Thinking about picking up Live 06

[Millennium]

Which system should I get it for? I have a PS2 and a 360 right now (I have an Xbox, just no games for it anymore).

I am looking for a great sim game, and I heard Live 360 was missing some features? Gimme some help here fellas (coughWTFcough)

[Realdeal]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

Playmakers did a great job on both games for 360 and PS2 but the 360 version needs many hours of tweaking with his edits. The PS2 version plays awesome with just his sliders and playbooks. I guess it really depends if your a franchise guy than the PS2 version is best because it has many more modes to choose and play. The 360 version is rushed and unfinished and many people have found the gameplay to be frustrating if you don't have time to break down the game like PM did with all his edits. I enjoy them both and my favorite is probably the PS2 version because it has the free style super stars and like I said it only really requires PM's playbooks and sliders. Don't get me wrong I love the 360 atmosphere and graphics but it took forever to get the game to play satisfactory and all that credit goes to Playmakers.

[WTF]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

Be forewarned, that if you do decide to go with Live for the 360, be prepared to do quite a few hours of player edits before you have a good game. With PM's playbooks, Sliders, and Player Edits, it actually plays a pretty good game of basketball. Of course, there are going to be people who debate this up one side and down the other.

Myself, I had a really good time with the game, AFTER doing all of the slider changes, edits, and Playbooks. Out of the box, I'll be honest, the game is a turd. But if you're willing to put forth an effort to make the game all it could have been/should have been, then its worth it.

If you want to just adjust sliders and play, then I'd definately pick up the current gen version instead of the 360. I didn't have the opportunity to play too much of current gen, but I'd prefer it on the Xbox over the PS2, largely in part to a graphical difference. Some people would prefer it on the PS2 due to the controls. It's all personal preference.

But don't get Live 360 if you want something to just pick up and play. If you want to edit the game, and get the most out of it, then I'd suggest it and actually recommend it. Hope that helps

[WTF]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

What did you end up deciding on brother? Impressions from whatever you pick up....

[nogster]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

the xbox version is tons better than the 360 version.
all u need to do with the xbox version is tweak the gameplay sliders and adjust some of the superstars. other than that it plays far and above the awful gameplay of the 360. i would rate the xbox live06 as the best ball game i have played yet.
i sold my xbox to buy a 360 for live 06 under the logic that even though its missing features,. the core gameplay has to be better than the current gens version as its a next gen sytem. believe me. only the graphics are next gen. the gameplay if u are considering playing it single player is a excersise in frustration and that is after all of PM's slider and playbook edits and me editing every player in the game to help it play better. dissapointing does not describe my feelings toward the 360 version.
its a rushed half baked game with massive flaws in the AI programming.
dont waste your money. the xbox version is superior in everyway bar graphics.

[Mxracer23x]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

Im thinking about picking up the game also. Now let me say that im really looking for a pure sim game just something to have fun with. I played the demo over the marketplace and actually enjoyed it. The only problem i didnt like is the baseline camera. It was a little messed up and i was wondering if it is the same in the real game or is it better.

[WTF]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

It has the same one, but if you search these forums, we had a thread about camera angles. I found one that I really enjoyed. I think it was Press Cam 6/10 or something like that. I can't recall. It never lost any of the action on the floor, and was a pretty nice camera.

[Mxracer23x]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

Thanks man. Yea ill probaly get this game if it plays like the same as the demo which i wouldnt see why not. Im just looking for something diffrent to keep me occupyed.

[Latrell24]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">I found this from club rankings. I would actually bump both games up a notch after the patch for 2K6 and of course after the updates for Live by Playmakers.





To start things off, I will say that neither of these games (for their own specific reasons) warrants your purchase. While NBA 2K6 is nothing more than a straight up port with a little polish here and there; NBA Live 2006 is the bare essentials of what you would expect from a basketball game. Both of these will entertain in different ways so it is impossible for me to make a purchase recommendation for you the consumer.

NBA 2K6

Like many other ports for the 360, 2K6 is a better looking game than its Xbox counterpart, but that is to be expected. Player faces are extremely accurate along with the scaling of their bodies. Every now and then you’ll find a player whose skin is a shade darker or lighter, but that’s tolerable. Jerseys now flow beautifully as the player moves about the court and the player’s sweat, well it’s better than none, but it does get to the point where it looks like some one sprinkled Lebron James with glitter. The animations are above average and look to have been optimized a little for its next-gen debut.

