NBA 06 is Sony’s own entry in this year’s crop of NBA games for the PSP, and
it holds its own on the court. It comes with a full range of play modes from
single games to an entire season, as well as a host of mini-games, so there’s
plenty of basketball action here for the NBA fan on the go.
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| Artest lets it fly. |
When you get down to it, it all really comes down to the gameplay and NBA 06
delivers on this point. The game controls very well leaving you free to focus on
the court and putting on your moves instead of fighting with the directional
nub. The player animations match the responsive controls in so far as they are
smooth and realistic. In fact there are an amazing number of animations packed
into the game even for players away from the ball. It seems that you’ll notice
something new almost every game, and while the number of animations are of
course finite there are plenty here to keep things from looking repetitive or
stale. Players pump their fists after a good play, dive for loose balls, and
throw passes after being knocked to the floor – it all adds a greater degree of
realism to the game.
On offense you’re given spin moves and a turbo button to kick your drives up
a notch, and a basic on-the-fly play calling system lets you call for simple
plays such as a baseline run or post-up. The shooting system in the game makes
use of a colored halo around the ball that cycles from red to yellow to green
and then back again. Releasing the shoot button (and consequently the ball) when
the halo is green is no guarantee that you’ll make the shot, but it will give
you the best chance at putting the rock in the hole.
While on defense, you can jump to block shots, try to make a steal, or try to
take a charge. Steals can be tricky to pull off and often result in fouls, so
your primary method of defense will be to try and keep your opponent away from
your basket and time your blocks right. There are also plays on defense that let
you choose your sets such as zone or man-to-man, but double-teams and the press
are mysteriously absent.
The game’s AI provides you with some pretty good competition. The offense
takes advantage of openings in your defense and the defense will keep the
pressure on and make you work for your shots. On the downside the AI seems to
ignore the midrange shots, concentrating on working its way right up to the
basket with the occasional three point attempt thrown in to keep you honest.
Also, the AI on the opposite side of the court seems stronger than that of your
own teammates – it often felt as if my own team did not work as hard to get open
when on offense.
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