NBA Live 06 (Xbox 360)

NBA Live looks unbelievably good, but that's not enough

There are always a few launch games that rely on their graphical superiority to push sales. Take NBA Live 2006 for example. It's a solid title right? Hell I gave the current-gen versions a respectable score of 7. There were plenty of gameplay modes, dynamite superstar moves, and my personal favourite: the Slam Dunk Contest. What more do you need?

Now take a look at the 360 version. It's pretty; it's aesthetically orgasmic; if all of my girlfriends looked like Live 06, I'd die a happy man. But behind that beauty is pretty much an empty shell. Live 06 is absolutely, 100 per cent, featureless. Did the superstar moves make the cut? Nope. Did my beloved Slam Dunk Contest return for another year of highflying goodness? Nope. In fact, when it comes down to it, Live 06 really only has two modes of play. So this of course begs the question: Do you date the cheerleader who carries a brain cell count of zero, or the average looking sweetheart who's on track to win the Nobel Prize?

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I've probably already made it quite clear that Live 06 for 360 doesn't have a whole lot going for it, but I will tell you this: it looks freaking amazing. If ever there were a game to show off to your friends (and one friend of mine comes to mind who is the hardcorest of hardcore PlayStation fans), it would be Live 06. The game looks phenomenal - dare I say breathtaking. Now, usually the graphics are mentioned in one of the last paragraphs of the review, but I've decided to rebel today against industry standards and talk about the game's only selling point.

You'll be wowed over and over again. Your jaw will hit the floor dozens of times over the course of the game thanks to some of the best character models ever rendered in a videogame. The animations are frighteningly smooth and at times, you can swear you're watching a real basketball game. But with all this beauty there has to be a little substance right?

... for the first time in history, the loading screen actually is more fun than the game itself.

But let me get back to Live 06's pros, and we'll worry about the cons later. Forget the graphics for a minute; let's focus on the only other feature that makes the 360 version remotely playable - the loading screen. Yes, for the first time in history, the loading screen is actually more fun than the game itself. Instead of staring blankly at a bar that fills up as the game loads, players are taken to a basketball court. A net rises out of the ground, banners unfold, and you're presented with a player who can shoot, dunk, and dribble up a storm while waiting for the game to begin. You can even play with a friend and there's a neat mini game where you can shrink the other player by scoring baskets, in turn, making your player taller. You can even pick your mode of play without ever having to leave the court. Then it's off to the tip-off.

Live 06 is a little more sim-like in nature. The defence holds its own - though driving to the basket for an easy jam is still the best way to go. You'll still see some pretty high stats - I had Shaq averaging 50 points a game at one point - but the game tries to even itself out by having shorter quarters and significantly slowing the pace of the game. You might want to turn the speed up a little bit to get the most out of this one. But with no superstar moves to be seen, the gameplay lacks not only depth, but one of the features that made the current-gen versions as good as they are. You'll still find some great looking alley-oops, stylish passes and more than a few plays worth replaying - if you could actually view replays that is. The game lacks any sort of replay mode. You can't pause the game and bask in the beauty of a successful play. Your only chance to catch a second viewing is immediately after the basket is made. How poor is that? The camera also gets a little fidgety here and there, often focusing on the wrong player, and the game's physics can get a little wonky too.

Sadly, once the 'Wow' factor is gone, there's little else to enjoy

Now that the wow factor has diminished, you've played a quick game and shown it to your friends, it's time to get down to the nitty gritty. Here are your gameplay options: Create-a-player - another superb feature that thankfully, EA decided not to leave out - quick match and season mode. With the absence of a dynasty mode, season mode takes the podium and will most likely be where you spend the majority of your time with the game. Much like EA's other next generation debacles (Madden and Tiger Woods, I'm looking at you) season mode lacks just about every feature you'd expect from a sports title. Training camp has been scrapped. The player evolution has vanished and there's no sign of a salary cap. To give your team a performance boost you can sign any and however many free agents you want. I finally got the chance to give Kobe Bryant a much needed kick in the arse and sent him on over to the Bulls as punishment for his wicked ways. Meanwhile, I stacked my team up with Duncan, O'Neil, Nash, and the like, and went on to win a very easy championship, even on the highest difficulty setting. Granted you don't have to do this, but either way, the lack of a cap means there's no strategy whatsoever in how you spend your money. It's almost as if EA was just about ready to ship the game, when it realized it hadn't included a season mode, and in a last minute effort to raise the sinking ship, knocked this together and called it a game.

It's ironic how the other night my mother told me that less is more. I told her to play NBA Live 06. Let's face it; it really isn't a finished product. I guess EA just needed an extra few dollars in its bank account because there really isn't much here to warrant a purchase. If anything, grab Live 06 for Xbox, or PS2. It's got all of the features the 360 version should have had, and it's £10 cheaper!