Player, Please

There are plenty of reasons why NBA Live 06 raises the bar not just for basketball games, but for all future Xbox 360™ sports simulations.

You could spend hours just kicking back and admiring the HDTV-enhanced 720p visuals, so finely detailed viewers can spot every one of Stephon Marbury's signature tattoos. Or, for that matter, simply soaking up the action itself, given that there's no actual menu system; you're always on the court playing, and any game mode is just a single press of the D-pad away. Let's not forget the fluid commentary by Marv Albert and Steve Kerr or the new free throw system, which makes use of the right analog joystick for shooting, either.

Still, what'll really have both stat freaks and fair-weather fans alike standing in the aisles and cheering their hearts out is the upgraded player creation toolkit.

Mix and match fly fashions.

That's right—anyone can design their very own superstar athlete. What's more, custom-created characters may be configured in hundreds of different ways. Tweak a player's complexion, weight, position, and jersey number. Define their body type. Choose a position.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and
start building your own NBA legend today!

In other words, let your imagination run wild—lanky point guards, chubby centers, and muscular power forwards are all yours to pick from and personalize with hairstyles and accessories. Diehard gamers can even dig deep and individually configure each of the dozens of attributes characters are ranked by. Once done, merely save your protégé onto your system's hard drive or a memory card, and he'll be available for immediate access.

See for yourself—the system's as exhaustive as it gets:

• Player Info: Begin by providing some key background information on your new alter-ego. Try starting with a first and last name, or just a cool nickname. (I like "Flyguy," but you can always call your player "JimBob," "Whirlybird," or even "Snuggles," if that's what you prefer.) From this screen, pick a hometown, birthday, jersey number and position. Next, decide what team to be a part of. My suggestion: If you can't make up your mind, just go with your hometown heroes. Consider selecting the school you supposedly attended and telling the computer how many years it's been since you went pro too. It doesn't really affect the action, but does help provide some empathy between you and your digital double.
  
• Appearance: Here's where you select a specific body type, height, and weight. These factors will determine if your character is a tall, skinny sort who could blow over in a strong breeze or shorter but stouter, with the kind of biceps that could crush melons. You can also change the shape of your head and give players a specific skin tone such as healthy pink, dark black or sunlight-deprived white. Having trouble making up your mind? Press the right bumper button to randomize your appearance. Admiring your new look is easy too; just wiggle the right analog stick to rotate athlete models.

"Professor" X struts his stuff.

• Accessories: Clothes make the man, after all. Cop a headband, wristbands, armband, leg warmers, or whatever other fly accoutrements you like. Preconfigured options are all available for your head, upper body, and lower body. You don't have to don any additional gear if you prefer going au natural, or just prefer getting to stare at the sweat which drips down characters' arms after charging the opposing team's hoop. That's the beauty of NBA Live 06; you get to play just the way you want.
  
• Attributes: Players are each ranked based upon 20 different attributes. Stealing, blocking, passing—scores ranging between 1 and 99 are provided for every skill. The higher your current total in any given category, the more talented you are. On the left side of the screen is a list of popular players. Scroll through them with the left analog joystick and press A to steal celebrities' such as Kenyon Martin or Yao Ming's basic attribute readouts. Rather set your own ability level? Use the right analog joystick to add or subtract points as desired.

As you can see, it's an exciting process, to be sure … and one you're guaranteed to repeat many times over. More importantly, there's no end to the replay value NBA Live 06 offers as a result. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start building your own NBA legend today!

Play like the pros—steal their stats.

Oh, and if you should be unhappy with the results of your Frankenstein-style tinkering, don't get your jock strap in a bunch. Merely press down on the right analog stick until you hear a click, and you'll restore the default player model configuration instantly. No muss, no fuss—just brilliant basketball, the way the videogame experts at Electronic Arts intended.

Article by Steve Richter