Econoodle's Eco-Fact Review: NBA LIVE 10 [Installment 1]

econoodles eco-fact review: part I - gettin' it

Aww H%*L NO!

Thats what I said when I saw the Mos def intro.

Then, I said it again.

NBA Live aint dead.
oN the contrary, its simply 'wangderful'.


Ok so here's the deal.
Each time I purchase a b-ball game, which is not every year, I flip flop up until release, usually picking one based on my preferences.
last year I got both at Toys R Us with the buy 2 get one free scenario. But ended up selling NBA 2k to someone and kept Live based on the DNA feature.

I was enjoying live until the glitch where the CPU NEVER called a time out. By by to that.
So, I bought 2k9 used. Ended up digging it and hung on to it.

2009 rolls around. Looking for one hoops game to keep for a few years and dig deep into career mode, like i do with all sports games.Back and forth I went.

2k had 10day contracts, restricted free agents, d-league and morale.

Live had.....hmmmm.

Not much else it seems.

Buuuuut. It had ridiculous gameplay based of the demo. Just silly. I mean silly like a Seinfeld premise after Larry David left the show.

Oh by the way, thats a good thing.

Ok so now it was time for find out a bit more bout Live. I was hooked.
I needed a good deep dynasty mode.

I needed something with teeth. Something with legs. Tyra banks was taken and I don't go to bars, so I looked deeper to the OS Community for NBA LIVE Dynasty tidbits.
Got a few nuggets but nothing super special. I was looking for created faces for rookies in the draft classes. Not silhouettes. I didnt want to be in year five and have a bunch of players who look like they are staring in at me thru my curtains at night. I sure as heck wouldn't want that guy running my half court offense!

I decided to go with 2k as the safe bet.
So I returned my unopened Live and got 2k.
Then got home and has buyers Wangmorse.

I couldn't open it. I wanted Live
after the demo, I had to come home to the live of my childhood.

it felt new. exciting.
Like a girl in a thong getting goosed on a beach in Miami, it felt too fresh.

I figured lets take a shot. Especially after hearing that there were issues with restricted FA's in 2k [you would not be notified of offers for those players, so you couldn't match]. Also guys were having trouble sending guys back down to the D-League after sending them down once previously.

Others were saying those problems didn't happen for them.
Like David Lee, I said, "I'm dubious about that".


I went and got Live again.

Finally busted it open Saturday night, simmed a dynasty and there they ere.
In glorious ridiculous looking cartoon cyber faces. The end of the year draft class. Even one guy who looked liek a Nordic supermodel who has banned himself from using conditioner.

But thats exactly what I wanted...

Uh oh. I figured, this is is gonna get good fast.



Didn't want to beat this thing like Chris Brown after a Laker's loss , so I'll just stop here with my story of how I arrived at Live.
I will break this thing up in separate posts. Next i will add thoughts of the game itself. What an idea huh?


Side note, these r not impressions, they r FACT!




econoodles eco-fact review: part II - Menus

Ok so yea, I booted it up.
I read all the legal stuff at the beginning.
I fi I can get serious for a second, that’s no joke guys. The FIBA ‘IS’ the property of the FIBA Federation De Internationale’ de basketballe’. Its not ours, So all you entrepreneurs out there. Chill. And no taping the games and airing them on youtube.
But keep uploading the clips of celebrity nipple slips.

Lets start this next part with the menus aspect.

Everyone knows menu navigation is huge.
It needs to be simple. Clean.
I loved madden 10’s style.
Bottom left, simple font. Unobstrusive.

I got lost navigating 2k menus once. I was just trying to get to Blacktop mode but ended up in the Bronx at some liquor store..
THAT’S how confusing that shyte is!

Ok so yea, Lives was nice.

But do not, I repeat do NOT try to play live on a standard def or non widescreen tv. If you do, bring your eye doctor so he can give u a lollipop if u can read everything the screen says from top to bottom.

Thanks to playing it in the bedroom, my girlfriend now thinks she needs glasses.

Great.

Don’t matter,
Me buying live= no more purchases this month.

Anyways, the menus are awesome.
Love the mos def intro, love the random NBA’ers pics that show up during it.
LOVE the music. That’s how you do NBA videogame culture.
Snoop, Pete Rock, De la,
Please.
Is that not menu music for an NBA game?
Second best soundy ever, since Street 2.

The one thing I’d change is have them let you pick your favorite team, then have random player photos or sound bites from that team show up during menus.

Me being a Knicks fan, not sure I want a Joe Crawford shot popping up of him in practice pants sitting on the bench talking to Herb Williams, but hey, its better than nothing.
With that being said, if you didn’t like last years game’s menus, then, yep. Sorry.

Side note, I love what they did this year, madden and live, when u pause in game, it freezes on the screenshot. Nice touch. Elegant.

In any event. Live menus are once again, IMP, classy and sharp. It just feels like 60 bucks when you look at an EA menu screen.

overall this is the best menu I have seen since Mcdonalds added the McRib. and I don't even eat meat!


My thoughts on other things after I take the oatmeal off the stove, which like Jamal Crawford on a pick and roll. Burnt.



econoodles eco-fact review: part III - Da Hanger

I like the hanger.

I like how it will randomly place different NBA'ers in there.

I like Yoga.

I like how those NBA players suck, if I suck.
Makes me feel better about myself.

I need to feel better about myself. I am a Knicks fan.

But I like the randomness of it all.
One time its the superstars, another time the rookies, etc. etc.

No, you won't be hooping it up with the Scalabrines of the world in there, as they do not have a driveway hoop and backboard feature in there. Only true ballers make the Hanger.
just the creme' de la soul of it all.


Yes I have heard that some players look lighter in there but I think it has to do with the light coming in through the window and the lighting graphic thing or whatever that EA added.

I sat in the hanger motionless for 9 hours to see if it got darker out in the hanger so Nate Robinson's skin wouldnt look like whole wheat bread.
But, it didn't so we will live with it. {you better patch that EA!!! j/k.}
Rest assured, all is good once you enter the battlezone of the NBA digs, the MSGS and STAPLES Centers of the world.

I also, dig the muted music playing during the hanger session, so make it sound as if you are listening to it through the sound system.

By pushing down on the left stick and hitting X [ps3] you can switch between players to get a feel for them by using them in the mode.

Its a great learning tool. I would like them to have a bit more player chatter. Well there's none.


But its still neat.

overall its fun in the hanger.
its a nice place to visit, but I wouldnt wanna live there.

Kind of like my boo.


econoodles eco-fact review: part IV - FIBA

My other eco-fact reviews were lengthy, this one is pretty damned simple.

I got one comment that will send all of you to the local gamestop to grab this one Tuesday.
You might even go for a midnight release whether they have one or not.

For all you team Iran-iacs.

They got Mohammaed Akbaris fade away jumper down pat.
Pat!
And his Air Akbars!

But his headband is wrong

the color of it is Gentle Moss, not Forest Green.

Whos working over there at ea???
COME ON NOW!


EPIC FAIL EA


Final grade: E

for Extraordinary, babe!

Sorry just joshing.



The next blog will have 4 more parts.