NBA Live 08 (Wii) Review

NBA Live 08 on Wii is probably one of the most average games I have ever played. Everything it does is implemented in a way that is sufficient to make the game work, but never makes the game anything more than simply average.

The game is controlled using a variety of Wii-remote gestures and that is where the problems start. The gesture controls never feel very reliable and in some instances they are counter-intuitive. Flicking the remote up and then forward to throw the ball works, but flicking sideways to slam-dunk just doesn’t feel right. Passing is still mapped to a button and the nunchuck movements don’t ever feel like they are working correctly. Also, don’t get me started about the defending,
because after playing numerous games, I still can’t work out exactly what I am supposed to do. It’s an overly complicated set-up that often gets in the way of achieving what you want. The family-play option also doesn’t add anything to the experience, basically taking everything out of the equation except shooting and passing. Not fun.

The controls are only part of the problem though, with some lacklustre gameplay hampering the title as well. Graphical and animation glitches hamper the flow and it is far too easy to score. It just doesn’t feel like you have total control over your chosen team and often doesn’t feel like you are even fully in control of the selected player. There is a strange disconnection between yourself and what happens on the screen that leaves you wondering whether you really are controlling what is happening. There are a good range of options and modes to play though, but the slam dunk and three-point-shootout mini-games are forgettable. You can play a whole season, but anyone interested in a deeper management mode will be disappointed.

Graphics and sound are a bit of a mixed bag with some very average graphics and animation which, unforgivably, impact on the gameplay. Sound is excellent though with a full commentary track and some upbeat hip-hop and urban style music really complementing the package.

One of the more positive things about NBA Live 08 is that it is one of the first online enabled Wii games and it works very well. Games connected quickly and there is very little lag. Unfortunately, playing online doesn’t fix the average gameplay. Overall, NBA Live 08 is a good example of what is wrong with third party development on the Wii. A rushed out the door port, with forced gesture based gameplay. There are now many games on the market that prove beyond doubt that the Wii’s unconventional controller can take video games to another level of fun, but that takes time and requires the developer to put the majority of their effort into developing a control scheme that
works. Fundamentally NBA Live 08 on Wii is not broken, but the numerous problems keep it from being anything other than a forgettably average game.

There is plenty of room for improvement here and I expect EA Sports is already busily working on the 2009 iteration with improvements all round. Whether next year’s version is anything more than an average effort will depend on how much they can improve the control scheme. Get it right and there is potential for a fun, motion-centric basketball experience, but as it is, there is very little to recommend this to anyone but the most die-hard basketball fans.