NBA Live 06 Critic Reviews

It’s definitely recommended if you didn’t pick up the game for current-generation consoles.

With smoother animation transitions, a better framerate, and a tad more pace, NBA Live 06 will look silly-good, as the rendering and motion capture is already there.

Looks sexy and plays like pro, but it's just not the polished veteran that you've come to expect with PS2 and Xbox. At least it's clear to see that with a little more seasoning, this game should be in fighting shape next year.

There is a lot of replay value simply because it’s a good sports game, but the lack of 3-point and dunking contests does hurt it a bit.

There's nothing at all safe about this game, and as a result the finished product is raw, unpolished and lacking depth -- but it's also one of the most "next-gen" and exciting games you can play right now on 360.

On the sports side of things, this baller is hands-down the most visually stunning game at the 360 launch. Actually, it's the only one that truly looks "next-gen."

Even though this game shows sparks of brilliance I don’t necessarily recommend the purchase of it due to the short list of features and slow pacing. However it’s those sparks of brilliance that can very well turn this NBA Live franchise into a juggernaut of a NBA sim in a year or two down the road.

I can’t even imagine why EA removed half the stuff they did. They had a rare opportunity to capture the hearts of a new generation of gamers, but serious basketball gamers will likely head over to the 2K Sports camp, at least this year.

Beyond the visuals, the new Live is a completely fresh experience, rebuilt from scratch for Xbox 360.

All in all, the biggest flaw in this game is that it’s a really sparse on game options, making it an extremely light gaming experience.

NBA Live 06 showed a lot of promise with its great graphics and sound, but the developers lost the ability to satisfy fans by yanking every major advancement created in the series up to this point.

It's hard to recommend NBA Live 06 for purchase just yet. It's almost certain to be a must-buy monster in future years when the exploit is fixed and the feature set is restored, but you'll have to decide if a drop-dead gorgeous game with only a season mode is worth your 60 bones in the meantime.

You could have a worse time than banging the boards with NBA Live, but htis offering does nothing to service fans.

While I agree that tons of modes and options do not a great game make, I don't consider this to be a great game. Looks aren't everything.

The game looks great, the audio fantastic, but it is the flesh of the game that is weak.

Although Live is stunning but stripped exactly like the rest of EA Sports’ lineup, the fact that it has competition is its biggest setback if you’re looking for a long-term basketball game.

Feels more like an elaborate tech demo for HD televisions than it does a complete gameplay experience. Lacking all the gameplay modes and tweaks that one would expect from a yearly release, this version of the game is incomplete.

Graphically it's certainly a next-gen title, but graphics alone don't make a game worth buying. There are very few additions in terms of gameplay and the lack of a Franchise mode really does hurt its lifespan.

Flaws like poorly blended animations, an erratic frame rate, a horribly flawed free-throw-shooting mechanic, and the lack of a franchise mode combine to keep NBA Live 06 from being the great basketball game it could have been.

Live feels like a major step back in the wrong direction and feels about as shallow as a kiddy pool.