NBA 09: The Inside Preview

Some things are worth waiting for.

For several years now, particularly since the next-generation consoles have come online, the sport of basketball has been given every kind of shooting dynamic, camera angle, and player animation that developers could think of. Yes, there have been some very good titles, but nothing that I would classify as a great game.

That may be about to change. Recently GameZone got its hands on a preview build of NBA 09: The Inside from SCEA’s San Diego Studios. Remember, this was a preview build (the game is not set to release until October) so there were a few hiccups, but that’s not the point of this article. Hiccups happen in beta builds. Get past those and you will see that what is being dropped into the game is impressive.

For the first time on the PS3, The Life is included. This is a progressive look at a player entering the NBA and it all begins with a situational exercise. You have goals to accomplish and a time limit. Initially it is broken down into three story areas – with a point guard in the first scenario, shooting guard or small forward in the second, and a center or power forward in the third. For the point guard it might be so many assists or slams by a certain player (which means finding the right passing lane). The shooting guard has to nail a couple of two-pointers, get a dunk, hit a trey – all within a time limit.

You create the players you use and they can be pulled into your favorite team to be available for franchise play. The good news is that whether you succeed at the challenge or not, you gain progression points that can be used to elevate your player’s stats – which means you end up becoming a stronger player. This is a nice role-playing element.

When you head into The Life, as mentioned, you are put into a scenario. For the power forward, that is with 15 seconds left in the D-League Finals. The opposing team has the ball and appears to be up by a point, and you have to deny them from scoring. That means tight defense, contest the shot and if it gets off, grab the rebound. That is relatively easy to accomplish and you move on, collecting progression points. The next chapter takes place with seven seconds left in the game. There is an inbound pass to wrangle, work the ball and score with your power forward/center. Time management is key. Shoot too soon and the opposition may have a chance to win with a desperation shot.

Throughout The Life, you will get to know the player and see personality emerge. It is well done and entertaining.

Whether you rank up the points in The Life or on the court in Franchise mode, you can apply experience to your players (like improved ball handling, better defense, shoot better from the outside and so on), and even unlock new equipment that has buffs on it as you level.

The game has the quickplay feature, The Life, and Franchise mode as well as NBA Replay (step into the shoes of top players during key moments in the ’07-’08 season) and mini games. The mini games can be a bit hit and miss – like Blacktop Golf is made hard by the angles you have to use to try to “sink” your shots – but are generally entertaining and a pleasant diversion.

The meat and potatoes of the program is, obviously, the on-court games with the TNT-style television coverage. The game plays at a great framerate in full 1080p. Graphics and sound are really well done.

NBA 09 The Inside is shaping up to be a first-rate basketball title.