Customer Reviews

NBA Live 2003

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

EA has gone arcade crazy with NBA Live 2003!
There are far too many dunks, blocks, steals and fast breaks!
The AI is totally unrealistic! Everyone seems to be flying around like Vince Carter, dunking on almost every possession!

This is more like a highlight reel or commercial than a game and it certainly is not a simulation anymore!

NBA Live has turned into Triple Play Baseball!

The entire game seems to revolve around never-ending dunks and animations. People that never dunk or block shots are doing it repeatedly! This looks more like NBA Jam than NBA Live. This is all on so called, exhibition mode. I suppose that on arcade, everyone fly's around non-stop like superman!

PC users had to wait two years for EA to turn a simulation into a slam-dunk contest!

I think the programmers at EASports need to cut down on their sugar intake!

The graphics are pretty good but the coaches look very weird especially Byron Scott of the Nets.

Again, too many dunks, blocks, steals, fast breaks and repetitive animations and no real AI and no realism!

When a 6-foot guards block 7-foot centers, that is really totally out of touch with reality.

It's fun if you like a too fast-exaggerated arcade game but forget about it as a simulation.

Since I want realistic AI in a simulation that reflects reality on planet earth, I am very disappointed!

Manuel Calcagno

Live 2000 was one of the best basketball games out there when it came out back in the day. 2001 was delayed for a long time and then when it finally arrived, it was extremely disappointing. 2002 was skipped completely for the PC and now its back for 2003. The graphics are awesome, by far the best the series has ever seen. It is the gameplay that is the problem. First problem I had was the fact that you cant configure all of your controls. You can map a key for a certain offensive move, say to shoot, but then there is a corresponding defensive move that is automatically mapped to that key as well, that cannot be changed w/o changing the offensive mapping. Basically you can only configure half of your controls and the rest you have to live with.
2nd main problem is the cameras. None of the cameras give a very good view of the whole floor during play and your perspective is always skewed in some fashion. Usually in the depth perception department.
3rd and most obvious is the ridiculous pace of the game. Its nothing but an all out dunkfest. Run off a few of the spin dribbles until you're within 15 feet of the basket and your man will go airborne for the slam or the layup. Dont get me wrong, this is really fun...for about 2 games. The true ballers will get bored very quickly and will be left yearning for some realism.
They added coaches on the sidelines which was totally worthless and most of the cut scenes are pretty corny as well.
The computer AI is much improved on the opposing teams as they now execute fast breaks, double teams etc. but your computer teammates refuse to play any defense besides occasionally sending a block all the way down to the other end of the floor. Emphasis on occasionally.
The franchise mode is still relatively solid and the soundtrack is pretty tight but the frustration of having to learn the buttons that are configured for you and the lack of help from your computer teammates is all in all agonizingly frustrating.
Im a big Live fan but my patience has all but run out. The focus of the game has unfortunately become focused on the "bells and whistles". (anyone remember 3 team trades in Live2001? That worked real well didnt it? At least they left it out this time) My opinion is don't buy it. The graphics are pretty but the gameplay is high on frustration and low on fun and realism. Maybe once the price is down around [$$$] it'll be worth it for some temporary entertainment, but even that may be pushing it a bit.

First, I'm very pleased EA Sports decided to continue the "Live" series on PC and release a 2003 version. If they hadn't, the only basketball simulation on the PC market would have been the 2001 version of "Live" - not that the game wasn't good, but it pales in comparison to this year's release. Even though "Live" 2003 has its shortcomings, it's far better than nothing at all.

The latest edition to the "Live" series offers some new features. The addition of the fast break makes the game a bit more realistic, provided you're able to cover the break on defense adequately. I like the quick plays they incorporated, and the new FreeStyle control. The graphics are far better than the 2001 version. Some of the player animations are hilarious (especially during the play offs and the end of big games.) All the rosters are current, of course, and your favorite players all have their gear - Iverson's arm sleeve, Kidd's leg band, and even John Stockson's short shorts! The great parts definitely outweigh the bad. Still, for what reason I know not, there is some of that "bad" thrown in.

Some of the complaints by other reviewers are fully justified. Naturally, the game has its shortcomings - so many, in fact, that their presence might ruin the game for some people. To begin, the game pace is indeed ridiculous. If you have the patients to play 12 minute quarters (which I never did - half of that is max for me) you'll likely score over 200 points. Get accustomed to point guards rejecting shots (old school, indeed) into the fifth row, power forwards snatching six to seven steals per game, and anyone with a rating over 92 nailing 30-foot jumpers and throwing down tomahawks all over the place. The computer will fast break on every possession if you let it, while running a fast break yourself takes some experience to pull off. Also, the rap music is extremely annoying.

