This is Live baby. NBA Live.

It’s all about hitting the clutch three-pointer in the final seconds of a key matchup, or even swatting that rubber ball from your opponent’s hands to remind him that it’s your house. Welcome to NBA Live 2004, where ankle-breaking freestyle moves will only get you glory, that is, if you have the guts.

In its ninth-year, the NBA Live series once again gives gamers plenty to worship about with its amazing balance of arcade and simulation style of play. Year to year, the series improves its gameplay a notch; however all of the installments had yet to do something completely groundbreaking. Last year, NBA Live 2003 tried to shy away the critics with its all-new “free-style” controls, player movements that complement their actions, such as the immediate switch from a dunk to a lay-up. This year’s version tones down the controls, to simulate that realism that once made Live the premiere basketball title in the market. Even with its flaws, Live 2004 is the tightest controlling baler to date.

One of the coolest, new control mechanisms in the title is the addition of the “pro-hop,” a quick jump-stop, which can be used to sneak into those small defensive cracks. At first it’ll seem like traveling, but the pro-hop is actually a technique still used in the world of professional basketball. Used to split defenders with your own two feet, the pro-hop enables players to power their way towards the basket, especially when you’ve got two defenders guarding you at the same time. The move proved to be very effective, especially when you’re looking for the higher percentage shots near the front of the basket.

Another one of the more noticeable improvements within NBA Live 2004’s gameplay is the addition of another shooting button, totalling two shooting buttons for the game. One button is strictly used for outside jumpers. The other button, on the other hand, performs dunks and lay-ups when near the basket. Of course, you could still use the dunk-shot button from far away, but you’ll only get a “runner,” hence greatly decreasing your chance of making that shot. On top of the new button, you can now also change your shot in mid-air, dependent on your feel towards the defensive pressure. You can switch it from a dunk to a lay-up should you feel that the defender is about to block you.

You’ll certainly need the control, as EA Sports has truly revamped the AI from last year’s version. Proper rotations and defensive double-teaming are just a taste of this title’s never-ending learning curve. You’ll have to think fast if you’re going to throw that alley-oop to Kenyon Martin with ease.

Being able to switch to an offensive player during a play proved to be very effective, since the point-guard controls the offensive front for you. This way, you can swiver around in the post, hoping for an outlet pass, or engaging in a possible backdoor dunk. All it takes is the press of a button when you want the ball, and boomshakalaka. In two-player head-to-head games, this proves to be quite useful against your opponent, who has to choose between guarding the ball or the active “human” player.
NBA Live 2004 has also tweaked out their “realistic” engine to a considerable degree. You won’t be able to drive straight to the hoop with Shaq anymore. Alley-oops will now only be done if the player is free from the defender’s reach, and three-pointers won’t fall in bunches anymore. Still, the title suffers from plenty of turnover-prone mistakes, such as stealing inbounded-balls and blocking nearly every shot with Yao Ming. The good news is that most of these impediments require some skill, timing, and a bit of intelligence (Yao won’t always block Shaq). Making a jump shot also now depends on three things: position, player, and release. Long-shot aces now won’t sink threes continuously while being double-teamed with two big men – it just won’t happen. And yes, shooting a three-pointer with Ben Wallace just isn’t necessary anymore. Chances are, the better the release of the ball without any defenders guarding you, the higher the shot percentage from that spot. Don’t be discouraged though. If you take the time to find the open man, they should deliver if you put the effort.