NBA Live 2001 Demo

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States and in the world, thanks to the famous NBA league and the legendary players that were part of the competition. Naturally, not everyone gets to play with the best in the world, but, thanks to video games and the ever-increasing technology prowess, you can simulate the sport on your computer.

NBA Live 2001 is part of the legendary basketball simulator developed by EA SPORTS and it encompasses a wide range of improvements over the previous title, especially when it comes to graphics, player control and the mechanics that sit at the core of the game. Hence, the experience is now much more realistic than before, as well as better looking.

Many of the improvements may not be visible at a first glance, but they all assure the fact that the franchise is heading toward the right direction. Hence, while details like better skin textures, modified transitions and animated benched may not sound like much on paper, all of these combined make for a very convincing in-game atmosphere, topped only by the excitement of the sport itself.

As previously mentioned, the graphics engine received a multitude of improvements and many bits of it have been completely reworked. The characters now take advantage of the latest motion-capture technology, in order to make their movements appear much more natural out on the court. Coupled with the detailed face modeling and the realistic coach behavior, the game is definitely one class above the previous release.

The changes continue when it comes to the sound as well, since the entire soundtrack has been changed to feature new songs and many new effects have been added to complete the experience. It is also possible to create your own players and teams, using the integrated editor that puts every tool at your disposal in order to design your dream team.

In the end, NBA Live 2001 truly delivers on its promises and substantially improves the series, both from a graphical and a technical point of view. Hence, beside the fact that it looks better, it is also a bit more realistic and responsive when it comes to player handling.