NBA 08

 PlayStation 2
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User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 1 out of 2
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  1. JimH.
    Dec 8, 2007
    3
    If you start this game playing "The Life", you'll be facing a number of various mini-games designed to simulate training camp, such as following your coach's commands, shooting drills, free throw drills, and scrimmages. You need to accomplish a goal to proceed to the next part. This part really interested me and made me look forward to the rest of the game. Unfortunately, this If you start this game playing "The Life", you'll be facing a number of various mini-games designed to simulate training camp, such as following your coach's commands, shooting drills, free throw drills, and scrimmages. You need to accomplish a goal to proceed to the next part. This part really interested me and made me look forward to the rest of the game. Unfortunately, this is the BEST part of the game. "The Life" starts to go downhill shortly after Opening Day, with goals such as "Outscore the Celtics by 12 in 3 minutes, making sure your power forward hits 3 jumpers, get 3 assists TO him, and don't allow the other team to score a post-up basket." Yes, you have to do ALL of those. And that's still not the worst. The A.I. in the game varies between insane and heavily flawed. If you trap a player near the baseline, he'll run out of bounds. If you move at all, he'll run by and dunk. Defense is highly aggravating to play, and you'll be finding the computer breaking your ankles and driving by for a dunk. Sometimes your players will switch off, and they will not switch back, regardless of what you do. And sometimes, you will switch to a defender and go to control them, only to find out that, although he's selected, you have NO control over him. SERIOUS programming flaw. Also, if a player is going for a dunk, good luck stopping him. I tried to block one and my center started the block animation, then stepped back under the backboard, waited a moment, and THEN went to block, WAY too late. And now we get to offense. When a team takes the ball out, all 10 players will just INSTANTLY teleport to pre-set locations, with one man inbounding the ball, the point guard standing near him, the opposing point guard near half-court, and everyone else down the other end of the floor. No fast break off a made basket! The offensive playcalling is PITIFUL, with only FOUR plays available: Call for a pick, cut to basket, cut to key, isolation. That's it. Controls in the post-up are half-baked with pre-set animations. There is no up-and-under style move, since there is no pump-fake from the post. And if you make a move and it's stopped, which results in you getting pushed away from the basket, you can just dunk then. Need a basket? You can just dribble around through the defense until they run into each other trying to figure out how to switch, and then you can take an open shot... or go for a dunk. Need a quick 2? Call for an alley-oop. As long as you can time the pass (and there's a good-sized window that you can learn from practice in Alley-opp drills), it's an UNSTOPPABLE move. No blocking the pass, no blocking the dunk, no defender stopping the cutter. I did not play NBA 07, so I can't speak about the A.I. comparatively to that, but if this is IMPROVED, then NBA 07 had to have no A.I. at all, seeing as this was the WORST A.I. that I have personally EVER seen in a sports game in my over 25 years of gaming. In fact, even with the parts that I liked about the game (mainly the mini-games and the idea of the storyline giving you an insight into the cameraderie of a full team), this is easily the WORST sports game I have EVER played. I do not recommend this game for ANYONE, as it was not even worth the discounted price I got on its rental.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Best PS2 Game of 2007
95
#95 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. GameSpy
    60
    This year, if you want to play NBA '08, you'd better make sure that's a Sixaxis or a PSP in your hands. You're not going to have a whole lot of fun with your DualShock 2.
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  2. PGNx Media
    73
    Sony’s NBA 08 is a solid basketball gamebut the actual gameplay isn’t as tight as its competitors. The lack of a franchise mode hurts the game and while The Life is still plenty of fun to play through, it may not be enough to pull the game up for most people.
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  3. IGN
    60
    Flawed defensively, with unrealistic problems and uninteresting game modes, NBA 08 is the culmination of three years of neglected improvements of the basics of the sports franchise.
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