Antoine Walker was hired as the spokesperson and graphic model for EA Sports' most recent adaptation of its well loved, and highly respected NBA Live line. Although he won't be able to show his stuff on the court anytime soon-due to the never-ending story that is the NBA labor dispute-he can certainly show off with his Playstation, using the game that he helped create.
At the recent Sports/Recess Faceoff, crossover Nick Tylwalk was overheard trying to get Walker to challenge him to a game.
"I don't see why he wouldn't show up," Tylwalk said. "It's not like he has anything better to do anyway."
That being said, Tylwalk and Walker would certainly be a dream matchup for a game that is very much retooled from last year's immensely popular version of the series.
First off, the graphics are much sharper then they were last year. EA used a completely different game engine in producing this year's version, and the improvement is clear. The players' movements are more pronounced and realistic, and the faces and bodies of the players themselves are much less polygon-like then they were previously.
The game play is also improved, if you like realism. No longer can you dunk from 16 feet from the rim. No longer does the computer play like Marty Clark-who still doesn't foul. No longer are you allowed to kill people in order to steal the ball, and no longer do bodies fly all over the court whenever there is contact.
All of this, however, slows down the overall tempo of the game, making it more of a simulation than an NBA Jam-type experience. For those who play with fouls and fatigue and like realism in their sports games, Live '99 is tremendous. For those who like fast-paced, never-stop, phi-slamma-jamma action, slamming people to the court and stepping on their faces (remember Arch Rivals???), Live '99 is a step down. But that was never the type of game it was intended to be.
Other improvements, like small amounts of trash-talking, more signature moves, fantasy draft teams and seasons and a practice mode all help make NBA Live '99 the new standard in Playstation basketball. The lockout has prevented rookies like Roshown McLeod from being included directly in the game, but any basketball fan who appreciates realism-from rookie to locked-out all-star-should enjoy bringing the soul to the hole in this newest installation of NBA Live.
-By Dave Schepard
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