NBA Live 10 vs. NBA 2K10 Videogame Reviews
Which game hits nothing but net, and which is juuuuuust a bit outside?
by Nate Ahearn, Jeff Haynes
October 6, 2009 - The world of professional basketball is full of great rivalries: the Celtics vs. the Knicks, the Bulls vs. the Pistons, Dennis Rodman vs. sanity and, of course, EA vs. 2K. We'll never be able to resolve the first three, but we definitely have something to say on the latter.
Which NBA game will be on your shelf?
This year we've seen the release of two powerhouse basketball games, NBA Live 10 from Electronic Arts and NBA 2K10 from 2K Sports. Traditionally, we've favored 2K's series, but EA wasn't about to sit on the bench and let the season pass it by. The good news is both NBA 2K and NBA Live have bumped their games to a very high quality to round out the decade. We haven't seen a matchup between the two series that's this close in several years, so strap on your Nikes and get ready to make the crucial decision of which title is worth your hard-earned green.
For this installment of the IGN Grudge Match, we've rounded up editors Nate Ahearn and Jeff Haynes, two of our biggest basketball fans, to debate the merits of both new installments. Can one be declared a clear winner? Keep reading to find out. And if you're an IGN Insider, you get first crack at the video version of our NBA Grudge Match. Just hit the image below to watch.
Nate Ahearn: In years past NBA Live has been more of an arcade-based basketball game with far too many dunks and ridiculously powerful offensive moves. Thankfully the designers at EA Canada did a wonderful job of instilling a new sense of defense in the gameplay so spinning your way into the lane and rising up to slam one home is no longer possible. There have also been a few notable offensive additions in the way of DNA quick plays and direct-player control, but they thankfully don't tip the scales too heavily in the offense's favor.
There are two big things that ultimately hold NBA Live 10 from being a stellar basketball title. The first is artificial intelligence. For whatever reason, other players on the court don't have a firm grasp on how to play effective basketball. Too often players line up out of bounds to receive a pass, dribble backcourt or they won't hit a wide open man standing under the hoop.
The next flaw that will bother many is the feature set. There really isn't that one big headlining mode in NBA Live 10 to move copies off of store shelves. There's Dynamic Season which combines real world games with the results that you produce in-game and there's Adidas Live Run which allows for ten players to join up and play online. They're both decent features, but they can't compare to what's in NBA 2K10.
This year 2K Sports added their first ever career mode to NBA 2K. It's called My Player and while it certainly has its fair share of issues, there's no question that it's heading in the right direction. Elsewhere you'll find the same super-deep Association mode and online options that have been powering the game for the last few seasons.
Couple all of that with the same stellar gameplay that b-ball fanatics have been enjoying for years and NBA 2K10 is able to edge out NBA Live 10 in my book. It's great to see NBA Live get back up off its feet, but it just didn't quite have the meaty features that gamers expect from their single basketball purchase.
Jeff Haynes: While NBA Live has made some significant strides this year in turning its fortunes around, NBA 2K10 is still the basketball game to beat, thanks to its vastly improved presentation (supported fully by one of its newest features, NBA Today), the inclusion of the My Player career feature and extras like the inclusion of the NBA's development league.
Let's start off with the presentation, which is easily the sharpest that it has been in the decade long history of the 2K Sports franchise. Harlan, Kellogg and Miller have some of the most natural commentary and banter going this year, and part of this is attributable to a portion of the NBA Today feature, which culls information from your Association play as well as real life NBA stats to present an informed and relevant perspective on any game you play.
Apart from the dialogue, the splash graphics, the dynamic crowd noise that rises to match the intensity of the play on the court and the new animations for all the players makes the game truly immersive.
From there, we can focus on the My Player career mode, one of the newer features included in this year's game that will truly become a series staple for years to come. From creating a player to building him up through summer league games and team workouts, the My Player mode provides a solid glimpse into fighting your way onto a squad and holding down your position as a role player on a team.
Whether that includes a stint in the developmental leagues or taking your spot on the court during a playoff run, My Player adds a perspective that has been missing from many basketball games. Sure, it's got some issues, but considering how solid that it is in the first year alone, this is a bright spot for 2K Sports fans. Besides, you can improve your player by this mode or playing in online pick up games or league play with your own crew, meaning that you are in full control when it comes to making your created player one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Since I brought up the developmental leagues, let's look at the added depth. Clearly, it winds up working well for the My Player feature, but it also allows you to supplement your franchise during The Association with raw talent and new faces that could potentially help build the future of your squad.
Now you can focus on grooming and calling up the best from these teams instead of having to rely solely on kids coming out of college for the draft, or fighting with rival teams for that prized free agent that would bust your budget.
Sure, it might not be perfect, and there may be a number of technical and older problems that still crop up, but as far as the depth and the quality of what's been included, 2K10 is the clear basketball winner this year.
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