NBA Live 08 is a revelation. Electronic Arts (EA), through voodoo, a deal with Satan or simple programming genius, rescued its failing hoops series with one hell of a basketball game; one that ditches impossible to guard superstar moves for enhanced five-on-five play. The result is an addictive sports game that not only re-energizes the franchise, but gives the company's rival, 2K Sports, reason to worry.

You'll see Live 08's enhancements the moment the game begins. Instead of slowly plodding up and down the court, players move at a brisk 60 frames a second. Kobe slithers through defenders like a cobra while Yao Ming spins to the basket for a rim-rattling slam. Even better, fast breaks feel exciting as you dash to the basket and feed the open man. This enhanced speed comes at the expense of the graphics, which look less impressive than previous NBA Lives (the crowd is a pixilated mess), but it's an acceptable trade-off for playing a faster game.

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EA also did a great job with the artificial intelligence. Each time we brought the ball up court, the defense made us work for our shots. Sure, we tricked it a few times, draining the wide-open three or feeding our big man in the paint, but for the most part, the AI (including Allen Iverson) did an excellent job clogging the lanes and getting hands in our faces, which more often than not led to blown lay-ups and long rebounds.

We enjoy working for our points, yet at the same time, the increased difficulty makes winning frustrating. Shooting, for example, takes a lot of patience, especially when guys like Tony Parker, Tracy McGrady and Steve Nash repeatedly miss open shots. However, that plays to one of Live's strengths. You'll make some lucky hoops, but in order to win throughout an 82 game season, you need to know your team and each player's hot spots. EA gives you a much needed assist by actually including this data in the game, so you can see where Kevin Garnett likes the ball or where Kobe hits most of his threes. Digest that information, and you'll beat the AI more frequently.