NBA Live 96

"It is better than the new ones"

NBA Live 96 has nothing better than Live 97 or any of the other Live titles available today. The graphics are simpler than those of Live 2002 and 2003 (of course). The sound effects are not as realistic. But, for some reason I enjoy the game better than the newer ones. All of the NBA Live games which came before it lacked features of '96. The only new things that come out of the new games are better graphics, but not necessarily better gameplay, and updated rosters (which is the only thing I wish it had).

Graphics: 7/10

They are not spectacular to be honest. But, I actually like the way the players look, I admit they are very simple and not very detailed, but it looks fine to me. I really like the point of view. This, I guess, is what you could almost say makes me like the game better than the likes of NBA Live 2003 and such. I just like it more. What else can I say.

Sound: 7/10

The music isn't all that bad, some tracks are pretty good, but they could be better. Sound effects are not as good as they could be, but again, that's not what draws me to this game.

Controls: 9/10

Handling and maneuvering your player is very easy in the game. Your shot control is almost perfect, and the controls are basically easy to get used to. Not much to say here.

Gameplay: 10/10

It is a very fun video game. With all of the different features, what's not to love? You have season mode, where the game keeps track of all of your stats. It saves your game right after every match, and you can come back to it any time you want to. If you choose to, you can skip the whole season and go right to the playoffs, but what's the fun in that? In Exhibition mode you can play a game just for the heck of it. There are three difficulty settings to pick from, Rookie, Starter and All-Star, ranging from easiest to most difficult, respectively. You can also choose the length of each quarter, from 3 minutes, 5, 8, and as in real basketball, 12 min. You can trade player, rearrange the rosters, or even create new players. You can use any of the three sets of predetermined rules, Arcade, Simulation, and Custom, where you call the shots.

Replay Value: 9/10

I will usually play an 82 game season and then put it away for awhile. But, I always find myself coming back to it. It's fun is the point I'm trying across, folks.

Overall: 9/10

Although the graphics are not as good, the sounds are a bit duller, and the rosters are, to say the least, out of date, it is a good game that has all of the features of a great sports game. I guess you really wouldn't rent this game, and probably not too many of you are like me and would by this old game, I say it's worth at least picking it up at a local Funcoland or Gamestop for a try. If you like it, try to update the rosters using the ones from nba.com. I did it once back in 2000, but to update the rosters every year would be a big chore and eventually become impossible due to the fact that new players are coming every year and older ones are retiring, and you only have about 30 players that you can create. Oh well, I like it just the same.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/27/02, Updated 11/27/02