GameSpot editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 10/09/2007
- Released on: 10/12/2007
- Originally published on GameSpot: NBA 08 (PSP) Review
Sony Computer Entertainment America has a knack for coming up with interesting twists on conventional basketball. Unfortunately, that ability doesn't seem to extend to making good basketball games. NBA 07 on the PlayStation Portable had some neat ideas but was a chore to play. That's the case for NBA 08 as well. There are a dizzying number of ways to play the game of basketball, but that's the catch: You still have to play basketball, which is not one of the game's strengths.
NBA 08's best feature is conquest mode, which returns from last year in improved form. You select an NBA team with the goal of trying to take over every NBA city by defeating its team. If you challenge then defeat a team, you'll control that team and can challenge other nearby cities. Once a turn, you can even swap players between teams you already control in an effort to fortify a weak team. Taking over the entire map isn't easy because that's the goal for all the other teams in the league as well. They'll aggressively try to take over your cities, so it's important that you don't water down your squads too much or else you'll be easy prey for an attacking team. If you do manage to fend off an assault, you're awarded your choice of any player on that team. There are a few other ways to improve your squad this year. You can train players to develop their attributes, improve a city's rating, and even unlock retired greats, such as Karl Malone, if you take over an entire region.
This is not a map of where Shawn Kemp has fathered children. It's conquest mode.
This isn't some sort of dice or card game--you actually have to play the games. Last year's conquest mode was a chore because the actual basketball was so bad. This year it's a bit better. There are fewer blocked shots, the games don't last very long, and it's a little easier thereby less frustrating. Rather than playing for a certain amount of time or to a set score, each team has a life meter that depletes when the other team hits a shot. Blocking shots or hitting three-pointers will make an opposing player "dizzy" and less effective until that player's team scores a basket. There are other twists on normal NBA rules as well. There are no fouls, no backcourt violations, and no shot clock. You can go out of bounds, though, which is a shame because it's pretty easy to do.
The on-court action you'll find in exhibition, online, and season modes is much like it is in conquest: better, but still not very good. The tricolored shot meter that is so helpful in other versions of the game isn't quite so useful here. It's less user-friendly and seems to have less impact on whether or not the ball goes in the hoop. Passes are less likely to be intercepted, players will pick up their dribble for no reason less often, and it's a little easier to keep offensive players in front of you on defense. That's the good news. The bad news is what passes for basketball here doesn't feel much like basketball. Players can stop on a dime; their momentum has no bearing on how fast they can change direction. Rather than being a function of smart artificial intelligence, good defense is mostly a result of players simply linking themselves to the ball-hander via some unseen magnetic force. To their credit, defenders are pretty good about rotating to pick up the open man and moving around screens, but getting a dunk is still not much more difficult than mashing the crossover button or pump-faking until you magically break free from the defense's invisible clutches.
Continue readingMost helpful user reviews
-
Average user rating:
0 stars
Not yet available
Back to product review - My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 1 of 1 user review
- See 1 user review Write review
Submit your review
Where to buy
NBA 08 (PSP):
$10.99 - $29.82
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Walmart.com
|
$29.82 | No |
|
|
eBay
|
$10.99 | Yes |
|
%20PSP%20Game%20reviews%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/psp-games/nba-08-psp/4505-10078_7-32453653.html){kind=small}