The shot stick is back with its ability to be very useful for on the fly dunks along with 2K6’s free throw shooting system. The simple motion of pulling and then releasing the thumb stick just feels right when shooting free throws and mid range jumpers.

The basketball atmosphere for NBA 2K6 is lacking. Sure it has reactive 3-D crowds, good sports commentary, and the right pacing, but it just doesn’t find a way to mesh it all into a single immersive experience.

NBA Live 2006

Unlike its competitor, you can tell from the get-go that Live’s developers were trying to think outside the box with its “unconventional” main menu setup. Instead of being confronted with the traditional 5-6 option main menu you start your experience in a gym where you and up to three friends can shoot around until you decide to go play. Once you have picked your teams and are ready to do battle on the hardwood you can still shoot while your game is loading!

Once you are swept away from the practice gym into the game it truly is an amazing sight. Unlike NBA 2K6, Live’s atmosphere is near perfect. The spot on stadiums are electrified with cheering from the crowd and some very nicely done sports commentary, but this immersion is occasionally broken with some “bring you back to reality” one liners given by the commentators. Things such as “looks like the player pushed a wrong button” quickly takes you out of the game you thought was a reality, and breaks up Live’s best characteristic into small segments.

Up close Live’s player faces are inferior to that of 2K6’s. On top of it all the players do not show one iota of emotion. Their lips are sealed when it comes to getting fouled or blocking a shot. The jerseys do show minimal movement when playing, but the player’s musculature is impressive with the major muscle groups acting as they do in real life. The animations in the game are photo-realistic. Every dunk, shot, steal, and block look natural however these silky smooth moves don’t link up with each other...well silky smooth, but overall it adds another layer of realism that 2K6 didn’t accomplish with this years instalment. The pacing of the game is slow. You’ll be wondering whether you’re on a fast break or not from time to time because the players run as if they’re in water up to their knees. Now we come to the all important matter of “who has the best sweat”. To be honest both of the games sweat needs work, but Live’s does look a tad more believable than 2K6’s glitter bottle that is poured on the players.

As mentioned before NBA Live 06’s features have been cut to almost nothing. You won’t find any franchise mode, slam dunk contest, or superstar moves. I do give the developers credit for trying something new with the free throw system even though it doesn’t allow you to actually make them. Instead of the “make these two balls intersect” you have a system similar to 2K6’s. At first you pull back on the thumb stick ala 2K6 but instead of simply releasing the stick you have to push it forward in a single motion. This will result in you wanting to throw your controller when a high percentage free throw shooter is in the 36% range. All of these quibbles lead to a game that feels rushed and incomplete.

So who should buy what game? If you’re looking just for a solid well rounded basketball game, then NBA 2K6 is the way to go. But if you’re not in the mood for a port that you can get cheaper for another system and want to try something new, then NBA Live 2006 will provide that breath of fresh air.

Rating - NBA 2K6

+Solid control scheme and free throw shooting
+Spot on player faces
-You’re paying 10$-20$ more for better graphics and a little polish
-The basketball atmosphere is nonexistent

Audio: 6
Controls: 8
Gameplay: 7
Graphics: 8
Lastability: 8
Overall: 7.4

Rating - NBA Live 2006

+New main menu setup
+Incredible atmosphere that looks like you’re playing the real thing
-Name of the game is don’t get fouled because you won’t hit your free throws
-Several modes of play were cut from this instalment

Audio: 8
Controls: 7
Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 7
Lastability: 5
Overall: 7 <!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_35953-->
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[Realdeal]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

Once you are swept away from the practice gym into the game it truly is an amazing sight. Unlike NBA 2K6, Live’s atmosphere is near perfect. The spot on stadiums are electrified with cheering from the crowd and some very nicely done sports commentary.


This is the part that really makes the game feel exciting. I love the atmosphere within the arenas espescially in late game situations the crowds go wild.

[Latrell24]

Re: Thinking about picking up Live 06

Checkout this article. It looks like this guy might have had the same thoughts as playmakers. He mentions tweaking the game more than any other article I've read by a review on this game.



