NBA 08
NBA 08's strongest attractive is its diverse lineup of things to do. The game is packed with several single-player modes (exhibition, conquest, season, mini-games), some multi-player gaming, and the ability to download new content. Here is a breakdown of the different modes:
- Exhibition: is the basic quick play mode. Using standard team rosters, you can pick two teams to play in a one-game format or ladder competition. The one-game or ladder competition can be played against a CPU player or another player via ad-hoc wireless or the Internet.
- Pickup Game: is a mode similar to exhibition; it is a one-game format. However, the team rosters are made up with ten random players. Prior to playing, each player gets to pick from the pool of ten players. This mode can be played against the CPU or online. The match is also played on a street court.
- Practice Modes: are included to improve your b-ball skills. "Shoot Around" allows you (and the rest of your team) to shoot around on a basketball court. This mode is useful to get accustomed to moving around, passing, shooting, dunking, and lay ups. The unfortunate part is that everyone has balls and is taking shots at the same time and it can get a little busy on the court. "Free Throw" is the other practice mode. It is restricted to taking shots from the free throw line.
- Season: is the standard mode. You select the number of games you want to play in the season: 29, 58, or 82. Then you take on a role as the general manager, making decisions about the roster, trading players, and hiring free agents. Also, while playing you will have to consider team chemistry and how well everyone gets along. The system is nowhere as in-depth or as complex as NBA Live 08's Dynasty Mode.
- Playoffs: is a mode that puts you in an elimination tournament. You can play single elimination to best of 7. The bracket can be manually selected, random, or follow the 2007 season.
- Conquest: is a basketball with a twist. This non-traditional mode combines NBA 08 with turn-based strategy and unique rules. The premise is to take control of all the NBA cities. In order to control a city, you will need to challenge the team. When playing a team, normal NBA rules do not apply. There are no clock violations or fouls. Players who mess up (shoots are blocked or bad defensive moves) are stunned and have limited mobility until their team scores. There are other rules that allow for stealing players from other teams, unlocking special retired players, buying power-ups, and more.
- Block Party: is one of the funniest aspects of NBA 08. These are mini-games, some unrelated to basketball that provide a nice getaway from the court. The mini-games are divided into three categories "All-Star Weekend", "Minigames", and "Carnival". "All-Star Weekend" has options for 3 point contest, obstacle course to test your skills, and an all-star game (eastern versus western). "Minigames" include 3 on 2 fast break, elimination, own the court, dodgeball, and horse. "Carnival" has the games that get you off of the court. It includes skee ball, whack-a-mole, pinball, bricks, and mini-basketball. Altogether, the block party gaming modes offer a nice twist on the standard basketball play. I really enjoyed the carnival games, as well as the minigames like elimination.
- Online: As previously mentioned, online game play is included for exhibition and pickup games. Players can connect to each other using ad-hoc wireless when within the same physical vicinity or online via the Internet. There is also an option to download content, such as new pinball tables or updated NBA rosters.
All in all, NBA 08 has a nice and diverse lineup of single-player gaming modes for traditional and non-traditional basketball play. The only real problem is the controls. While playing, I found it really difficult to get a good feel for how the controls worked. Navigating the players around the court never felt right, with some difficulty getting them to run or cut through the opposition. In terms of shooting, I was not a big fan of NBA 08's manner of shot precision. The game uses a meter, which is very hard to gauge in a split seconds. While shooting, a halo will appear above the player's head. The color will shift from red (no way it is going in) to yellow (there is a chance) to green (it is going in). What it boils down to is the game play does not come off as naturally as one would hope.
As for the technical aspects, NBA 08 has decent visuals and audio. SCEA advertises that the game plays at 60 frames per second, which I will not argue. There is no apparent ghosting or delays in the game. The game plays out pretty smoothly. However, on that note the game's detail is not very deep. Character models are somewhat limited when it comes to details, but they look good enough for the PSP. The courts are also a little on the generic side. For audio, the game has play-by-play commentary with Ian Eagle and Mark Jackson. It is colorful and works.
Overall, NBA 08 is a decent basketball game for the PSP. Its strength comes in all of the mini-games and carnival mode. These offer a diverse cadre of gaming options that should keep one's interest. However, at the same time the actual basketball game play suffers from difficult navigation controls and a shooting power meter that doesn't work well. In the end, I would rent this game if there is any interest. It's competition, EA Sports' NBA Live 08, has better controls and feels more like basketball.
