PlayStation 1
Released in 1997 by EA Sports
Grade: C+
NBA Live 98 is playable but very basic. It makes some changes to Live’s zany gameplay that brings it closer to a realistic basketball sim, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more fun.
Where it falls in the series
This is the third of eight NBA Live games on PS1, concluding with NBA Live 2003. The series started on the next gen for NBA Live 2001.
Praises and gripes
Like previous Live games, this game moves with flow and has simple controls. It’s easy to pick up and play, and it becomes fun quickly. You don’t need to learn tricks or strategy to get into it.
The downside is that it doesn’t get more fun over time. You won’t likely spend time mastering nifty moves or learning the playbook.
It plays at a more realistic pace than previous installments. Players don’t zip around the court quite as fast, and luckily, they don’t slide out of control either. Some of the motions seem much more lifelike, but others are robotic and stitched together badly.
When players come into contact, it can be hard to tell what’s what. Fouls are random and hard to avoid. You can use the no-fouls arcade setting, plowing over opponents recklessly, which can spice things up but looks very un-basketball-like.
This game fixes Live’s old rebounding nightmares, not by improving the AI and allowing players to get in rebounding position, but by magically making the ball bounce into a player’s hands more times than not. It’s an improvement nonetheless.
The defensive AI is still a mess, with players who often guard the wrong guy. The play logic is still weak, but you don’t need to use plays anyway. Like in many EA games, players continuously move around in unpredictable patterns, like fish swimming around a tank.
The CPU puts up a pathetic challenge, and this game is probably enjoyed best when drunk friends fire it up for a quick game, no fouls, no playcalling, just the basics.