tanta07's Full Review: NBA Live 99 for PlayStation 1
You might be wondering why I am writing a review of this game that came out nearly 4 years ago. Is it because I am out of material? Desperate for a new review?
Actually, yes and no.
You see, I am in the midst of completing Final Fantasy Anthology and Golden Sun, but I wanted to put a few new reviews just so people wouldn’t think I had shipped off to Asia a’la Rader6795 (come back, man!). So, I turned to a few dusty old games that I had sitting on my shelf.
I recently purchased the Interact Mobile Monitor for the PS One. It is a nifty little portable screen that attaches to the unit and with a portable battery, you have a portable Playstation. I purchased one off of Ebay, and the guy selling it was nice enough to throw in a few games as a bonus. Of course, these were older Playstation games, and I kind of tossed them aside when the package arrived. Well, friends, it is now time for me to take a look at these old, discarded gems. Are they lost classics? Or do they deserve to be cast away with anything you sell on Ebay? We’ll soon see, as the next few reviews I post will be on these older games, titled Tanta’s Mystery Box.
Today’s selection from the mystery box:
NBA Live ‘99
I actually owned this game a few years ago, back when it was new. For its time, NBA Live ‘99 was actually a choice game, and pretty cutting edge. EA Sports has always been in the vanguard of the sports gaming world, always setting the pace for the other developers to follow. In the world of the NBA, it is my opinion that EA Sports has recently been outclassed with the Dreamcast-turned-Playstation 2 NBA 2K2. Back when NBA Live ‘99 was still a new release, however, this was about as good as you could get.
Graphics
Looking at these graphics today, they are really pretty weak. The framerate is absolutely horrible; players look like ghosts, they are flickering in and out of existence so rapidly. Given that the Playstation’s hardware wouldn’t be maxed out for a couple more years after this game, and the fact that basketball games have to keep up with a ton of action at once, this is forgivable. The courts, however, are extremely detailed and look very nice, as well as looking very close to their real counterparts. The crowd is your usual cut-and-paste cardboard cut-outs of like two or three different guys, with a little animation that will take place during exciting plays.
During game time, aside from the choppy framerate, things generally run pretty smoothly, with little or no slowdown. Basketball is fast-paced with a lot of individual movement, so I must commend NBA Live for not succumbing to hardware limitations, which may explain the framerate problems to begin with. Player animations look fairly realistic and there are a few variations, so players don’t pull up for an identical jumpshot every single time they shoot. Most players are detailed enough to look like their real-life counterparts, so you can actually recognize them (yes, Rodman has green hair). Dunk animations are alright and the physics are pretty realistic, so there isn’t any dunking from half court, and if a guy is in your way for a dunk, you’ve knock him over, with the dual shock giving a nice little vibration. The player’s faces are also made to look like their real selves, with a few different animations so show a range of emotions from joy to pumped-up rage. Another nice bonus is actual player pictures that pop up while checking player stats.
Gameplay
It’s easy for sports games to fall into two extreme categories when it comes to gameplay - either too simple or too complex. Especially with basketball games, sometimes they can get in a little over their head with useless controls for anything from a hard foul to pumping up the crowd. These things are nice little add-ons, but after pumping up the crowd about three times, the novelty wears off. Consequently, there are also basketball games out there that suffer from the “Double Dribble” syndrome. Double Dribble was a great, early basketball game for the NES, that while a ton of fun, could only take advantage of the Nintendo’s two buttons. So, there really weren’t a ton of options, gameplay-wise. You could really only shoot and pass, and that was about it. Luckily, NBA Live ‘99 falls somewhere in the middle. You can pick up the basics within your first quarter of play, but it takes some time and skill to actually get the nuances down.
As far as gameplay features, they are what you have come to expect: Exhibition, Season, Playoffs, Practice, and Three Point Shootout. I don’t know if anyone out there needs an explanation of these, but here goes: Exhibition is just a one-off game to play against the computer or a friend, with an option for a “grudge match” to replay it if you’re not happy with the results. A season is just that, choose a team, and you have control of every game, the roster, trades, and free agent signings for a full year. Playoffs is a mode where you can control a team just through the postseason. Practice is straightforward; take one player from any team, and let him loose in an empty gym to take shots from anywhere he pleases. It’s amazing how much fun you can get out of this simple game mode. And last, there’s Three Point Shootout, where you can go head-to-head with the computer or a friend, firing them from downtown.
The season mode, of course, gives you the deepest options of all the gaming modes. You can sign free agents, and the computer teams can, too, so choose wisely, because you can’t build a super team if the computer is also taking the stars. You can also start out the season with a draft and start you own team from the ground up, drafting every position. There’s also a pretty nifty create-a-player option that while not much different from other games that have the same feature, does it very well. You can choose everything about your player from his facial hair, to the hand that he favors, to his accessories, like headbands and goggles. I, of course, made myself into an NBA player, complete with a sweet jump shot and excellent ball-handling skills. Hey, what’s so funny?
Sound
One great thing about this game when it comes to the sound: it does its job, and stays out of your way. It’s not often that a sports game has announcers that are not annoying, but NBA Live ‘99 manages to pull it off. The in-game announcer is short and concise, and they wisely decided not to add in annoying, canned catch phrases for him to constantly fire off. Instead, he just calls the action. Ahhh, kind of nice. All of the grunts, shoe squeaks, and the “clang” of missed shots are in place and sound just fine. The crowd actually response the way it should, too, booing when you’re losing, and cheering loudly when you get that monster dunk to take the lead. While going through the game menus when not actually playing a game, NBA Live features a nice mix of old-school sounding funk and rap that will keep you grooving while selecting a free agent to be your key sixth man.
All in all, NBA Live ‘99 is a pretty fun little basketball game that has actually stood the test of time rather well. While it will never in any way compare to the leaner, meaner games that are currently at the top of the mountain, like NBA 2K2, it would be well worth the 10.00 price tag it would have at most used game stores. Like basketball games, but not enough to stomach the hefty $55 price tag for a new one on the PS2? Drop down a few bucks for this old beauty, and spend the rest on some flowers for that long-neglected girlfriend/wife of yours. God knows she deserves it. For those of you wondering when I’ll get back to games from the last 5 years, there are actually a few more items left in...Tanta’s Mystery Box!
Item Details Format: Video Game Price: 9.89 Condition: New! Other notes: BRAND NEW - Factory Sealed authentic product - Ships out to you FIRST CLASS q...More at eBay
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