Another NBA season is upon us and so is the perennial battle between Electronic Arts and 2K Sports. EA's NBA Live series has come up short the past few years so I was greatly looking forward to lacing up my Jordan's and going a few rounds with it, but after I was through I was both tired and bored. NBA Live 06 is yet another sports blunder by EA, a .500 ball club that's somehow risen to the top of its division, though regardless of its success, it's obvious that the champ will bring its ass back to reality.

The biggest problem with this game is it's not immediately accessible to all players. EA's goal was to bump up the defensive intensity so teams like the Pistons and Heat play a lot smarter. On top of that, the developers put in place a Freestyle Superstar feature that places the NBA's stars like Vince Cater and Shaq into one of the following categories: Highflyer, Scorer, Stopper, Sharpshooter, and Power Player. The idea here is, if you're on the run with Allen Iverson, you can hold down the Left Trigger, press one of the face buttons, and AI will pull out some slick move that'll no doubt leave the defense flat footed. But this feature winds up being a get out of jail free button. It allows you to basically yank some super human crap from your ass, leading to a lot of two-player "THAT WAS BS, man" moments. But the worst thing about it is I never felt a sense of accomplishment. If all I have to do is drive to the basket and press a magic button then I'm not working for my points. There's just a lack of passion here.

It also requires you to know each player's position. Icons pop up whenever a superstar has the ball but all it tells you is how to execute moves (Left Trigger + A, B, X, or Y), but it doesn't tell you what each does, so many times, I'd go to pass with my point guard and do a jump shot, or, in the worst case scenario, go to pass with who I thought was my point guard and cringe as my equally small power forward tried to win the game on an off balance cross court heave.

The Freestyle feature is pretty lame and it's not the only reason why Live slides out of bounds. Drawing an offensive foul is almost impossible, and during two player games, stealing is equally non existent. And despite EA's goal to make this game more defensive minded, none of that really matters during multiplayer games, where it's still quite easy to blast opponents for 129 points.

Then there's the two shooting buttons and their inclusion has always escaped me. I just can't figure out why there's a lay-up and a jump shot button aside from the developers wanting to completely screw with the player's head. All I know is during intense moments I almost always press the wrong button, and it just sucks watching a point guard flip up the ball from the three point line.

My other complaints are more minor yet they still annoy me. I hate how all of the players don't appear to have been built to scale, as they look very short. I dislike how there are no player introductions. It's too easy to shoot free throws. Ah yes, and the crowd is just lame. About as intense as an obese cat that sleeps all day, they rarely get pumped for anything. I blame them for me nearly falling asleep several times while playing this game.

Thankfully, NBA Live does have some bright spots. Its franchise mode is just as good as ever, online play is enjoyable, and I like what EA's done with the All Star Weekend. The dunk contest is extremely enjoyable, though at the same time I'm put off by its steep learning curve. Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith do a nice job commentating, yet there's still a few awkward pauses and none of them really establish as good a flow as the guys in NBA 2K6 do.

I'm also impressed with the graphics. Small people aside, the player detail is quite remarkable and the same goes for the animations. EA always excels in this area and this year the dev team has really come through in producing life like movement. Where some of NBA 2K6's dunks are sort of unrealistic, the ones in Live are a lot more fluid and natural looking.

Enjoying NBA Live 06 is really a matter of taste. If you're not down with actually thinking while playing videogames and you don't want to work for your points then you'll probably enjoy this game, and don't think for a second that I'm hatin' on Live and I plan to sing NBA 2K6's praises. 2K Sports' game is definitely a better product when it comes to gameplay, but I have issues with it as well. EA tried to best the competition with innovative features, but like last year, its shot rimmed out.