NBA Live 2000

by EA

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002SSVH
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: October 26, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,564 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #15 in Video Games > PC Games > Sports > Basketball
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

GameSpot

EA Sports' NBA Live series is like the Chicago Bulls of basketball games. The Bulls were the dominant NBA team of the '90s and arguably the best basketball team ever. No other team even came close, and any time a contender like the Jazz reared its pretentious head to challenge them, the Bulls slapped them down in the championship when it counted. Similarly, EA Sports' NBA Live was the dominant basketball game of the '90s. A few companies like Microsoft and Fox have tried to compete, but NBA Live remains the premier basketball game on the PC. However, just as the Bulls recently split apart and turned into the biggest turkey in the NBA, so too has NBA Live lost much of its luster. Fortunately, NBA Live 2000 hasn't taken as big a fall as the Bulls; it's only lost a step compared with the new games in town.

NBA Live 2000 is basically the same game as Live 99, with the addition of Michael Jordan and a cast of all-stars from the '50s to '90s. It has the same types of gameplay as before: arcade mode, simulation mode, exhibition games, single-season games, and multiple-season games in franchise mode. The NBA Live series' dizzying array of options also remains intact. You can tweak graphics detail, adjust quarter length, toggle virtually every official NBA rule, or throw everything out and just play wild arcade basketball.

Like 99, Live 2000 lets you manage your team through multiple seasons and try to create a consistently winning franchise. However, whereas Live 99 only let you play ten seasons, Live 2000 requires you to play 25. It would have been nice to have an option to play for five, ten, 15, or 20 years, rather than forcing you to stick it out for 25. The new one-on-one mode is also a fun addition to the game, because it lets you play as or challenge the greatest basketball players in history. You can match Iverson up against Jordan or relive the classic Russel-Chamberlain battles of yesteryear.

Single games are still fun whether you play them in exhibition or season mode. The emphasis is on action, and as always, it's better to play offense than try to win on defense. However, it seems that every year, NBA Live gets better in terms of letting you play defensively if you so choose. I didn't steal too often, but I sure blocked a lot of shots.

NBA Live 2000 adds a direct shoot and direct pass option, so you can force shots, dunks, and layups. But in reality, direct shooting does not mean you will automatically get your dunk or layup. You'll occasionally be frustrated when you think you're in position for a dunk and end up seeing your player try a jumper from under the basket. Thankfully, this only happens rarely. -- Elliott Chin
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NBA Live 2000, November 29, 1999

By 

CRL (Bellport, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NBA Live 2000 (CD-ROM)

