NBA Live 98 | |
---|---|
![]() PlayStation cover art featuring Miami Heat's Tim Hardaway. | |
Developer(s) | EA Canada (PC, PS) [1] Tiertex (Genesis, SNES) Realtime Associates (Saturn) |
Publisher(s) | EA Sports [lower-alpha 1] |
Composer(s) |
|
Series | NBA Live |
Platform(s) | Windows, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Super NES, Genesis |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Sports (Basketball) |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
NBA Live 98 is a basketball video game based on the National Basketball Association and the fourth installment of the NBA Live series. Its cover art features Tim Hardaway of the Miami Heat. The game was developed by EA Sports in 1997 for Windows, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn, while also being the final NBA Live game released for the Super NES, Genesis, and Sega Saturn.
The game introduced the now-standard feature of passing to any teammate with a single button press. Its graphical improvements included new player designs modeled after actual player photographs. The PC version introduced support for 3D acceleration, utilizing 3dfx's Glide API. The PlayStation, PC, and Saturn versions feature Ernie Johnson Jr. as studio announcer. Play-by-play commentary is performed by TNT/TBS color analyst Verne Lundquist in the PlayStation and PC versions. NBA Live 98 is followed by NBA Live 99 .
The game features rosters from the 1997–98 NBA season. New features include the "Total Control" system, that allows players to choose between a dunk or layup or pass to any teammate with the press of a button. [6] "Tight" player moves allow players to spin, crossover, back down, ball fake and more on command. Player lock lets players always control a specified player on court.
Though it is set during the 1997–98 season, Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan is not featured in the game. [7] This was because Jordan was not part of the National Basketball Players Association and at the time the cost of licensing his individual name and likeness for video games was approximately $15 million a year, beyond the total budget of most video games. [8] Jordan is replaced by the fictional "Roster Player" in the Bulls lineup. However, Charles Barkley made his first appearance in Live 98 as a member of the Houston Rockets.
Motion capture work was done by NBA players Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, Larry Johnson, Joe Dumars and Christian Laettner.
New modes introduced include GM Mode, which lets players choose franchises, draft players and play custom seasons, and the Three-Point Shootout, which can be played using full or split screen. Four difficulty levels are available, including a new Superstar difficulty level, along with improved AI with smarter players and more accurate stats.
With the introduction of 3D players, courts, and jerseys came an opportunity to patch and update these aspects of the game, including with the EA Graphics Editor software.
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8.125/10 (PS1) [9] 6.5/10 (SAT) [10] |
GameSpot | 7.9/10 (PS1) [11] 4.4/10 (SAT) [12] 8.1/10 (PC) [13] |
IGN | 8/10 (PS1) [14] |
Sega Saturn Magazine | 70% (SAT) [15] |
The PlayStation release received mostly positive reviews. Critics praised the detailed player graphics, [9] [11] [14] [16] new animations, [9] [11] [16] interface, [9] [11] music, [9] [16] and the full motion video sequences. [9] [11] GamePro commented, "What makes Live '98 so enjoyable to play is its fantastic mixture of NBA realism and wild arcade action." [16] GameSpot assessed it as an across-the-board improvement over NBA Live 97 . [11]
Critics hailed the number of new gameplay features, with the three-point competition, [9] [11] custom team feature, [11] [16] icon passing, [9] [11] [16] and direct ducking [11] [16] all earning particular mention. A few criticisms were voiced, but they did little to impact the critic's overall recommendation. For example, Jay Boor of IGN found the dunks were not as dramatic as they should be, but still concluded NBA Live 98 to be the best basketball game presently on the market. [14] Sushi-X wrote in Electronic Gaming Monthly that weak A.I. makes it "the easiest basketball game I've ever played." However, his three co-reviewers were more laudatory, with Kraig Kujawa summing up, "NBA Live 97 was easily the best basketball game last year, and now Live 98 has done it again." [9]
As with NBA Live 97, critics reported the Saturn port to have much lower-resolution textures and jerkier frame rate than the PlayStation version, to the point where the action can be hard to follow. [10] [12] [15] Critics also found the absence of play-by-play commentary in the Saturn port a severe shortcoming. [10] [12] [15] Kraig Kujawa and John Ricciardi of Electronic Gaming Monthly, who both rated the PlayStation version a 9/10, gave the Saturn version a 5.5/10 and 6/10 respectively, with Kujawa remarking, "Obviously, this was a quick and easy port that was paid very little attention. ... EA could and should have done a better job." [10] GameSpot and Sega Saturn Magazine , while noting that the Saturn port retains strong aspects of the PlayStation original, judged that it compared unfavorably with NBA Action 98 , another Saturn basketball game which was released at the same time. [12] [15] Gary Cutlack of Sega Saturn Magazine summarized, "Live '98 isn't that bad, it's just unfortunate for EA that Sega are releasing their better NBA game at the same time." [15]
NBA Live 98 was a runner-up for Computer Gaming World 's 1997 "Sports Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to Baseball Mogul and CART Precision Racing in a tie. Editors called NBA Live 98 "the latest and best [...] in EA's awesome action-oriented" series. [17] During the inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards, the game received a nomination for "Console Sports Game of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. [18]
NBA Live 2001 is the 2001 installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Kevin Garnett as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The game was developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports Label. NBA Live 2001 is followed by NBA Live 2002. The PC version of the game for the second year included EA's "Face in the Game" feature that debuted in NBA Live 2000, allowing players to use custom facial photographs on created players.
FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and released by Electronic Arts in 1997. It is the fifth game in the FIFA series and the second to be in 3D on the fifth generation of video game consoles. A number of different players were featured on the cover, including David Beckham in the UK, Roy Lassiter in the United States, Mexico and Brazil, David Ginola in France, Raúl in Spain and Portugal, Paolo Maldini in Italy, and Andreas Möller in Germany. FIFA 98 was the last FIFA game released for the Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
NBA Live 99 is the fifth installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Antoine Walker of the Boston Celtics. The game was developed by EA Sports and released on November 4, 1998, for the Nintendo 64, and then on November 10, 1998, for the Windows and PlayStation. Don Poier is the play-by-play announcer. It was the first NBA Live game released for Nintendo 64. NBA Live 99 was followed by NBA Live 2000.
Madden NFL 98 is a 1997 football video game. It was the last edition of the Madden series to be released for the Super NES, Genesis and Sega Saturn platforms, as well as the last Madden game to utilize 2D sprites for the players and referee, on 3D playing fields.
WCW Nitro is a professional wrestling video game based on the television show WCW Monday Nitro. Released by THQ for the PlayStation game console in 1998, the game featured a large roster of playable WCW wrestlers as well as full motion video clips of the television show. The game was followed by WCW/nWo Thunder, which was based on Nitro's Thursday night counterpart. Ports for Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows were released later in 1998 and 1999 with the updated roster featured in Thunder.
NASCAR '98 is a racing simulator video game developed by Stormfront Studios, published by EA Sports, and released in 1997 for Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This was the first game in the EA Sports NASCAR series.
NHL 98 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada. It was released in 1997 and was the successor to NHL 97. It was the last installment of the NHL series to be released on the SNES, Sega Genesis, or Sega Saturn. It is based on the 1997-98 NHL season.
NBA Hangtime is a 1996 basketball arcade game developed and released by Midway. Home versions were released for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Microsoft Windows.
NBA In The Zone '98 is a basketball game for the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation. It was released in 1998 and developed and published by Konami. It is the third installment of the NBA In The Zone series. The cover features Glen Rice of the Charlotte Hornets.
NBA Jam Extreme is a 1996 basketball arcade game by Acclaim Entertainment based on the 1996–97 NBA season. After Midway Games released two NBA Jam games, Acclaim, the publisher of the home versions of NBA Jam, ended up winning the exclusive rights to use the Jam name. NBA Jam Extreme was the first Jam game from Acclaim, as well as the first edition of the game to use 3D graphics. In contrast, Midway's competing NBA game NBA Hangtime featured 2-D visuals similar to the previous Jam games. Extreme also features longtime sports broadcaster Marv Albert doing commentary instead of original commentator Tim Kitzrow. New to the game is the "Extreme" button, essentially a super version of the series' trademark "Turbo" button. The cover features Shawn Kemp of the Seattle SuperSonics, and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets.
NBA Live 97 is the third installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Mitch Richmond of the Sacramento Kings. The game was developed by EA Sports and released in 1996. The MS-DOS, Sega Saturn and PlayStation versions featured polygonal models for the on-court players, thus marking it as the first 3D EA Sports Basketball sequel for the series. It was also the first NBA Live released for the Sega Saturn. The game received mostly positive reviews for its advanced graphics and wide array of available moves and plays, though the Saturn conversion was reviled for numerous technical deficiencies. NBA Live 97 is followed by NBA Live 98.
Krazy Ivan is a mecha first-person shooter video game developed and published by Psygnosis. It was released for Windows, Sega Saturn and PlayStation in 1996.
Sega Worldwide Soccer '98, known in North America as simply Worldwide Soccer '98 and in Europe as Sega Worldwide Soccer '98 Club Edition, is a video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn in 1997 and Windows in 1998. It is the third game in its series, following Victory Goal and Sega Worldwide Soccer 97.
NCAA March Madness 98 was the first installment in the NCAA March Madness series. It was released on February 25, 1998 for the PlayStation. It is the sequel to Coach K College Basketball. Former Wake Forest player Tim Duncan is featured on the cover.
Mass Destruction is a 1997 third-person action game developed by NMS Software and published by ASC Games and BMG Interactive. Released for MS-DOS, the Sega Saturn, and the PlayStation, the game puts players in control of a tank, and tasks them with destroying enemy forces. It has often been likened to Return Fire.
Micro Machines V3 is a racing video game developed by Codemasters and Novalicious for PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color.
Andretti Racing is a video game developed by American studios High Score Productions and Stormfront Studios and published by EA Sports for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn in 1996, and for Windows in 1997. The game's title refers to legendary racing drivers Mario Andretti and Michael Andretti.
NBA Fastbreak '98 is a basketball simulator released for the Sony PlayStation in 1997. It takes place during the 1997-98 National Basketball Association season. It was published by Midway Games and GT Interactive. Originally announced under the title "Hardwood Heroes", the game was released with minimal changes as NBA Action 98 on Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows, published by Sega. Another version was being developed by Z-Axis for the Nintendo 64 under the title "NBA Fast Break 64", with a prospective November 1997 release, but it was cancelled.
NHL Powerplay 98 is a sports video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Virgin Interactive and Sega for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn in 1997. It is the sequel to NHL Powerplay '96; there was no "'97" entry in the NHL Powerplay series. After Virgin opted not to release the game for the Sega Saturn, Sega acquired the rights and published the Saturn version under the title NHL All-Star Hockey 98 so as to make it a continuation of Sega's own NHL All-Star Hockey series.