‘NBA 2K8’

‘NBA 2K8’

(2K Sports) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Genre: Sports; Rating: E

Grade: B-

When “NBA 2K7” was released, many believed it was the death knell for EA Sports — well, at least its basketball division. 2K has more or less passed EA Sports by with its basketball titles and keeps pumping quality resources to make its NBA franchise the best.

If nothing else, “2K8” gets it done based on the improved and increasing amount of varied animations. The killer of all basketball has been watching players make the same five to eight moves with no variety — whether it’s McGrady or Arenas.

Now, there are signature style animations that give you tons of variation between skilled players, and it looks so real at times you’ll think you are watching the real players.

While the animations are superb, the controls are still a tad behind the curve. Often you’ll dribble right into other players and it’s sometimes hard to get a rhythm going. The overall AI is great, though, as games play more realistically. Once you get the timing of passing and shooting down, you’ll look like the Showtime Lakers in a hurry.

The street-ball mode is back, and a dunk contest is also included this year. That helps make the game feel well-rounded, but the online feature is still the money shot for 2K. Whether offline or on, 2K is pacing the field in the basketball genre.

‘NBA LIVE 08’

(EA Sports) for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP

Genre: Sports; Rating: E

Grade: C

While “2K8” may be the better NBA game, fans of “NBA Live” are not going to throw their hands up and walk away. The ’08 edition is a vast improvement over last year, so you won’t have a problem with shelling out cash for this game. The game as a whole is pretty shallow, but if you are looking for a solid game-play experience, you won’t be disappointed.

The controls are what get this game high marks. They are much more responsive, and it makes a huge difference since nearly every game (and every team) you’ll play during the season is like a mirror of the Phoenix Suns. It’s run-and-gun, all night long. This isn’t a bad thing, but clearly some teams aren’t built for that, and it hurts the game at times.

The dynasty mode is decent, but not deep in content. Online play has been improved dramatically, but it still lags. Visually, the game has also taken a nice step forward, and the ambiance is much better. Overall, if you are in the market for one of this year’s NBA games, “NBA Live” won’t break your heart.

‘NBA 08’

(Sony) for PlayStation 3, PS2, PSP

Genre: Sports; Rating: E

Grade: D

It is hard to see how Sony can keep justifying the money spent on developing an NBA gaming franchise when it puts so little into the finished product. Last year’s rushed title got a free pass because it was developed to coincide with the PS3’s initial launch.

A year later, “NBA 08” arrives, and it plays and looks almost the same. Little seems to have been done to improve a title that needed it in almost every area.

You can only play a single season, so forget trying to build your favorite team into a powerhouse (all fans of the Hawks, Knicks, Grizzlies and others pretty much have no incentive to buy now). Perhaps the biggest game-play issue is the clipping — you can often dribble right through other players and sometimes have the ball go through the backboard during a shot.

These are just some of the maddening inconsistencies that hamper your ability to enjoy “NBA 08.” Luckily, PS3 owners can enjoy one of the other titles on their console.

—Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard