NBA Live 2004

"Game Surely Doesn't Dissapoint"

The NBA is an ever changing atmosphere. Players are getting traded, players are fighting each other, and one team wins it all in June. EA Sports faithfully recreated the NBA in NBA LIVE 2004.

Putting itself apart from other games, it has added a ''store'' where you can buy shoes, headbands, etc. and equip them to your players. The only complaint I have here is that you can't equip or edit the headbands. The shoes are a nice addition as are the retro jerseys that are rising in popularity today.

The franchise mode (also known as DYNASTY MODE) allows you to choose a team and manage it for 25 years. Build a powerhouse with the likes of Tim Duncan, Stephon Marbury, and Allen Iverson, or develop slowly with a young CAVALIERS team. Either way, franchise mode is very nice. You can develop your team with trades, free agent signings, training camp, and player training. The franchise mode is definitely my favorite. There is also the allstar game which (true to life) is in LA for the 2004 season. The only complaint I have in this mode is that there is no ''Owner Mode'' like Madden, in which you can relocate your team or rebuild your stadium, etc. There is also no other thing besides the allstar game in allstar weekend. There should be a dunk competition or something to give the realism back to the player.

Season mode is good, but I don't like it as much as I do the mighty DYNASTY MODE. You can trade and stuff still but there is no off-season. This mode is probably for the more casual user.

One-On-One Street mode is impressive. It's very fun and you can spend hours on end with this. The multiplayer here is endless. You can go for hours against each other, if you have the right opponent.

Online mode is impressive but not all that it's cracked up to be. I was expecting a lot more, but no. You can still play against people, but the magic just isn't there anymore. The tournaments are never going on, but the buddy list is a great add on to have because you can track your friends and if they are online. A word of advice if you’re going to play this online: Have a headset and a keyboard, because you’ll wanna talk trash and type fast to get an opponent.

All in all, this is a very good game, but the only reason it receives a 9 is because of the headband issue, the dynasty problems, and the online lagging. But if you want the best basketball game on PS2, get this!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/16/04