SmartyScores:
NBA 2K10 – 87 out of 100 (Reviewed on Xbox 360)
NBA Live 10 – 84 out of 100 (Reviewed on PS3)

It was October 2004, and the new NBA Live 2005 was out. When I went to buy the game at the local EB Games, I noticed another title: NBA 2K5. As if Ben Wallace’s big afro wasn’t enough to draw attention to the game, the price tag sealed the deal: $19.99.

Unlike recent years, the best NBA game is not a slam dunk for either NBA 2K10 or EA's NBA Live 10.

I, along with nearly every other basketball fan that October, figured what the hell, twenty bucks for a new game? And that was that—the legacy of 2K basketball had begun.

2K had been around for 10 years, but never competed with Electronic Arts’ Live series. In 2005, though, the trend shifted towards 2K basketball and it’s been that way ever since. EA Sports didn’t produce a winning title again—not until this year. Both NBA 2K10 and NBA Live 10 are fantastic games in their own respect; the choice will come down to which style of play you enjoy more, simulation or arcade.

If you’re a simulation fan, then 2K10 is the way to go. Since 2K uses the ever-popular shot stick, you’re given complete control over every shot your player takes. The flow of the game is much more team oriented, as passing and ally oops are smoother than ever. Each player will play to their skill level – that is, Shaq isn’t going to even attempt the same stutter step that Jason Kidd does because it’s way beyond his skill level. Similarly, Jason Kidd isn’t going to pull off the same sick drop step that Shaq can when he’s posted up.

If that doesn’t sound sexy enough for you, then Live is the way to go. Instead of the shot stick, Live implements the Freestyle stick which allows the players to do sick dribbles and spins to shake their opponents. Every character is capable of the same moves, so in Live Shaq will attempt to spin if you press forward on the Freestyle stick, but it won’t look like Kidd’s as Shaq will most likely lose the ball out of bounds. The Freestyle stick can also be used for passing when holding down the L2 button, and this is really the only way you should pass in the game as it’s much crisper passing than the standard pressing the X button. In Live, you’ll pull off moves that would never work on an NBA court, but it’s fun nonetheless.

Still torn? Don’t worry, not everyone cares too much about the game play. Most of the time people just want the game that’ll give you the most features … fortunately, both games offer a ton.

First off, NBA 2K10 offers the best feature of both games, which is My Player mode. In this, you create a character for a specific position with a specific play type, such as athletic, shooter, defensive, etc. Then, you’re placed on an NBA summer league team and basically left to fend for yourself. Every game, your character will start off with a teammate grade of C, and it’s up to you to improve on that through every aspect of the game.

When I say every aspect, I mean every aspect. You’ll get points for something such as a rebound or a good pass, but you also get points for filling lanes correctly on a fast break. Similarly, you’ll lose points for a bad pass or a turnover, but also for being in the wrong place on offense or not setting your character up for a chance to box out and get the rebound. This isn’t a game mode that allows you to coast along and enjoy yourself; My Player mode is only fun and successful if you pay attention to the tiniest details of your character’s game.

Of course, the idea of playing with just one character all game turns some people off as they’d rather just simulate a season. Well, how about a Dynamic Season? In NBA Live 10 (as long as you have an Internet connection) you can take part in a season that mirrors the real NBA season. The only difference is the standings and results will change for whatever games you decide to play. For instance, if you’re a Clippers fan chances are they won’t make the playoffs this season, but you really want to change that. So, in Dynamic Season, everything that actually happens in the league will happen in your season, save the fact that all the Clippers games will have the results from the games that you play, not the real life results. This way, you’ll be able to take on real teams based on how they’re performing while still playing with your favorite team. This is a feature everyone should try, as it will only evolve from here on out.

One other feature that NBA Live 10 offers that’s unique is the FIBA tournament feature. FIBA is the international basketball league and uses the rules that are used in the Olympics, such as the widened paint and no goaltending. Start a tournament as the United States or your favorite country and take on all comers to be the best in the world.

NBA 2K10 didn’t just improve on game play though; 2K sports developers realized how awful the voice overs were in years before, so they decided to do something game changing. Instead of hearing the same thing over and over, the 2K announcers will preview upcoming games, recount last night’s games and show you league leaders in scoring, assists, team shooting percentage and conference standings. You’ll have a choice between what information it gives you, though: information on your in-game season, or information on the real NBA season as long as you have a Live account.

Overall, there isn’t a clear cut answer to which is the best NBA game this season. It comes down to game style and features, and each game offers great variations on both. Pick a game and get the season started!

** Official site for NBA 2K10
** Official site for NBA Live 10