Article published November 01, 2008
Gaming for Sport: NBA Live, Blitz bring the action
By TOM FISHER
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Sports fans have plenty of options to keep them occupied this time of year. Football is well under way and basketball has just begun. So let’s take a look at two sports games that will keep gamers even busier.
As with most other EASports titles to come out this year, the focus on realism in NBA Live 09 has paid off. The graphics are extremely well done and, much like EA’s other sports titles, at certain distances you could easily be fooled into thinking you were watching a real game.
With a franchise like NBA Live, the game play is generally the same from sequel to sequel. Not much to learn there, so see let’s what changes have been made.
The new Pick and Roll Control allows players to control two players on the floor simultaneously. Press a button to call for a pick and once the player arrives a meter will appear above his head. When you start to move, the meter will fill up. When you release the button the game will decide what your teammate does after the pick. This was a nice maneuver after about 30 tries. Up to that point it was frustrating as I couldn’t finish the move. Like other parts of the game it’s great for veterans but for beginners it’s a bit much.
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Score: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Game: NBA Live 09
System: Xbox 360
Genre: Sports
No. Players: Up to 4
ESRB rating: E(everyone)
Price: $59.99 |
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Another addition is the Lockdown Defense. You can get up in a guy’s face and force him to make an errant pass or take a hurried shot. This was the most useful of the new items and has added a lot of realism to the game play. Players have to be careful because doing this too often will leave your defense exposed and an avid opponent can take advantage of your overzealousness.
Signature Playcalling is a new feature that gives a separate menu with eight different plays the baller can choose from that are key to different players on your team.
When approaching a defender a simple button combo will enable your character to perform Quick Strike Ankle Breaker moves. Once the combo is pressed, the image is paused and another combo allows the handler to put the move on the defender and if successful, break his ankles.
Another new feature players allows playes to hit the court as their favorite player. This is different than normal play in that you can’t switch between players. If you choose to play as Lebron James, then you can only control that character. This can be good because you don’t have to work very hard to find Lebron on the floor. It can be bad as you don’t control the other players except for passing the ball.
Game modes are the same as last year, with one special new addition: The NBA Live Academy. This is basically four hoops set up in quadrants and you practice different aspects of your game such as rebounding, pick and roll, and low post moves. It really just felt like a big shoot-around, but the cool thing is it’s the default screen instead of the main menu. When your game is over it takes you back to the gym and you can practice your play. Much to my surprise, I really like this feature. You can even shoot around during those boring minutes while your game is loading. How cool is that?
The most anticipated feature is the Dynamic DNA, which will change the way sports games are played, especially online.
Basically you sync your game to the real-life players and all of their behaviors, tendencies, and stats. This will make the game play much more realistic. If the real-life Lebron is on a three-point streak, his avatar in the game will be hot from beyond the arc as well. If Kobe is dunking a lot, his stats will be better in that area in the game. You can download the stats from last night’s game and play the game on your 360 with fresh updates.
This will be the closest players get to a real NBA experience in a video game to date. If basketball is your sport, you’ll want this one.
Blitz The League II
Score: 3 stars (out of 5)
Game: Blitz The League II
System: Xbox 360
Genre: Sports
No. Players: Up to 2
ESRB rating: M (Mature)
Price: $59.99
If you’re a pigskin fan you might take a look at Blitz: The League II, but be prepared — it’s brutal. To the same degree that EA Sports focuses on realism, Midway Games concentrates on keeping it real, so they set out to capture the dark side of football, on and off the field.
There’s a lot of helmet-flying action and bone-crushing hits in this gridiron league. And I know they’re bone-crushing hits because the cut-scene animations plainly show the snapping of bone. Let’s just say that suffering through the gruesome details of the injuries seemed to be almost as painful as actually suffering the injuries.
This is football on steroids — literally. One of the darker aspects of the game is the juicing. When a player is injured during the game, one of your tasks is to aim the crosshairs just right to jab him with a needle of toxic goodness. The closer you get to your target, the less time he will be out of the game. During the Campaign mode, juicing and its ill effects will play a bigger role in the story.
More of the dark side can be seen in the game’s language, the sexual innuendos, the lifestyle, the gambling, and the music. Basically if you took all of the bad stuff you ever heard about professional sports and put it all in one league, you’d have Blitz. The M rating is justified.
If you can get past all of that, the game play actually had some fun stuff to offer.
Once your Clash meter is full you can access Unleash moves. Suppose you’re running the ball. You perform your normal combo moves to evade a few tacklers and pick up a few extra yards. That’s normal game play where the players move about three times faster than they do in real life.
In Unleash mode you can actually decelerate the play on the field to slow-motion, giving you more time to evade tackles, spot an open receiver, or get around the corner of the secondary on your way to the end zone. You can also use it on defense, thrashing the runner with a bone-crushing tackle of your own. While everyone else is moving in slo-mo, your player will be just a hair quicker with the feet. Once your meter runs out, however, you return to normal mode and folks catch up real quick.
And speaking of big hits, another new feature is Precision-Aim Tackling. A defender can target a runner’s specific body part to inflict maximum damage and put him out of the game. Everything from pinched nerves to shattered spines can be achieved by targeting the same body part on the same players.
There are three main modes of play. You can choose from Quick Play, a “grab your controller and get in the game” mode, great for quickies between friends.
In Campaign mode you play the part of “Franchise” the newest star to hit the field. The only catch is, you’ve irritated the owner of the best team by not signing with him, opting instead to play for your hometown crew. From there it gets dark and dirty.
There is also a Tournament mode where multiple players can face off in a bracketed showdown. Up to 16 teams can be scheduled.
Look past the dirt and focus on the game, and Blitz will bring football fans some terrific gridiron action. It may not reflect reality, but in a way football has never been more real.
Contact Tom Fisher at: tfisher@theblade.com or 419-724-6523.
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