NBA Live 2004

"If you don't like this, then you don't like NBA basketball!"

Aw, the wait is finally over. One year ago, this game came out of the box and introduced us to the finesse use of the right analog stick to date to achieve “Total Control” of the player. About a half a year ago, I made my GameFAQs game review debut with NBA Live 2003. Now what do I and Live have in common this time around? We mature with age and give people what we want. Talk about tracing back to your roots.

NBA Live is an EA Sports production who have recently been overshadowed by the NBA 2k (now known as ESPN Basketball) series. With some fine-tuning in the gameplay, EA Sports have given us another great installments. Even though the graphics are still a bit blocky and the faces don't seem realistic, the game is still fun to play. Don't ever judge a game by its cover. By the way, the cover star, Vince Carter, is a pretty bold choice since he is kind of injured a bit. Can this be a premonition of the future of this game?

The game has a pretty lackluster introduction. With the generic “It's in the game,” quotes by various superstars, nothing but a not so exhilarating intro movie to a Chingy “Right Thurr (NBA Remix)” and an empty logo and a picture of Vince Carter remains. This all changes once you press the Start button for the first time. First off, they have you choose your favorite team (example: the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, etc...) and then the main menu screens have a team-based them by using the team color schemes and players of the team busting out some pro moves. It may seem like EA is trying to brown nose you just to play their game, but some people don't care.

The most noticeable new feature is the brand new Dynasty Mode. As the team’s owner it's your duty to call the shots of how you manage the team. It may not be as detailed as Madden, but it’s still offers a lot more beneficial benefits for you team’s growth. By racking up major team stats, in any mode (except for 1 on 1 and individual practice) you have a chance to earn Dynasty points. It's earned the same way as Madden, by completing various tasks like making a set number of points, steals, rebounds, and blocks. Using these points can earn you extra coaching help, various workouts, and for you ballers out there...some new gear.

There are plenty of games where people say stuff like, “The game is good, but the graphics look like ****!” Such examples are Grand Theft Auto, Tekken 3, Pac-Man, etcetera, and NBA Live 2004 is no exception. The character models have little resemblance to the real deal. The cool thing is the way EA Sports focuses detail to the environment, in this case, the arena. There are multiple retired jerseys hanging on the rafters, the GM desk looks way classier (however I would expect differently with Mavericks’ owner, Mark Cuban), and the hardwood on the floor can gleam reflections and shadows. It’d be cool if they can include a mop boy to come in during the fast break. ^_^

I love the EA Trax! I just had to get that out of my system. Anyways, hip hop have always been the basketball music of choice. EA has capitalized on this and added nifty remixes of great tracks by Chiggy, Da Brat, and Freeway. Of course, there are original additional music by Sean Paul, Black Eyed Peas, and my favorites…Outkast! Maybe I’m being bias because I love hip hop more than any other music; however, anyone who appreciate the love for music and basketball must give this year’s line up it's share of respect and love.

I'm so lucky that EA Sports didn't screw me over like they did with SSX3. This game is accessible online through about almost every Internet adaptor you can get you hands on. The online play is really good when you want to claim national bragging rights. The more you play, the more you get better, right? Well here, in addition to getting better, if you are good enough, your name can be up in top 100 players online. What a perfect opportunity to show off, huh? In addition to playing friendly matches, you can even set up tournaments for a very competitive neighborhood brawl during a rainy day. Occasionally, EA Sports post up roster updates for those who want their rosters to be perfectly aligned. This may be the only way to have Antoine Walker playing on the Mavericks. Oh yeah did I mention you can use your USB headset to mess with your opponent? Well now you know!

For those who loves a good challenge, Superstar Mode is here to satisfy your every content. Every player in superstar mode utilizes the most fundamentally sound offence and defense worthy to make any coach cry in joy. It's hard to get into the paint, but when you do, watch out for the double team! It's hard to brake down the opposition, but when you do, watch out for a pair of hands coming from nowhere! When you playing against the Lakers...you are pretty much screwed at this point. Man, why did the Mavericks get paired up with the Lakers for the first game of the season?

Yeah, it's kind of obvious that I'm a Mavericks player. Offence is everything to me and this year's fast break is as fast as ever! I swear that a fast break can be a little too fast for me now. Now going in for a dunk is not as easy any more. This year, circle is jump shot only; while, the square button is the dunk and lay-up button. So, if you're a vet to the game, it will look really stupid to put up an open jumper 10 centimeters from the rim. Now if Shaq or Ben Wallace in your face, try pressing square twice to use a floater that hopefully lands into the bin. This can make any defensive stop futile.

Pros
- Looks a lot better from last year
- New expansion team included
- Tournament play online
- USB headset is usable online

Cons
- Two different shot buttons
- No one good on the expansion team
- Arrogant punks online
- Being on the wrong side of a one-sided USB headset “discussion”

This is what's in the game!

How did you wanted me to end this, huh? Alright, the end...happy?

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/25/03