Product: NBA Live 08|Developer: Venan|Publisher: Electronic Arts|Format: Mobile
|Genre: Sports
|Players: 1
|Format: J2ME
|File size: 655KB
|Reviewed on: s700 other handsets|Version: Europe
It initially seems futile, to try and shoehorn a basketball game into a mobile phone and still make it a reasonable electronic version of the actual sport. The fast pace, chess-like restrictions and infinitely subtle skill levels seem completely beyond the mechanical scope of most modern console controllers, never mind a miniature thumbstick and phone keypad.
But miniaturised mechanics and human interaction devices aren't the real stumbling block here. Like all good games, playability comes down to the developer's creative interpretation of the subject matter, and in the case of EA's latest sporting tournament, the dexterous energy of a basketball game has been imaginatively re-engineered into a clever, simple and addictive pocket game.
Much of the sporting atmosphere has been cleverly woven into every aspect of NBA Live 08; from the loading screen to the menus and, of course, the actual game. Right from the outset, before any long lists of menus and sub-menus and reams of eye-strainingly small credits fill the screen, the game asks "Would you like to start Quick Play?".
Now, as a reviewer, the initial reaction was to refuse and check through all available options, tutorials and paraphernalia so as to report on the depths of possibility the overall experience can deliver. When offered such a simple function as a start button, however, the temptation is too hard to resist and it was straight into hard-floor action.
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A quick, but remarkably intuitive tutorial delivers the basics of play before the game is off and well-trousered players chase up and down the court (quickly, in both the 2D and 3D versions – there's no noticeable difference in programming quality).
Arrows of different colour point toward your team mates, and a quick flick of the direction pad sends the pass. The colour of the arrow denotes the team mate's suitability, allowing for a considered – if fast – decisions on timing your superbly balletic movements.
Already this intuitive and highly accessible control system gives a feeling of tense competition and professional skill, which quickly adds up to a genuine sensation of sporting endeavour. Blocking, tackling (if that's what you'd call it in basketball?) and, most importantly, shooting, are handled in an equally dynamic way.
A gauge, similar to the one seen when passing, highlights the most opportune moment to shoot. Holding down the action button makes for some enthusiastic hoop-jumping action, and releasing the button at the precise moment plants the ball resoundingly against the back-board. This control method is perhaps NBA Live's crowning achievement, as the involuntarily vigorous release of the button simulates a slam dunk surprisingly well.
So far, NBA Live has proven appeal to the fast action gamer, but fans of the sport who're looking for more in-depth, managerial responsibility and the option to build, craft and hone their teams (which are, we're informed by the game blurb, real teams with real players and actual stats) is noticeably absent. Substituting players mid-game for benchwarmers already on your team won't fill this gap for hardcore basketball fans, and raises the question as to why genuine statistics are included at all.
Still, for those not looking for a basketball simulator, but an action driven courtside experience, Venan Entertainment has certainly delivered, and proven in convincing fashion that a creative developer can turn a mobile phone to any entertaining purpose.
The heated action of a basketball game is fully and wonderfully represented, although the lack of front-desk management might prove too shallow for dedicated sports fans
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