Here are some solutions to the above listed problems:

1 - I've heard there are some downloadable patches on the Internet to reduce player's skill level, although I have no idea where this patch might be.

2 - If you want a realistic NBA score at the end of the game (somewhere between 80 to 110 points) I recommend playing quarters between 6 and 7 minutes. This also allows for realistic assist and rebound ratios, though the blocks and steals are still ridiculously high.

3 - If you want a realistic score, play realistically. Don't give the ball to Kobe Bryant ever possession. Run set plays. It's that simple. There are many to choose from, but the favorites seem to be the pick and roll, isolation (don't overuse this, especially with the better players), 3-point shot, and post-up. By using these not only will you take some time off the clock but also improve your chances of scoring a basket in a realistic manner.

4 - If the computer continually fast breaks, turn off the "crash boards" option. This way only your forwards and center will go for the rebound, and your back court players will shuffle back on defense. You might loose some offensive rebounds to the other team, but the ratio always even out in the end. I guarantee that this will eliminate 90% of the fast breaks. The only time the computer will be able to execute one properly is on a steal or a block.

5) Shut off your speakers when navigating the menus.

"NBA Live 2003" is certainly not a perfect game, but no one should expect one. When you get down to it, the game is very enjoyable to play. So let's all overlook some its shortcomings and be thankful that we even got a 2003 release.

Where to begin with this dismal attempt at a basketball game. It is possibly one of the most frustrating game I have ever played. Unless EA Sports addresses some serious gameplay issues with a patch, there is no point in buying this game.

Here are some reasons as to why:

1. Unrealistic scores: If you play a 12-minute quarter, forget it. The score is going to come out in the 200's. Its just pathetic. Say you choose to go 5 or 6 minutes per quarter - well maybe then can you keep it in the lower 100's, however, your rebounding, minutes per game, and assists will suffer.

2. Unrealistic stats: Okay, so Kobe Bryant can score with two guys double-teaming him and with two hands in his face in real life. But Steve Smith? Lindsey Hunter? C'mon! When you have great defense on a guy, he shouldn't be able to hit all of his shots. The computer seems to hit about 50-80% of their shots on any given night. Its just frustrating. You play tight defense and they still score on you with ANYONE! The last game I played, Steve Smith hit five 3's in a row with a double team of Bonzi Wells and Kevin Garnett. What the heck? And don't get me started with the turn-around-fade-away 3's while there is still 15 seconds left on the shot clock that the computer tends to pull off.

3. Unrealistic plays: So of course a guy as tall as Tim Duncan or Theo Ratlif can stuff a guy like Kevin Garnett in real life because of the size advantages, but Damon Stoudamire? Since when can a 6-1 guy stuff a 6-11 guy?? Its just ridiculous the amount of blocked shots you can get in one game. My starting PG is Stephon Marbury and he's averaging 3 blocked shots per game!

4. Horrible computer AI: Or should I say what computer AI? The computer never seems to take time off the clock. Five seconds into the sequence they take a three (which they will usually make) or they drive the ball and throw up a wild shot (that goes in!) Also, your teammates are about as smart a bottle of ketchup. When you get your shot blocked, they just stand there and watch as the ball gets picked up by the opposing player. When you poke the ball loose from the guy you're covering, they just stand there. When the opposing player backs them down or drives, they rarely jump to contest the shot. They still don't cut to the basket when they get open. Its just awful.

5. Steals!! You can't post up! Every time I post my guy up, a double team comes and they basically cut his arm off to get the ball loose. The ref never calls fouls in those cases. There is absolutely no post-up game in this game; it'll be stolen from you every time down the court. Now when the opposing team backs you down and you try to steal the ball, its impossible. You'll typically average about 26-45 turnovers a game if you have it set to 10 minute quarters.

6. Playbook - Almost all of the plays are designed for the Center or Power Forward position players. There are a few for Small Forward or Shooting Guard, however, that's it! You're much better off just running your offense normally and not running any plays, especially if your Center and Power Forward positions are defensive specialists and not scorers. Also, why post a guy up if he gets the ball taken away from him all the time?

So what did EA do right in this game? Well they finally fixed the rebounding. Of course, its difficult to rebound when the other team doesn't miss, but see the above paragraphs for more on that. However, after you sacrifice a goat during the 12th moon and the other team actually misses a shot, you are able to rebound. Also, offensive rebounds are much easier than previous games. The graphics are smooth and the flow of the game is smooth and not choppy. The fact that there are fast breaks is much more refreshing, as in the previous versions fast breaks were just about impossible.

So there you have it. If you want an arcade game where every shot will be a dunk, then buy this game! If you love NBA Jam, buy this game! However, unless EA puts out a few patches that will fix a lot of the AI problems, then stay far, far away!

