Yes, there is an NBA Live slotted and ready to coming out on PSP and it's looking hot. The time that the development team has had to work on this title has definitely paid off and we got a chance to see the fruits of their labor at EA's PSP media blowout earlier this week. The character animations are looking smooth, and the frame rate is running even smoother and a nice 30 frames per second. What's not to love? As it stands, the team at EA Canada is looking to blow the competition a way with an offering of balling madness fit for a console, but made for and handheld.


All the current NBA Superstars are in this game. They all come with distinct feature sets. As Superstars, these players come in four types: Power, Highflyer, Scorer, or a Playmaker. By taking this approach, users can find the kind of player that suits them best and get good with using that player's strengths in strategic situations. By tapping into the strength of the team at large, users will find a way to be powerfully successful and NBA 06 on the PSP.
One of the more dazzling features here is that fact that users can play head to head on wireless, as well as online through infrastructure mode. It was a necessary feature to have considering 989 pulled it of with their NBA game for the handheld earlier this year. But in NBA 06, you can play your friend on PSP with two-player 5 on 5 in some sweaty-palmed run and gun action, or hit up a stranger somewhere in North America, and battle it out for top slots on the leaderboards. But don't expect the same accomplishments in connectivity that Madden on PSP will have this year. You can't transfer games between your PS2 and PSP here like Madden 06 on PSP will do. We might have to wait another year for that.

One of the hottest features of last year's Live was the Slam Dunk contest. I remember devoting hours to that game just for that experience alone. It was apart of the All-star Weekend and it was hot. Well Live fans will be happy to know that their PSP version of Live has the same thing. Users will get a full dose of NBA mania with The 3 Point Shootout, The Slam Dunk Contest, The Rookies Challenge, ad The East West All-star Game. All the great tuning that went into these games on the console is here on PSP. Pulling off those heart stopping dunks looks just as powerful, and feels just as rewarding.


PSP will get its own exclusive goodies in the form of Superstar Challenges. With this, users are offered a selection of famous game situations based on the games that took place during last year's season. The object is to lead your team to victory with the allotted amount of time left, but with added goals in mind. Based on the type of Superstar that's leading the team your in control of, you'll have to either grab a set amount of boards with him, or make a certain amount of dunks, all before the game ends. Depending on how well you do, you receive a gold, silver or bronze medal. It's a cool layer of gameplay that heightens the competitive edge it what would otherwise be a simple basketball experience.

All the hardcore fans can indulge in full seasons and play an entire 82 game stretch. Although the on-the-go nature of handheld gaming probably won't lend itself to playing an entire season of basketball on such a small scale, it's nice to have it there. You can even simulate games if need be, so you don't have to play them all out entirely. You can even play the game in Playoff mode which allows you to experience Playoff scenarios with the teams you want to see go to the finals.

As far as controls go, not having that second analog nub is a bit challenging. Sacrifices had to be made in the mapping of the buttons since everyone is limited to the one analog nub on the PSP. So now square determines all the juke moves you want to pull off to go around opponents. It takes some getting used to, but if you're open-minded about it, you can have a great time with it. All the other controls are pretty much intact. The overall pace looks great, giving that clean console feel to every move you execute.