The NBA Live series has been the gaming world's brightest ever since it caught some air way back on the Super NES. The transition to the PC was superb starting with NBA Live 95 and has become increasingly better with each year. Live 2K is no exception. From the introduction until the final year of your tenure as general manager of any of the 29 NBA teams, Live never fails to dish out the goods. Returning features from Live 99 are Exhibition, Season, 3-Point Shootout, Practice and Career modes. This season, Live 2K goes over the top with five teams consisting of the greatest players from each of the NBA's 5 decades of existance. For example, the 1980's All-Stars boasts the names of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, just to name two. The options don't end there. You can pick from any of the 300+ players and decade all-stars and pit them up against the king of "Air" himself, Michael Jordan, in a one-on-one streetball game. Personally, I found the decade teams and MJ 1-on-1 fun at first, but it has lost its luster and is dull at best now. As for the Career Mode, it is far improved over last year's edition and is easily the most fun to be had. After selecting your team, you pick the length of season, select from the real NBA divisional set-up or you can customize it the way you like, and whether or not you want to hold a fantasy draft. The most interesting part as GM is managing player salaries. Yes, that's right, salaries. Each player has his own salary ranging from the league minimum of $30,000 to the maximum of $300,000 (Kobe Bryant-like numbers), from a single-year deal to a seven-year contract. At the end of the player's contract, he becomes a free agent and will demand a salary that may be a great deal for you or an astornomical amount, or he may refuse to sign with your team all together. Some players may even demand a salary amount while accepting only a certain amount of years toward their contract. This feature makes NBA Live that much closer to real life. I had seasons where I didn't play any games, but just signed, re-signed and traded players. Another great feature of the Career mode is the Rookie Draft at the conclusion of the NBA Playoffs. Just like the real NBA, the teams that didn't make the playoffs are put into a lottery; the teams with the worst of the worst records have a better shot at the #1 pick. Each rookie has a scouting report listing their strenghts and weaknesses and just like the NBA, it's likely to be a gamble as to what player you choose because none of the rookies have initial ratings during the draft. Off the court options are all fun and dandy, but a truly great basketball game makes the cut on the hardwood itself. And NBA Live 2000 shines bright from basket to basket. The graphics are stunning. Each player has a greatly accurate cyber-face. Iverson and Sprewell have there dreads while Shaq and Garnett have their bald heads. After a monster jam, the camera may zoom to the player and catch him pumping his fists with high adrenaline. The courts are spectacularly emulated and there's even an on-cout ref that makes the calls. Like every other game, there are a few minor niggles that I must mention. When drafting players during a fantasy draft, it would have been a good idea to post the players contracts somewhere accesible, this way when it's neck and neck between two players, you know which player has the more lucrative deal. The game also may become to easy for seasoned veterans after awhile. The sound of the crowd and play-by-play is weak as it has been in all previous Live games. Even with the few flaws, the incredible graphics, great managerial options and funky soundtrack make NBA Live 2000 the most enjoyable Live ever and the best B-Ball game on the market.

PROS: Amazing graphics, nigh-perfect GM mode, pluthera of gaming options. CONS: Sound effects and play-by-play. OVERALL: 94%

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars updated review!, December 5, 1999

By 

"showtime19" (tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NBA Live 2000 (CD-ROM)

this is an update.. still having loads of fun with this game--and I've just started the franchise mode which is very cool. I would highly recommend picking up a "gravis gamepad pro" for this game. it features four buttons on the front and two L (left) and two R (right) buttons at the top. This controller is desigined just like the controller for the sony playstation, which is very important. I've found that its a *necessity* to have the two L and R buttons because of all of the moves that require a combination of buttons in this game.. such as direct dunking, direct passing, elbow faking, turbo, etc... its rather hard to do all of this with the microsoft sidewinder controller which I owned previously.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stunning gameplay, March 30, 2000

By 

strummer (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: NBA Live 2000 (CD-ROM)

NBA Live 2000 is the best effort to date. There are two primary reasons for this statement: 1) Michael Jordan; and 2) You can get in the game.

The Jordan feature is huge. How many of us spent time creating players with his specs and name in previous editions? I don't know what EA did to get him to participate, but thank you!

Another new feature is that you can literally get into the game. You can upload a scanned image of your face and create a player in your likeness. It's not a perfect representation, but it's pretty close and makes for some added fun. The next logical step is to enable the announcers to speak your name. Hearing, "#99 is a consistent shooter" just isn't as fun as hearing my name, but oh well.

The graphics and gameplay are amazing. There's a lot of added emotion and it plays more like a real NBA game. More fouls are called, the defenses switch correctly, opposing teams make better decisions, the dominant players dominate, teams streak and go through dry spells and the benches perform well. Some of the likenesses are actually really darn close as well. Great soundtrack too. Rahzel rules!

The only drawback to the game is the ability to rack up an unrealistic ammount of points. I had 103 points 8 minutes into the 3rd quarter in one game and was leading by 40. This has always hounded EA and it's likely just part of the game one has to learn to accept, but it's disappointing to see my entire team leading the league in almost all statistics. Other nitpicks include the ease of blocking shots, breakaway dunks that turn into jumpers under the basket and the inability to handle play behind the backboard gracefully. Lastly, Reggie Theus just spews the same three phrases game in and game out.

However, NBA Live 2000 is still an action-packed, visually stunning game that is a blast to play. I never grow tired of it and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes basketball and sports games.