"The first game is not the best"

NBA Live ‘95 is the first game in the long line of NBA Live titles for both the home computer and home console systems. Over the years, NBA Live games have been released on the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Sony Playstation, GameBoy, Nintendo 64, and GameBoy Color (there may be more that I can’t think of). Is the first ever PC version any good or is it just a load of crap that wastes a CD? You will find out in this review.

GRAPHICS 3/10

Man, are the graphics ugly or what? They are just plain horrible. On the players, you can resemble the jersey colors, their skin color, and the number on the jersey. That’s it, but it all looks bad. The crowd isn’t just a blob like some sports games, but it still looks bad. I can’t describe enough how ugly NBA Live 95’s graphics are.

GAMEPLAY 7/10

NBA Live ‘95 has some pretty easy controls to learn. The arrow keys are used to move in their respective directions, the shift key is used to pass, and the enter key is used to shoot. I may have the pass & shoot keys switched around, because I do not remember for sure. On the menus, you can use your mouse to get your way through the options and stuff.

Now as for game modes and options, NBA Live ‘95 is decent enough. You can play an exhibition, season, or playoffs. You can make your games arcade, simulation, or custom. You can change the difficulty levels to rookie, starter, or all star. You can decide whether to have 3, 5, 8, or 12 minute quarters. You can change the rules to whatever you want. And finally, you can have a 26, 52, or 82 game season. It is a very customizable game, but not nearly as customizable as the latest versions. Overall, the gameplay is good for the first NBA Live.

SOUND 7/10

One of the few good things about NBA Live ‘95 is its sound. It features one man commentary (I forget who it is buy), and there is crowd noise, too. The commentary is actually very good for the first NBA Live game, and so is the crowd. Overall, the sound is above average for such an early basketball title.

FUN FACTOR 5/10

This game was fun back in 1994-1995, but it isn’t much now. There are no network games in NBA Live ‘95, so that may take away some gamers. It may be fun nowadays to just sim through a season & see what it was like back in 1994. Heck, you could have Alaa Abdelnaby score 30 points per game, if you wanted too. Neat.

REPLAY VALUE 4/10

I don’t know why anyone would ever want to play this again since the newer titles are SO much better. Right now it is just standing up on my shelf, collecting dust with some of my other old games. It will probably be the same way with you.

CHALLENGE 4/10

NBA Live ‘95 is not much of a challenge. There are the three difficulty modes, and all of them are easy. You could have your 12th man be one of your starters, and you could lead him to the MVP. Overall, it is a pretty easy game, but most NBA Live games are.

IS IT WORTH A BUY?

If you can, get a newer version of NBA Live instead of the ‘95 one. In the newer games, you will get updated rosters and loads more features (not to mention much better graphics). Unless you are a big fan of the NBA Live series, then steer clear of this.

WHAT’S HOT?

- Lots of players
- Quite a few things to customize
- Good sound

WHAT’S NOT?

- UGLY graphics
- Crappy AI (artificial intelligence)
- Too many steals & blocks

FINAL ANALYSIS:

For a first effort, NBA Live ‘95 is average. If the graphics weren’t so ugly, the game would be better all over, but since they are ugly, it is just an eyesore. Like I said in the ''Is it worth a buy?'' section, only consider getting this if you are a big fan of the NBA Live series. Otherwise, don’t bother. Overall, NBA Live ‘95 gets a 5 out of 10 from me, Shady. Booyah.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/02/00, Updated 12/02/00