Don’t blink.
Playstation 2
Released in 2002 by EA Sports
Grade: B-
This delightful game harks back to the fast pace and high scoring of the mid-90’s NBA Live games while incorporating a more modern set of controls and nice graphics. It plays extremely fast.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the third Live on PS2. After the sim-focused 2001 and 2002 games received average reviews and the 2K series was starting to win the battle for basketball supremacy, EA tried something different, drastically speeding their gameplay up for 2003.
Praises and gripes
Boy, this game is fast. There are plenty of controls, including the introduction of freeform dribble moves using the right thumbstick, but it’s intuitive and easy to pick up.
It’s also unrealistically high-scoring, but it’s not like every shot goes in. You are rewarded for taking open shots, driving to the hoop, and playing to your players’ strengths.
I love how fast and furious the game moves, not just during the flow of the game, but after whistles. If you turn off the silly replays, there’s never more than a few seconds from one play to the next. The CPU is consistently aggressive, which I really appreciate. The shot clock almost never comes into play.
There are some fun over-the-top animations, like 360 dunks and fancy layups. Alley oops are done with a simple press of the R2 button. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously.
There’s a few elements that add a bit of depth. A simple set of “quick plays,” like a pick-and-roll and post-up, can enhance your offensive game. When there’s a few seconds left in a quarter, your defenders will automatically press to stop a last-second shot. And cheesy offensive strategies, like running up and launching a quick 3, don’t usually work. You still need to play smart team ball.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the right thumbstick dribbling control achieves quite what it means to. I didn’t find myself crafting clever offensive moves. I usually just used it to “escape dribble” into open space. On the other hand, the spin move (up on the thumbstick or the triangle button) seems overpowered.
You miss out on some of the simple beauties of basketball. Inside shots are flat. Dribble moves are so fast they’re hard to distinguish one from the other. When a defender gets in your path, you stop on a dime instead of absorbing the contact, which looks mechanical.
While it’s silly fun that blocked shots are emphatically swatted across the court, the offensive team always runs after it and ends up out of bounds. Issues with out of bounds are kind of a tradition for NBA Live games. Luckily you can turn out of bounds off.
The jumpshot animation is a tiny bit stiff, and it can be tricky to identify the optimal release point.
Top teams
This came out after the Lakers edged the Kings in a controversial Western Conference Finals on their way to sweeping the Nets for their third straight title. All three are tough to beat in Live 2003 along with the Mavericks, Spurs, and Celtics. In the 2003 Finals, the Spurs beat the Nets.