NBA '06 First Play


We had the opportunity to play a preliminary build of NBA 06 for the PSP, and after spending some time with the game it looks like PSP gamers are in for some great hoops action on the go.

Screenshots
Shoot when the halo goes green.
NBA 06 will feature a whole slew of game modes. Quick exhibition matches can be followed by playoff brackets where you can set each round from single elimination to a best of seven series. You can also take your favorite team through an entire season of 82 games, or you can shorten the season’s length if you don’t have the patience to grind your way through all 82 games. In addition there are a variety of mini games modeled on the contests held during the NBA All-Star weekend. You can choose your favorite player and take them through the guard skills competition, three point shooting contest, own the court – players capture squares on the court by making shots from within each square, and the classic HORSE. All of these games can be played as individual contests or as ladder tournaments. In addition there is even a dodgeball game that pits two NBA teams against each other, although I don’t think this is an officially sponsored NBA event. At least not yet; I’m sure that Shaq and Kobe would lobby for it. Lastly there are practice modes that include shoot around and free throw modes. If it sounds like there’s a lot of gameplay here, that’s because there is.

Once you hit the court you’ll be impressed with the way the game plays. The animations are smooth, the controls tight, and the action fast. On offense you can of course shoot and pass, but you’re also given spin buttons and a turbo trigger to help you put on your moves. If you have a player open underneath, pressing pass and shoot at the same time will execute a sweet alley-oop play to rub it in your opponent’s face. The ball is automatically passed to the player closest to you in the direction that you’re facing, but you can override this by using an iconic system that lets you specify exactly who you want to get the ball to. Shooting uses a halo system that is initiated by pressing the shoot button. As the player jumps, the ball glows from red to yellow to green and then back again. Releasing the ball when its halo is green will give you the best chance of making the shot. It’s a simple system that works quite well.

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.

 

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