movement are fantastic -- watching a shooter like Rip Hamilton come off a screen to bury a jumper is a thing of beauty.
While "Live 10" does a lot right, it still has flaws that need to be addressed. Rebounding leaves plenty to be desired as players will sometimes stand around and watch the ball bounce around instead of aggressively tracking it down. This NEVER happens in the NBA and it's quite jarring to see it here. Also, there are way too many steals/intercepted passes/tipped balls by the AI. Yes, some of these turnovers were my fault but in some games it becomes downright ridiculous. And the new sizeup dribbling moves can be exploited with ease, especially on the perimeter. Yet even with its problems, I still had a blast playing "Live 10."
On the features side, "Live 10" integrates the real NBA into the game with not only Dynamic DNA -- which affects individual players and teams -- but a new Dynamic Season mode. Now gamers can play any game on the schedule and have their stats combined with those of the actual games. While this is a neat addition for diehard basketball fans, I'm not completely sold on the idea and I can't see this taking time away from my regular dynasty mode. Online now features full 5-on-5 play with the Adidas Live Run and offline there's a 32-team FIBA World Championship tournament.
In my review of "NBA Live 09," I talked about that game being the first step toward the series returning to glory. Well, a year has passed and EA hasn't taken another step -- it has taken a significant leap forward. But 2K has stepped up to the plate and matched EA shot-for-shot with its NBA Today feature and some amazing visuals. Regardless of which game you choose, there's no denying it's a great year to be a fan of basketball video games. Both games are certainly worthy of a purchase and I'm sure I'll be spending time with both this winter.
"NBA 2K10"
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Sports
Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($59.99)
Rating: E for everyone
Score: 8.7/10
"NBA Live 10"
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($59.99)
Rating: E for everyone
Score: 8.5/10