The first thing you notice is the improved graphics. Even on a GEForce 2 MX, the graphics are a lot better than they were in 2001 (the last PC version of this series). You now select your view before you start a game, and the camera movement is incredibly smooth and very appropriate to gameplay. Everything is smoother and less "boxy" than before, and even with a low-quality video card (though with 512M RAM and an Athlon 1.3 Gig), it just looks awesome.

The second thing you'll notice, about 5 seconds after the tip-off, is the speed of the gameplay -- much faster than in 2001. The speed increase makes you feel like you're on hyper-speed, but after a while you start to get used to it, and it does feel a bit more realistic. Much of the gameply in the demo is arcade-style, however, with impossibly-consistent 3-point shooting, breathtaking dunks on almost every attempt, and slapshot blocks that inevitably send the ball into the third row or down to the other basket. Hopefully the full version allows you some more control over the realism levels, but if not this will still be a fun "arcade-style" game.

The few complaints I have so far -- time management seems difficult, since the game clock and shot clock are not always visible onscreen (the shot clock appears as time starts to run out, when there are about 8 seconds left). Perhaps this is an option in the full version. The substitution options are actually pretty nice (in an earlier version of my review, I hadn't tried it yet) -- instead of just substituting specific players (which you can still do), you can choose to substitute a "package" -- put in all the starters, or your 3-point shooting squad, or your tall guys. Hopefully the full version allows customization of these substitution packages, since the demo doesn't.

I ended up buying a new gamepad to try to take advantage of their newest feature, "freestyle" control, which requires a gamepad with two (analog) joysticks. It's taking some time to adjust to the new gamepad -- my gameplay really dropped off -- but it looks like with some more practice, this new feature will really be nice.

Travis Edward Hooker's review is right on point. My biggest complaints so far (the game just arrived in today's mail) are definitely the lack of camera angle options and the inability to fully customize the controls, as you could in previous versions. And unless I'm missing something (certainly possible), I'm also annoyed that they seem to have gotten rid of the ability to sort lists of players by certain attributes (e.g. in descending order of quickness or three-point shooting ability) and there are also no pull-down menus, so you have to sort through teams by clicking one at a time.

I think some of the complaints about unrealistic gameplay can be solved by tweaking player ratings, and by simply playing a more balanced game yourself. In other words, if you do nothing but go for dunks and chuck up threes, the other team will be able to run a lot more. If you run set offenses, you will get back on D better. As always, peep ... for roster patches, forums and much more. If you make the mistake of buying the game, this site may be able to help you regret your purchase a bit less.

All in all, I think EA ought to sell the Live franchise as it stands now to Midway so it can be coupled with that garbage like NFL Blitz and MLB Slugfest. Then, go back to Live 2000 and try building again from there. This game has me seriously considering buying one of the game consoles just for Sega Sports games.

Very good game from all aspects except for few non major ones. It is not very realistic so we can't really call it a simulation. What annoys me the most is those impossible scoring runs by the computer. During such stretches the computer will always steal the ball from you, and make impossible shots in succession at the other end. Thus, at higher levels of difficulty, no matter how big of a lead you might have the computer will make a run and catch up. Frequent dunks do not bother me. I like that actually, but what I don't like is easy shot blocking. Every player can average 5 or 6 blocked shots per game. There is a bug regarding the player trade - you cannot initiate it. You can only choose to accept or reject CPU initiated trades. Great feature of the game is option to create and customize your own character. Every basketball fan dreams of playing in the NBA. I recommend playing the Franchise Mode over a long period of time, and not too frequently. Players evolve from season to season. Some players' skills are improved at the start of a new season, while others are deteriorated. I am in my third season with Houston Rockets now. My legs are a bit weaker, and my dunks are not that spectacular any more.

NBA Live 2003 is pretty good. I wish it was more realistic though. You can play 12 minute quarters and get up to at least 160 points. There are also way to many fast breaks and dunks. This game is way better than NBA Live 2001, though. The franchise mode is great, the create-a-player options are awesome, and the graphics are sharp and better than any other game for PC. I reccomend this game to all basketball fans.

the game is not realistic at all if you just like arcade action than this is your game but other then that if you are a serious balller this game is not for you when you score 100 to 150 points by half time then it is time to hang it up i love ea sports games but they took a step back with this one

NBA Live 2003 is very fun... at the beginning. It is basically a dunkfest. All you have to do is cross over your opponent and do a mind boggling dunk. Sounds fun? Not if you do it 15 billion times. The graphics are great, definitely the best out of all the Live titles. The online play is awesome. It is fun chatting with people and taking them on. The franchise mode is okay, but it gets kind of boring. It is an okay game overall and I recommend buying it because this is only basketball game for PC. By the way, the soundtrack is horrible.