NBA Live 2000

• Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Genre: Sports
• Style: Basketball
• Similar Games: NBA: In the Zone (PlayStation), NBA Live 99 (PlayStation), NBA Basketball 2000 (PlayStation)

Game Description

Electronic Arts' long-running hoops series continues with NBA Live 2000 for the PlayStation. This five-on-five contest includes the majority of the players on the rosters of all 29 NBA teams from the 1998-1999 season, including Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. For a blast from the past, you can unlock 60 basketball legends, including Larry Bird, "Magic" Johnson, "Dr. J", Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Oh yeah, some guy by the name of Michael Jordan also made the cut. To play as Jordan, you must first beat him in a game of one-on-one.

In NBA Live 2000 you can take a team from the first game to the championship for up to 10 consecutive seasons. Throughout a season, certain members of your team will experience hot and cold streaks, and injuries will invariably occur. You can draft and trade players, create new players and customize the makeup of your team and the size of the league. Complete statistics are kept for each player.

If you're not interested in playing an entire NBA season, you can work on the fundamentals of the game in the Practice Mode, play an exhibition game or simply jump right into the playoffs. If outside jumpers are your thing, up to eight players can compete in a Three-Point Shootout. Also, a street court is available for use in playing one-on-one against NBA greats from the past and present. Street ball can be played at night or during the day.

NBA Live 2000 features new (to the series) player reactions such as high fives, knuckle touches and more. You can select offensive and defensive sets, or have the computer do it for you. Other options and features include stutter steps, fakes, spin moves, hand checks, instant replays, shot displays, automatic positioning for rebounds, automatic substitutions and multiple camera angles. A turbo button is available for an extra boost of speed. In-game speech and color commentary round out the live experience.

Roots & Influences

NBA Live 95, which was available for the PC, Super NES and Genesis, was the first game in the series. The PlayStation first got in on the act with NBA Live 96.

Review: Overall

A friend of mine once told me that the reason he didn't like to watch sports on television was because the camera crew didn't focus on the cheerleaders often enough. I don't know where this particular friend is today, but if I could speak with him, I would insist that he run out and buy NBA Live 2000 for the PlayStation. The cheerleaders aren't much of a factor during an actual game, but the half time show is sensational. You can ogle the various dancing girls and cheerleaders from around the league in all their FMV (Full Motion Video) bare midriff glory as they shake their moneymakers and root for their respective teams.

Prurient interests aside, NBA Live 2000 truly is a remarkable basketball game. The computer AI is a big improvement over the previous games in the series. You can actually count on your teammates to play consistent defense, including the occasional double team. It is harder than it used to be to simply run down the center of the court and dunk the ball.

NBA Live 2000 features the most impressive lineup of basketball players to ever grace a console system. The inclusion of 60 retired players means that you can play as Michael Jordan for the first time since the days of the Nintendo NES. I got a kick out of controlling my favorite player of all time, Julius "Dr. J" Erving. Thanks to some crafty work on the part of the designers, the players actually have many of the strengths and weaknesses of their real life counterparts. For example, the foul shot meter goes very fast when a lousy free throw shooter such as Shaq is on the line, and very slow when a guy like Reggie Miller is shooting free throws. George Gervin and Larry Bird are much better from behind the three-point arc than are Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

One gripe I do have with the players is that their facial likenesses are inconsistent. The Michael Jordan character looks more like Tim Hardaway than he does Michael Jordan. Certain players, such as Tim Duncan and Alonzo Mourning, are instantly recognizable. The facial expressions and post-basket player animations are silly, but fun. Overall, the detail in the game is very impressive. The crowds, courts, uniforms and arenas are very well rendered.

Relatively low frame rate gives NBA Live 2000 a slightly choppy appearance (especially during cut-scenes), but it doesn't affect gameplay. The round-ball action is fast, and the controls are intuitive and very responsive. Fakes, hand checks and other moves are easy to pull off.

Fans of the NBA Jam series will enjoy this game because it features an Arcade Mode in which fouls and boundaries don't exist, and high-flying dunks are flamboyantly spectacular. The Season Mode will entrance purists with its many options, tight five-on-five action and emphasis on passing and defense. However, some will be disappointed by the fact that there is no draft in the Season Mode. The Three-Point Shootout is fun, and the one-on-one mode adds an entirely new dimension to the NBA Live series. Old school gamers with fond memories of EA's one-on-one series of games from the 1980s will especially appreciate this mode.

NBA Live 2000 is the most complete and most fun basketball game to ever grace the PlayStation. If you are thinking about renting it, don't. Buy it instead.

Review: Enjoyment

Regardless of which mode you play, you'll have a blast with NBA Live 2000 because of its excellent controls, intelligent computer AI, and realistic gameplay.

Review: Graphics

The visuals have plenty of detail, but are inconsistent.

Review: Sound

The crowd noises and other sound effects are very realistic. Reggie Theus's commentary could use a boost in the excitement factor, but Don Poier's play-by-play is proficient. Repetition is a factor: certain words such as "rainmaker" are overused. Fans of hip-hop (of which I am not) will love the music.

Review: Replay Value

The lack of draft in the Season Mode hurts a little, but with 60 retired players, 29 NBA teams, various modes of play and realistic as well as {!Arcade}-type action, {*NBA Live 2000} is a winner.

Review: Documentation

The manual includes detailed controller functions, a convenient control summary and music credits.