NBA Live 97

Developer - EA Sports
Publisher - Electronic Arts
Players - 1-2 (or 1-8 with multi tap)
Extras - Memory card, Multi tap

The bit on the box

"3D texture-mapped polygon players. Motion captured moves from real NBA stars. New reverse layups 'n' dunks. All 29 NBA teams plus 2 All-star teams."

Graphics

The first thing to stand out to me in NBA Live 97 was the great animation of the players. Each move that you have seen in a real basketball game has been simulated here extremely well and gives the same feeling of satisfaction if you pull off one of the harder moves (such as a reverse slam dunk or alleyoop). There are different camera views in which to view the action and a replay feature to record the player's more memorable shots. The players are modelled to look like their real life counterparts, although there is no Michael Jordan (contract difficulty I expect), and the courts are also made to look like the courts used by the various teams in the NBA. The options menus are very colourful and serve their purpose, but have too much of an EPSN2 look to them for my liking.

Sounds

NBA Live 97's sound effects are top notch. There is an announcer who calls out the names or numbers of each scorer, and also uses different volumes of commentary (he shouts in a more excited tone if it was an exceptional shot). All the sounds of basketball are there, from the crowd (that reacts to occurrences on the court) and basketball bouncing to the squeaking of sneakers on the shiny wooden surfaces. The music is quite catchy, even groovy in a way. There is even live music played on the court when a break in the action happens, though it seems a little shortlived in comparison to earlier NBA games done by EA Sports.

Gameplay

Even if basketball isn't you game, this one is extremely playable and easy to get to grips with. In no time you will be able to execute moves that are commonly seen being performed by the best of the NBA. There are also quick plays that can be called, from defensive back peddling to full court presses, and you can also subsititute players or let the computer do it for you, giving a small coaching feel to the game. You can even create new players according to height, wieght, hair, skin colour etc. The computer AI is very advanced and will give you a good challenge in any game, especially away games when you are also playing against their home crowd.

I feel a verdict coming on

With a good control system and a wealth of options, it is hard to fault NBA Live 97. I definitely enjoyed playing it, though basketball is not high on my list of favourite sports. The game oozes the professionalism that has come to be expected from games designed by EA Sports, as well as the official licence of the NBA, so if you are a fan of basketball then this is a must purchase. It's not perfect by any means but the only improvements that really can be made are maybe to implement more moves, but that can be done in the next inevitable installment. Unless you want to keep up to date with the seasonal player changes, this should be the only basketball game you will ever need.

Review by D.R.T.Barrett