NBA Live 08 PSP

As a new convert to the Sony PSP, that swore for a year that the Nintendo DS was unbeatable, I have to offer a mea culpa. The PSP is so much more fun, and in line with my old PS2, I decided to purchase a game that brought me hours of enjoyment at home. I've always loved the Electronic Arts NBA Live series, and there have been plenty of years editions that have been owned and played regularly. Although still a fan of NBA Jam from years ago, there's just something special about NBA Live, because nothing brings you closer to the game itself.

I picked up NBA Live 08 for PSP a few weeks ago, at a reasonable price of $29.99, since the 2009 game will be coming out in about a month. While there have been some hits and misses with this series, the overall consistency has been great in regards to gameplay, and this years is the best yet. My poor PSP has taken a lot of finger beating to the controls, as this game was pure action from the minute I first loaded it in. The best part about this game is the replay value, which is better than most offerings out there. You can play a quick game if you like, and have quarters that only last three minutes each, or play a longer match if time permits.

For some reason, and perhaps its because I just like leading a blowout every once in a while, I enjoy using the Eastern or Western All Stars against a low ranked international team. You can really rack up the points, steals, and rebounds, and barely break into a sweat while doing it. The team choices are awesome, as you can pick any NBA team from the past year, as well as the international and all star teams, and even pick the All Adidas. This allows for plenty of choices during season mode, where you play all of the games scheduled, and bring your team to the playoffs.

The Dynasty Mode is where you can build a team, from the ground up, after a draft to select players. The draft can hurt your fingers from having to constantly toggle the buttons for picks, but it is neat to build your team from scratch. The draft works in similar regards to the one in the league, and so after several picks you are going to be finding players who aren't stars. It is still fun, and sometimes you can be surprised by finding a good veteran to round out your bench.

The graphics are incredible on the PSP, and I could only imagine with jealousy what they look like on the PS3. On the PSP I would surmise that they approach PS2 capability, and I love the facial features that help you to easily identify who a player is rather than relying on his numbers. We have come a long ways from the days of Double Dribble, and the arenas played at are incredibly detailed and accurate. The only problem with these outstanding graphics, is that sometimes they blur a bit during a lot of fast movements. While this does not cause any problem with gameplay, it can decrease the aesthetic pleasure of the game itself.

Another minor issue is the load times, which can sometimes test your patience. While the game doesn't take too long to boot up at the start, it takes awhile to compute substitutions on your bench. For instance, if you select more than three substitutions, you can expect about a minute of lag time for the system to figure this out. It can be frustrating when engaged in a competitive game, but it doesn't affect the overall quality.Sound is decent, but the announcers don't speak up about the point totals often. The controls are easy to use, and much in line with previous editions, with the exception being the foul shooting. A few years ago, one of the NBA Live's was almost unbearable when it came to foul shooting. This game is easy to shoot fouls in, which has improved gameplay a lot, and made it more realistic.

If you want the ultimate NBA game for your PSP, be sure to purchase NBA Live 08. I have had a lot of time to play it during the past several weeks, and although my wife, dog, and job left me, I am quite happy with the decision to purchase this. I'm actually just joking about that, but this game is seriously addictive, and will be great for true fans and couch point guards alike. Due to its high quality graphics and replay value, you will get your money's worth, with possible symptoms for carpal tunnel.