Here is a comparison review I found for NBA 2K9 vs NBA Live 09. Seems as if they enjoyed 2K9 a little more. Here is the link,


NBA 2K9 vs NBA Live 09

Yeah, I can agree with that assessment. I still think 2K9 is better than Live, but Live has definitely come a long way and is actually enjoyable to play.

After I played a few games of 2K9 last night I popped in Live again just to see how it feels after playing 2K9, and surprising it still felt pretty good. Even though they need more of them, I still kind of like the animation system in Live better. It's just smoother and easier to execute plays. I was also having a problem in 2K9 last night with the pick and roll. I could get the pick and roll to execute, but then when I would pass the ball to my big down low, he wouldn't dunk and just kind of get caught up in an animation and just kind of stand there. The controls just don't feel as responsive in 2K9.

I'm leaning the other way this year. I'm a Live 09 guy (so far). I personally think it shouldn't require so many commands to execute low-post moves. I have never liked the separate commands associated with the "back-down" and "face-up" modifiers in the 2K series at it pertains to the low post. (Which cause the face buttons to equate to different moves depending on which mode your player is in.)

That's nice and all..but its anything but intuitive... especially when you go up against defenders who become magnetized to you (think Madden's old "Suction Blocking"...except in a hoops sim) It gets exceptionally annoying when you get double teamed and stuck in the "Defender grabs the ball" animation and the AI determines that its a jump ball. (You should be able to move around and get some elbows flailing to discourage that)- but as it stands now, the AI has the ability to get the animations going that often work against you..and you feel powerless.

The average player (and that included me..) will need to bust out the manual to figure out the differing commands when in either of the two modes (face-up/back-down)

Deep? Yes. Intuitive? No.

I'm also no fan of "rhythm free-throws"...and I'm glad EA went with a more traditional system with their green meter way of doing it.

I also think the animations are still clunky by comparison, and although those animations can be more easily broken-out-of than in previous 2K years, its still a ways from where I'd like to see it. It also seems at times that theres a shooting delay when catching a pass. Lets say I kick it out to Pierce- who's open for a quick three- it seems that there's a delay caused by the "catch pass animation" and the start of the "start-jump-shot" animation... often allowing the AI to react in time and get a hand in the face..or get the block. (When the AI passes the ball around to the open man..I don't notice that they have that delay...)

..which brings me to shot blocking. In 2K9 you will get your shots blocked down low...alot. However, against the AI, there seems to be a button delay or animation lag in the "jump-up & attempt block" animation that gives the AI an advantage in the low post, making the AI EXTREMELY deadly down low...perhaps deadlier than it should be.

That's not to say that 2K9 isn't a good...perhaps even great game of basketball. I just feel at times that the AI is given "help" and that certain things are built in to give them an advantage. I've felt the same way in previous years of the game though. (I've seen the AI make runs you simply feel like you have no ability to stop.. you simply feel handicapped). I know many 2K players have noted this over the years and learned to live with it. I gotta be honest..it still gets on my nerves.

2K9 might be more hardcore than Live 09, but that can be a blessing and a curse. I don't know how many players will "enjoy" having to learn the "faced-up" command modifiers and the "backed-down" modifiers by comparison to the sweet R-stick controls for posting up in Live 09.

So I guess its all what you are used to.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the games this year. As it stands now, I lean towards Live 09 because of more intuitive controls, sweet low post controls and defense that seems "fairer"..but its early yet. Maybe after I do some more 2K9 manual reading I'll appreciate it more.

(However, the casuals and first-time hoops game players will probably not want to do that..I'd tell them to go for Live with its more intuitive controls.)

One thing I have ALWAYS liked about 2K's basketball game is that there's ONE shooting button, and the R-trigger modifies if its an aggressive shot (like..a dunk/power move) or -if you aren't also holding the R-trigger- that same shooting command is a jumper/layup.

One thing about Live, though, is that I feel helpless with the interior defense. In NBA 2K9 it seems like you get your shot blocked a bit too much, but in Live they don't get blocked enough.

It should also be noted that I think the sound effect the use when you make a block sounds terrible in both games. lol

As a former power forward on the 1990 Burgettstown Blue Devils varsity team, I can tell you that there's very little (if any) sound to most shot blocks. A leather ball hitting someone's hand from close range just doesn't generate enough sound to carry above the noise of the game, sneakers squeaking, guys calling for the ball, and the fans.

Only the biggest, most authoritative "swats" generate a sound and those types of blocks are rare... but even then, the sound isn't that impressive let alone distinct. The crowd is often louder ...as they react to the big swat.

So I think that sound needs "understated" more than "overstated" in 98% of the cases involving shot blocks.

I understand it's not it's hard to duplicate, but they still kind of suck.

I agree completely.

I do like the responsiveness of the players better in NBA Live. It seems that this year there's some things that NBA Live does well that 2K9 doesn't and vice versa.

I said this on the Inferno forums already, but I will say it again here...

While I feel that NBA 2K9 is a better overall basketball game, I am having more fun with NBA Live. I love how responsive the controls are on Live and I like the spacing on the court. I think the game needs some slider tweaks for one-player action and I do think that NBA 2K9 will play a better head-to-head game, but I play mostly offline and am having a blast with it.

While I am getting a little "over-gamed" lately with serious time being spent in Warhammer and the Madden Leagues (hey, I play my games) and I know Fallout 3, Fable 2, and then Gears O' War will be coming shortly ....

If there's ever a time when we could all agree on, I'd be up for trying the On-Line w/ Friends thing - it seems to me basketball, even more than hockey due to the confined space, is well suited to that kind of gameplay

CrimsonVoodoo
"family is gonna hide my Xbox and PC pretty soon"

BMAC and I are playing tonight Voodoo...and Bangpow too, if he's not scared.

playing what? NBA Live?

No, I was responding to Voodoo's comment about "playing his games"- which means Madden.