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Almost
NBA 2008 is a great game, don't get me wrong, but I am sorry, you just cannot match up to NBA 2K8. The graphics and the gameplay are better on 2K8. But I will give Live a shout out for the simulation options in dynasty mode. Its great to be able to intervene games so you can take control even though your not playing the game.

Very good game.
I'm very satisfied with this game. The controls are very good and the graphics also are acceptable.

Great NBA game, EA sports in back !!!
quite simply the reason why I had to purchase a Xbox 360... yes it's true, after playing this at my buddies house, I had to go out and buy the console as well as the game the next day... I, like many, have been extremely disappointed with recent EA NBA live editions for a couple years now, so I wasn't expecting to much from this one... boy was I amazed by the change of graphics and realism that was implemented into the game!! Although it not a perfect 5 star game, it shows that EA sports is back being number 1 in basketball games.

Great game!!
This is one of the best basketball games made to date. Last year's version was not very good but when I played this game I immediately noticed the difference. This game is very smooth and the graphics are amazing. No more glitches. The new game modes are great as well. I recommend this game to any sports fan.

Fun Game but Still Has Shortcomings
I definitely have some gripes about this game but they weren't enough to make me put my controller down. It is fun but how much the little things bother you will certainly be a factor in how much you enjoy this game.

GAMEPLAY (the most important part): The controls are nice. I don't have any problems getting my guys to do what I want them to do. The use of the right stick to do crossovers, spins, etc. is nothing new but still works really well.

- The CPU will still violate your personal space when you are trying to maneuver, making it hard to get past them unless you can blow by them before they get to you. As far as the Pro-Hop feature, or whatever it's called, it doesn't seem to work for me. I've coughed up the ball each time I've done it.

- As a previous reviewer mentioned, jumpers are hard to come by and scoring your points in the paint is the optimal way to do it. I have more success with mid-range jumpers than long-range and 3s. One possible reason for this may be the addition of the Hot Zones, which tell you where a player is prone to making/missing shots. I don't pull it up all that often but it's very possible I'm taking shots from the cold zones.

- Easy layups are still missed far too often. The split isn't 50/50 but I'd guess it's somewhere near 80/20 (making/missing).

- Rebounding is more evenly distributed than in past games. I've never been able to grab rebounds and my CPU teammates always got out-rebounded as well. This year your teammates will do a very good job at grabbing those boards to get you started on your fast breaks.

- Fast breaks work pretty well, provided you adjust your Transition Style to allow for more fast breaks. By default it, it is a 50/50 split for fast breaks and taking it up the court slowly.

- Reach-in fouls are called a little too much in this game but offensive and shooting fouls are called just about as much as you would see in a normal game, maybe a bit less. Adjust the sliders to fit your preferences. As far as shooting fouls go, you definitely get your share of "and 1s."

- There is a slight learning curve with free throws. I didn't play Live 07 so I'm not sure if it is the same system or not. It consists of you pulling down on the right stick and then pushing up at the right moment to successfully make your free throw. If you miss, there is an overlay that pops up giving you hints on what you did right and wrong. Overall, it works pretty well once you get the hang of it.

- Alley-oops looks a little cheesy because the flight of the ball is like half of a McDonald's arch. I know they are supposed to be lob passes but the trajectory just looks funky. I've yet to miss an alley-oop though.

AI: The CPU AI still makes the PG the one you have to worry about the most. Who needs Elton Brand when you have Sam Cassell? Kevin Durant? The Luke Ridnour/Delonte West combo is what will bring the Sonics to the promised land. They will also use up most of the shot clock, so you can forget about both teams consistently pushing it up and down the court.

ANIMATION/GRAPHICS: I think the graphics are great. Everything just looks really clean. The lighting is great. Player models work out well, for the most part. Baron Davis looks spot on, as does coverboy, Gilbert Arenas.

The animation is great too. Baron Davis' stepback jumper looks just like it does in real life. Gone are the days when the CPU would set a pick and your guy runs into him and just looks like he is running in place. Now you actually see some effort by your player to get around the pick.

MISCELLANEOUS: Commentary by Marv Albert and Steve Kerr is done pretty well. You won't hear too many repeat phrases in one game but they will probably repeat it in the next game.

- The menu system works well, as you use the D-pad to navigate pre-game and in-game menus.

- The music hasn't been too inspiring yet, but this is all subjective. I prefer to hear more upbeat music but so far I've only heard lower BPM songs.

- There are online leagues as well. I believe you can go with a public league or create a private one. There is also supposed to be a patch released in the near future which will allow for 5v5 games.

OVERALL: It's the things like the frequency of missed layups and CPU PGs being beasts that make me give this game 3/5 stars. The former shouldn't even be an issue and I can't understand why EA wouldn't address this. It really is a downer. Despite the missed layups, I rated the fun factor higher because of the improvements in gameplay. These improvements compensate for the shortcomings, leaving you with a fun, yet slightly frustrating experience.