NBA Live 06 Review

written by Scott Alan Marriott on Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Platform: Xbox 360
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA SPORTS
ESRB: Everyone
Rating:

Pros: New graphics engine; excellent commentary; gameplay customization options

Cons: Too many standard features missing; inadequate default settings; limited camera angles
[[startreview]]
The first in what is promised by publisher Electronic Arts as “a new era of basketball games,” NBA Live 06 on Xbox 360 offers lavish visuals yet meager features. The overall presentation eclipses NBA 2K6's, with glossy 3D stadiums and eerily lifelike coaches rendered with the same amount of detail as the players. The issue, however, is whether it is enough. Swap the analog stick for a deodorant stick and sit back as X-Play separates the innovation from the perspiration, to reveal what gels and what smells.

Basket Case
NBA Live 06 is more noteworthy for what it leaves out than what it includes, as the famous catchphrase “if it’s in the game, it’s in the game” apparently fell on deaf ears during development. NBA Live 06 follows in the cleats of Tiger Woods and Madden NFL on Xbox 360 with a shocking number of cut features. The biggest surprise is the absence of the multi-season dynasty mode, the heart of the basketball series since its debut in NBA Live 99.
Also on the chopping block are mini-games, fantasy drafts, dunk contests, the create-a-team feature, superstar controls, and more. So what can you do? You can create an athlete, challenge opponents on Xbox Live, play through a complete season, and question your sanity for paying full retail price. That’s basically it. It’s almost as if the developers spent all their time on the new graphic engine and called it a day after the player models and stadiums were finished.

The Hoopla
The visuals are a head turner. The sweat is more glistening than NBA 2K6's, and the faces seem closer to their real-life counterparts thanks to some excellent lighting and subtle variations in musculature and skin tone. Tattoos are all instantly recognizable, facial and hair stubble are just the right length and thickness, and the head- and armbands look comfortably spongy. From Ben Wallace’s poofy hair to the bird nest on Dirk Nowitzki’s head, the detail is exceptional.
Things are not perfect, however. The players offer blank, emotionless stares that stay the same no matter what happens on the court. Mouths, eyebrows, and other facial expressions are surgically limited to about the same range of expression as Joan Rivers’ face.

Seeing Stars
The beautiful graphics aren’t given an assist by the frustrating camera angles. While each of the four available cameras (baseline, sideline, broadcast, press box) let players adjust both height and zoom levels from one to ten, all have drawbacks. The broadcast camera is the least playable of the four, with some zoom levels actually removing the basket from view. Higher cameras offer more complete views of the court, but it’s still hard to see the ball from the opposite side.
In all of the views, transitions tend to swing the camera with such force that you might feel the sting of whiplash in the back of your neck. A more dynamic, intelligent camera that tracks the ball carrier would be nice, something that combines the best elements of all four views. Perhaps the camera issues were the reason the developers dropped the sorely missed manual instant replay. The frame rate also stutters with different camera views and speed settings, so finding the right balance can take a good 30 minutes of experimentation.

Slip, Slidin’ Away
If it weren’t for the gameplay sliders, NBA Live 06 on Xbox 360 would be hopelessly broken. The default game speed is slow, and the balance skews heavily toward the offense. Computer fastbreaks are prevalent and nearly unstoppable, and defensive rebounds are more rare than men in the audience of the Oprah Winfrey Show. The great news is that these issues are correctable if players take time to fiddle with the options. There are 22 individual sliders for human users and the computer AI, not including global settings and rules, allowing for both simulation and arcade styles of play.
The one area that can’t be sufficiently fixed is the analog-based free throw system. It’s not that flicking the right analog stick up and down is a bad idea, it’s just that there’s no feedback to help you figure out what went wrong (or right). Britney Spears has a better chance of executing good judgment than you have in executing a free throw.

Fouling Out
NBA Live 06 certainly shows promise, but fans shouldn’t be subsidizing “promise” with their hard-earned dollars when a more seasoned alternative is available. NBA 2K6 cannot compare to NBA Live 06’s flashy visuals and terrific commentary, but it offers far more depth and long-term appeal. That said, there is still fun to be had with NBA Live 06 as long as you 1) tweak the default sliders and 2) can live with some basic features. NBA Live 06 would have benefited from being delayed a few months to deliver the quality and polish one expects from the leading publisher of sports games.




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