Features Removed Each Year from NBA Live

[JaoSming]

I just wanted to compile a big list of features that were removed from each year of NBA Live that if were kept in the game would make the series better. Please keep this thread EA-Bashing Free.

NBA Live 2000

Create a Team
"Arcade" Mode
Ability to save a game
Halftime Shows

NBA Live 2001

Menu System
Full Court Practice Mode (Shoot at both ends)
Save Replays as avi's

NBA Live 2002

NBA Live 2003

The Beach Street Court
Player Cut-Scenes

NBA Live 2004

Facial Expression during the game
Good Bench Animations
Dynasty Cut Scenes
Editable Player Models

NBA Live 2005

Automatic Replays
Real Time Shadows
'net' physics not just animations
Shorts move around player's calf instead of stabbing them
Good Create a Player Textures
3D NBA Hall of Fame, lounge, and store
Wide Shouldered Jerseys

NBA Live 06

512 Jersey Textures
Player Chatter on court
Moves from the Triple Threat Position

Feel free to give suggestions for this list.

[_marsal]

How about a Save game possibility? I loved it back in 2000.

[BigKaboom2]

Save game indeed, as well as explosive jab-step/pivot moves from 2003-2006. More of a glitch than a removed feature.

[Heiks]

Yes! Save games during actual games! I loved the fact that I could download a saved game for the 1998 NBA Finals Game 5 with a quarter remaining. That was just sweet.

I think we could save/convert a replay as/to an .avi video in 2000.

'03 still had that fantastic folder system to keep player and team updates sorted and an ability to assign different accessories to a player according to the jersey he'd wear(home, away or third, etc.). Or was that earlier?

Never mind, we won't see most of that stuff ever again.

Oh, and another thing, the gameplay was removed somewhere in the process aswell.

[Tuomas]

I think we could save/convert a replay as/to an .avi video in 2000.

'03 still had that fantastic folder system to keep player and team updates sorted and an ability to assign different accessories to a player according to the jersey he'd wear(home, away or third, etc.). Or was that earlier?

The video feature was in 2001, render folders in 2003. Those were great.

[marcolegend]

In theory, a game should be ADDING features each year and not removing them. I simply don't get removing the facial expressions, as i though games were to become more realistic.

And I loved the Create-a-team features of years ago.

[JaoSming]

Well technically they have been adding features
2003 had freestyle and the ball not always being a swish
2004 had the improved dynasty mode and the pro-hop
2005 had the All Star Weekend
06 had FSS
07 had Total FSS and a revamped Dynasty mode

It's just little things they omit that would just make the game better. I really wish I was in the meeting where they decided to get rid of player chatter on the court...makes no sense at all to me

[[Q]]

don't forget they
-cut the 3 point shootout after live 2000
-took out the model for wide-shouldered jerseys after 2005 (they had it PERFECT in 2005)
-drop down menus & sliders movable with the drag of a mouse after 2001 (I'm not 100% sure on this one)

[The X]

I remember in Live 2000 you could have a player & he out & out refused to resign if he wasn't happy with minutes or team success or you'd low balled him....it might've been in game in Live 2002, not sure, but it was gone by the time I got Live '04....I loved that feature....now all players resign if you give them the money they want

[eisfeld]

In 07 they might refuse to resign when they are not happy (minutes, roster stability etc...)

[JaoSming]

aight I didnt add the 3point shootout, already said 2001's menu system was good and he resign player things because they re-appeared later in the series.

[JaoSming]

and also 2004 had a good menu system where sliders could be moved by the mouse

[Fitzy]

you can still play arcade mode cant you, change the sliders from simulation to arcade?

[JaoSming]

the arcade mode in 2000 was truely arcade like, I mean NBA Jam dunks and super blocks

http://www.download.com/NBA-Live-2000-d ... ag=lst-0-1

there's the demo if you wanna try it out

[Andrew]

Aside from certain modes and features disappearing, one of the annoying occurrences in NBA Live 07 was the replacement of certain features or new features causing problems with existing ones. The most obvious example is the Assistant Head coach, which added some new elements to Dynasty Mode but replaced the traditional means of reordering rosters as well as frequently reordering the CPU lineups and not always for the better.

