NBA Live 09

After a few years of less than stellar updates to one of EA Sport largest franchises, NBA Live 09 marks a major return to form. Ultra-slick presentation, smooth controls, awesome sound, and brilliant TV-style graphics make for a compelling package.

Gameplay is intuitive, accessible and really rewarding. The thought that has been placed on providing an experience of the NBA is evident, and from the moment the game loads-up you are invited to immerse yourself in the world of professional basketball. The game is exquisitely balanced, offering both those who want to pick-up-and-play and those who want a deeper experience a compelling reason to play. New innovations like DNA and Live 365 add depth to an already comprehensive package.

Graphically the game is a near perfect translation of broadcast NBA coverage - and the animation, texture, and player modeling work is truly superb. The attention to detail on the players is astonishing, and quick look at the Ray Allen or Kevin Garnett models gives you a feel for the immense skill in EA's art department. During gameplay animations are largely fluid, with only the occasional instance of pop and clipping in evidence. Collision detection is solid, but one of the standout features is how each player moves like their real life counterparts. Kobe's athleticism, LeBron's power, and Iverson's agility are all perfectly recreated through signature animations. The game is gorgeous to look at.

Sound is equally great, with fluid and well-timed commentary from Marv Albert and Steve Kerr, returning for yet another outing. The only criticism for players of previous NBA Live installments is a few too many re-used lines of dialogue - but that doesn't detract from the experience. The crowd sounds and acoustic work within the arena really adds to the sense of realism. And EA Trax have supplied a reasonably good selections to round-out a great audio presentation.

This title has accessibility and longevity absolutely nailed, and is my personal favourite among this year's very strong crop of EA Sports' franchise updates. Ultimately the success of any game is measured in how the gameplay makes you feel. So here's the bottom line: the first time you drill a clutch 3-point shot late in the game, the whole NBA Live 09 package comes together perfectly and makes you want to leap out of your seat - that's how awesome this is !!!

Presentation: 9.0
Graphics: 8.5
Sound: 9.0
Gameplay: 8.5
Lifespan: 9.0
OVERALL: 9.0

I ordered the same day delivery and paid the extra fee, but the game was not delivered till 3 days later :(
Anyway, game is great fun, but could do with a step by step tutorial on how to play the game. Instead all I do is play Versus games on Xbox Live and try to learn through trial and error. I would like to play in an online league and make a run for the playoffs, but I haven't figured out how to do this yet, and the game doesn't make it easy to figure it out.

I suggest running the game from the hard disk. After just one month, the disc comes up with an unreadable error.

The soundtrack is decent.

Overall, the purchase is disappointing.

brilliant,realistic game,which captures the fast pace of the NBA.easy controls but if you wish to play on superstar level,prepare to lose.awesome graphics and loads of options to tinker with.in a nut shell,outstanding sport game with lastability.