The series’s App Store arrival comes with easy-going gameplay and straightforward touch controls tailored for accessibility. It’s a solid foundation for what amounts to a young game, though one that lacks the sophistication to be an all-star.

All 30 NBA teams are here and warmed up for play across three modes: Exhibition, Season, and Playoffs. Right off the bat, the game fouls by not including any sort of multiplayer. Online play would have been our wish, though at the very least local wi-fi and peer-to-peer Bluetooth games ought to have been supported.

The omission of multiplayer puts a lot of pressure on Season mode to deliver the goods. Unfortunately, too many features are lacking on the management side of things for it to feel like anything more than a string of Exhibition match ups.

Incorporating elements from the PSP version’s Dynasty mode, such as skill training mini-games and team goal-setting, would bring depth to Season mode off the court. You can thankfully adjust your rosters, editing starters and initiating trades for a baseline level of team management.

You have far more control of things on the court. Players are moved using a context-sensitive analogue stick that appears wherever you press your thumb on the left-half of the screen. A pair of red and blue buttons on the right correspond to offensive shooting and passing, respectively. On defence, these change to steals and swipes via the blue button and jump blocks and rebounds with the red.

Offence plays like a charm as a result of such a simple control scheme. You’re able to easily drive to the net and nail shots, making accurate passes and pump fakes with nuanced presses and flicks of the blue button. Along with tapping, you can flick the blue button to initiate a pump fake and circumvent a defender.

Additionally, you can specify passes by holding down on the button to coordinate a pass in slow motion. Coloured icons above each player relay the probability of executing a solid pass.

A similar option for selecting players is available on defence. It’s the game’s best feature and one that demonstrates the effort taken to make the series more accessible on iPhone and iPod touch.

Shots are layered in a similar way. Basic shots are taken with a tap of the red button, whereas more difficult dunks can be triggered with a hold of the button while underneath the basket. It’s not just about tapping the red button and moving on – timing is essential since lifting your thumb from the screen at the height of your player’s jump improves the likelihood of the shot.

This same level of depth is absent from the defensive game. Jamming on the blue button in hopes of a steal is about all you can do on defence, save for the occasional rebound. You’re able to alter zone cover from the clipboard in the upper-right corner, yet it’s nowhere near the sophistication of offensive play calling.

As a starting point on iPhone and iPod touch, NBA Live delivers a decent decent ball game. The controls are right and offence is a blast. Improving the defensive game, adding multiplayer, and fleshing out the single player modes with more features need to be on the to-do list for next year’s inevitable instalment if it’s to be a real baller.

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NBA Live is not currently available in the App Store but is due to be available later this month. EA Mobile seems to be on quite the roll with iPhone/iPod touch applications. Below are screenshots and the description of the game.

ScreenShots

NOTHING BUT NET.
NBA LIVE by EA SPORTST delivers the most realistic 5-on-5 action available for iPhone® and iPod touch®!

A PICK-UP-AND-PLAY GAME
Tip-off anytime, anywhere, and watch your game come to life in vivid 3D. Even replay your most awesome plays. It’s fun and intuitive enough for the casual gamer, but also delivers the authenticity to meet the demands of the most hardcore basketball fans.

FEATURES:
AUTHENTIC TEAMS, REAL STARS, TRUE LEGENDS
With real NBA rosters, you can dominate the game as Dwight Howard and other NBA All-Stars. Or unlock legends and elevate your game with true Hall-of-Famers.

MULTIPLE MODES FOR EVERY KIND OF NBA ACTION
Match up all 30 NBA teams in the new 82-game Season Mode. Play a casual game in Exhibition Mode, or battle all the way to the Finals in the ultra-intense Playoff Mode.

PLAY WITH TOUCHSCREEN CONTROL
Control the game with a virtual analog stick. Use the accelerometer to accurately shoot free-throws. Touch the clip board to pick from a number of offensive plays or to select your defensive strategy.

TAKE IT TO THE RACK WITH A SOLID SOUNDTRACK
Stay in the zone with 15 music tracks from artists like Matt and Kim, Snoop Dogg and Xzibit.

COMMENTARY FROM A BROADCAST LEGEND
Hear legendary announcer Marv Albert accent the action as you rain 3’s from downtown.

The post New Screenshots: NBA Live by EA Sports appeared first on AppTrawler.

As we mentioned in our earlier post with the bundle of screenshots EA released, NBA Live is a remarkably full featured game. All 30 NBA teams with complete player rosters are in game, along with each team’s respective stadium. All of the team and player stat tracking is in place very similar to Madden 10, and there’s even different season modes that you can either play or simulate all the way to the NBA finals.

Like most sports games (or other games with lots of action), the screenshots barely do NBA Live justice. Watching the game in motion with ten players on the court complete with shoes squeaking and the crowd either cheering or jeering really impressed me.

If you’ve ever played a basketball video game before, the controls will come naturally. A virtual analog stick controls your movement and a set of two buttons handle different functions whether you’re on offense or defense. When you have the ball, one button passes while another shoots, dunks, and does other trick shots depending on how long you press the button and which way you flick your thumb afterward. When the opposing team has the ball, these buttons handle cycling through players and blocking.

A button in the top right corner momentarily pauses the game and allows you to issue commands to the rest of your teammates to support you through various plays whether you want to pick and roll or set yourself up for a three pointer. Free throws are executed via tilting. You tilt the phone back toward you, then flip it forward. How straight you were able to flick the phone backwards and forward controls your accuracy.

The free throw tilt mechanic felt a little gimmicky, but penalties seemed rare enough that shooting free throws likely won’t be a main part of the game. One thing that really piqued my interest during my discussions today with EA was the inclusion of unlockable NBA legends. Buried deep inside of the game are NBA greats like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and others.

The following promotional video is from EA’s latest build of NBA Live, it’s still a work in progress, so try not to pass final judgment on the game based on what you see here:

Overall NBA Live is working up to be a very promising title for basketball fans. EA was reluctant to give a firm date on when they expect to have the game ready for release, but were hopeful that it will be in gamers’ hands later this fall.

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