The Dstats/simulated stats issue is another one. Deep down I know that Dstats had to go because of the way they often didn't allow player stats to decline with age but given all the problems the ratings-to-stats engine has had with generating realistic stats the past few years I must admit I sometimes wish we had a similar system since it did allow for realistic performance for at least the first few seasons. Ideally, there should be a happy medium which will allow for realistic stats that decline as a player ages and his ratings decrease.

[TomCat]

I agree with that Andrew. It would make the game a lot more realistic.

I am very disappointed with NBA live 07. It is probably the worst one that i have ever played, I have 2000 on ps1 and 2003, '05, '06 and 07 on ps2.

I have NBA 2K4 on PS2 also, and that is the worst NBA game that i have ever played and I am never going to buy another basketball (or football) game that isnt made by EA Sports.

I haven't played 2K7 although I have heard good things about it, I will never play another 2K sports basketball game again.

[OldFoolStyle]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but wasn't there a complete game engine overhaul between 2001 and 2003?. If so wouldn't it be a little off compairing the old engine to the current one?. Also with current gen and next gen being designed seperate from one-a-nother, shouldn't these be considered different games also?.

The time line for Live/EA basketball should look like this:
Dr. J Vs. Bird
Jordan Vs. Bird
Michael Jordan in Flight
Lakers Vs. Celtics - Nba Live 1996
Nba Live 1997 - Nba Live 2001
Nba Live 2003(02 was skipped for pc) - Nba Live 07(current gen)
Nba Live 06(next gen) - Nba Live 07(next gen)

Notice most of the major omissions(in game save, software rendering, pc style interface)happened between 2001 and 2003. The most additions happened between 96 and 97.

Edit #1: to make my statements somewhat coherent, and address Jao's correction to my timeline. I know the sim engine was changed in 05, but I'll have to check if the game engine was changed also.

Ps. I only mentioned the switch from software(2d) to hardware only(3d) rendering because of the controversy at the time, 3D cards weren't standard on computers back then. People looked at it the same way keyboard players look at the emphasis on dual analog controllers now. Of course, the switch from DOS to Win95 was considered the worst thing ever in it's day also.

Edit #273864: Sorry folks, I seem to have woken up severly retaded today, bare with me.

[JaoSming]

2002 was the one that didnt come out for PC, 2001 did.

2000-2002 ran on the same engine
2003-2004 ran a different engine
and 2005-07 run on the current engine.

Couple questions for you though, why would you want a console style interface? and on top of that why is it an omission to have a 2d game instead of a 3d game?

[dwyan wade@1]

dynasty cut scenes? Can some one tell me what's up there?

[JaoSming]

in dynasty mode whenever you released someone, signed someone, or drafted a player there would be a little cutscene.

[felix8621]

^yes i used to love those... and if they didnt cut out all these stuff from the game, if they just kept adding, im sure nba live would be a much better game.

[tempo]

what about the user stats feature? i loved that part of the game where you and your friends could save your stats and after like 200 games compare them it was really cool.

i like the VIP system for the 2K series but thats a bit clunky.

[JaoSming]

did the Live series ever have that? Which year?

[BASiC]

I do remember this feature..I think I last saw it in Live 2001. You had the ability to create your 'account' or whatever they called it.

I also remember that in Live 2000 you could view the stats for the entire league in the 'player stats' screen. Free agents were also included there. I mainly used it when I was 3+ years into the dynasty(franchise) mode and there were a lot of new players in the league. It basically gave me an easier way to view their ratings. I don't know if anyone misses it but I shore do.

[Andrew]

I think most of us miss the extensive stats displays and the ability to sort stats in a variety of ways.