NBA live '97
  by "Jacinta" 

For a while now, Total Nba '96 held the crown for the best basketball sim
on the playstation, but now it's time for the rown to change hands, meet
the new king of basketball sims, NBA Live '97.

It's hard to know where to start praising this game. For a while,
playstation owners have had to put up with jerky graphics and gameplay in
most basketball games to date, with the exception of total NBA of course,
but not any more, if any game from now on wants to compete with this
masterpeice that is tipicalof EA

Also typical of EA is their attention to detail of the actual gameplay.
They have included evry conceivable rule and canmera angle, but as always
only a few are of some use. it's pretty easy to turn off any rule you want,
hen you want, so if you don't like illegal defence, turf it!

EA have also included a play making option, which i don't think is
necessary, seeing as though i won most games without even looking at the
plays, but it is there nonetheless, and it will satisfy you basketball
freaks out there.

But where this game really shines is in the two player mode. The action is
faster, greater, and more of a challenge, and besides... it's far more
stisfying to beat the crud out of a living opponent, and then have the
option to tease the hell out of 'em. If your lucky enough to have two multi
taps and 8 controllers, you can play 4 on 4 with 7 of your best mates

EA have included all 29 NBA teams, and all you diehard fans will know that
the rosters are corrct as of the 25/9/96, and almost all NBA players are
there, but it seems not even the wallet of EA can afford the names of
Micheal Jordan or Charles Barkley.

Another feature that takes NBA '97 away from the rest is the ability to
create your own player, you can make yourself 7.10" and the best at
everything (like i did) or you can populate your mates team with duds so
you can have an easy win. You can choose what shooting range your more
comfortable at, and even what college you went to, or how many years youv'e
been pro

The sound in this game is fantastic, with alot of squeeky court sounds
included, but the commentry is no-where near the likes of fifa '97, which,
for those that don't know, have full blown commentry throughout the game.

But even a game of this callabre has to have some faults, but in this case
i only have a few minor complaints:
1. The graphics are a little blocky close up.
and
2. There's no real option for a quaick game, as the quickest will take
approximately half an hour, but this is a basketball sim, and if you want a
quaick game, your better off playing something else.

SCORES:
graphics:- 94 - It has that 3D poplygon look happening
sound:- 81 - Good commentry, and alot of squeeky curt nooses, gotta lov
'em!
longterm:- - 91 - a 100+ games in a season will keep you going for a while
gameplay - 89 - plays magnificently
overall:- 90 - everything you culd want in a basketball sim.

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