NBA Live 2002

If you have played the 2003 and 2004 versions of NBA LIVE and played this version, you will find that they are pretty much the same. Especially the 2003, Players all look pretty much the same and there are not any new moves at all. NBA Live 2004 made some improvement but some of the AI is not tolerable. This game has great AI, and great game play with alot of flashy dunks. Sure some of the guys faces doesnt look as good as the 2003 or 2004, and sure, Michael Jordan still plays in this game, and yeh, Nba Live 2004 has that option where you can choose your favorite team and their colors and players will be showing int he menu, but so what? Aren't these sport games all about gameplay??? Petty features should be ignored and we should not encourage EA to make a sport game every year if the roster is THE ONLY thing to be changed. THis is definitely a cheaper but more worth your money NBA Live.

Gameplay:9
Sound: 8.5
Graphics: 8.5
Replay Value: 9
Overall: 8.75

The problem about this game is that there is no defense, which means that the only thing that you can do is drive in with the turbo button, then dunk. *sucks.* YOu can roast the AI doing this. Bleg.

well i've been probably one of the biggest NBA live fans from NBA Live 95 on SNES to current....but wow, this was not very good
graphics and stuff are whatever, they dont really matter ALL that much in a basketball game
crossover and 'stutter step', theres no stutter...
umm, and the worst thing about the game, there's no defense
i was playing it at a friends place and even a person who's never played a basketball game could possibly score on every posession...theres no DEFENSE played by the computer and it is very hard to play defense as a user
holla

First things first: This game was a blast, with excellent gameplay, options, and overall depth. Here's what I thought of the XBOX version of NBA Live 2002 by EA Sports:

1. Gameplay: Excellent in almost every way. Unlike in the older versions, now when you play a good team like the Lakers, it's a lot more difficult to win then when you play someone like the Bulls. I've played a season so far in franchise mode, and I have to admit, it was very addicting. Anyone remember playing the old versions of Live, and finding it so easy on the hardest mode to go 35-0 to begin a season? Not the case here. After probably 50 hours or more of gameplay, I still lose 2 or 3 out of every 10 games. And in the big games, playoffs, or against a team like the Mavs, Lakers, Kinds, etc...you really feel the pressure to win. The AI plays smart, the players and bench react, and the crowd cheers with you on big plays, suddenly goes mute when the other team goes on a run. The reason I love this game, NBA Live's gameplay rocks anything we've seen so far!

The graphics: Very good, but not superb. It's really cool to see a 3-pointer swish threw the net once, then rattle around and go in the next. The ball goes in or out different ways now. Example: in past versions, the ball would just CLANK off the rim or SWISH if it went in. No other animation. Now I never know if it's going to go in or out, and it rattles around a different way every time. The dunks in this game are simply put: AWSOME!!! You never see the same dunk twice, and the twists and spins are incredible to watch. The players as well now look great. You can now clearly tell the difference between big 'ole Shaq and a much smaller Kobe Bryant. The graphics bring this game to life. Where the graphics fail you may ask? There isn't any differnce between one pass or steal and another. No behind the back, no diving for lose balls, no jaw dropping blocks. It gets the job done, but nothing else. I guess we're just spoiled in today's time, but parts of the game are just too simple!

3. Options: Once again: very good, but not great. You can do the usual 1 on 1, exibition, season, franchise, 5 on 5. There's still create a player. But unlike in NBA 2k2, you can't do anything but 1 on 1. No 2 on 2, 3 on 3. In streetball, only one court. In franchise mode (this really killed me) no FANTASY DRAFT. AHHHHHHHH!!! I used to love that, and it always seemed to create a new challenge. But for some reason, no fantasy draft in the 2002 version. WHY??? Who knows. Oh, one more thing: No real cash. It's a points system. If you want to re-sign your star, you offer him what...250,000 points? Just make it regular cash like everybody else. I hate the points system.

Overall though, this game rocked. I have probably played it for close to 60 hours, and I still can't put it down. If you want a good basketball game, with the best graphics, gameplay, and overall realism of the NBA. NBA Live 2002 is for you!

Thx!

you have got to be kidding me, how can this game be getting all these great reviews. this is quite possibly the worst b-ball game i have ever played (next to espn nba tonite). Nba live 98 is seriously better than this. this cant compare to nba 2k2 on any level. the gameplay is horendous. the graphics are horendous. the concepts are horendous. Please buy nba 2k2 instead of this. the people giving this a good rating must have been hired by EA sports or something. Trust me, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!