NBA Live 2001

Pros • Addictive Challenge mode • Tight controls	Cons • Difficult rebounds • Only one announcer
Bottom Line NBA Live 2001 is hands down the best basketball game for the PlayStation. Whenever I go into a videogame store these days, I’ve noticed that PlayStation Games do not receive the attention that they once used to. You can always count on a line of people crowded around the PS2 Madden display, but you never see the demos of the new PS1 games. Even the game boxes for regular PlayStation titles have unceremoniously been dumped to the back of the store, next to the bargain games and (shudder) the educational titles. Despite other people’s view of Sony’s original moneymaker, many PlayStation titles can hold their own against the newer console systems. Case in point is EA Sports’ latest basketball title, NBA Live 2001. While obviously it cannot compare to the PS2 version graphically, it does seem to do several things better than its big brother. Containing more game modes, equally smooth controls, and better game physics, NBA Live 2001 for the PlayStation is one of the best hoop games to come out this year, regardless of platform.

I have been playing videogames for some 20 years now, and I have been following the industry closely for about half of that time. Given that amount of experience, few games truly surprise me, but I must admit that NBA Live 2001 for the PlayStation One is one of those games. I expected a scaled down version of EA’s PS2 game and nothing more. Instead what I got was a totally different game engine, which in many ways is better than its PlayStation 2 brethren.

The biggest beef that I had with NBA Live on the PS2 was the fact that you could not make 3-pointers at all. While you still cannot automatically sink a three, players will have a more realistic chance than before. Rebounds, on the other hand, still remain problematic. The ball doesn’t seem to have a predictable bounce, so it is very hard to position your players for the boards.

To spare you from the tedium, I will not go into too much detail about the various game modes, suffice it to say NBA Live 2001 has all the standbys that one would expect from a modern sports title. Hardcore sports fans will be a little bit disappointed to learn that there is no franchise mode in NBA Live 2001, but there is an innovative challenge mode. Taking a cue from the Madden series, this mode presents various tasks for you to try and accomplish and certainly adds some replay value for perfectionists like myself.

My only big complaint with the visuals is the appearance of the players’ faces. Some players seem to have permanent, demonic ear-to-ear grins, others are even worse; though I will admit that the Cyberscan process looks a whole hell of a lot better than previous years. Hey, you can even recognize some of the players without looking at the numbers on their jerseys! The rest of visuals are typical of EA, crisp and clear. Realistic player models, nice hardwood, and smooth animation all add to the enjoyment.

As much as this seems to be a trend, I still don’t like the solo emcee, and much to my chagrin EA Sports seems to have fallen to this fad. Only talented veteran Bob Elliot mans the mike, but thanks to a little invention called “event stack,” he actually calls the game with a fair degree of accuracy. The other sound effects are pretty cool and kudos to EA for adding the great background scores that you always hear when attending sporting events.

SWISH!! This NBA Live 2001 is exactly what the doctor ordered. This is probably the sixth basketball game that I have played this season and finally somebody got it right. With the possible exception of 2K1, Live is the best basketball game this year.

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