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Sony CEA has realized that the best way to approach a basketball game is to give gamers the ability to play in short spurts and have fun.
Its NBA series has capitalized on this realization and has consistently delivered fun times. NBA 09: The Inside is no different.
NBA 09: The Inside features the core gameplay modes like a new Franchise mode and Exhibition. In Franchise, you’ll be trying to build the best team possible while managing all the different aspects of the franchise. It’s great for when you really want to get involved with the game. But of course, as I mentioned above, the fun in a portable basketball game is the pick-up-and-play modes. That’s where NBA 09: The Inside shines.
The minigames are great and are probably where you’ll spend most of your time. One of my favorites is Bang the Boards, where you bet on how many points you’ll score in two minutes. If you hit that target, your score doubles. You have to be careful in setting the target too high (because you might lose the doubling effect) or two low (because your opponent could set it higher and achieve it). Another cool new one is called Elimiquest. In this mode, you’ll play a five-on-five game against another team but you’ll collect territories as you score points and your goal is to accumulate as many territories as possible. Other favorites like Conquest and Pinball are also included, as well as seemingly tons more.
In terms of actual basketball, NBA 09 plays a lot like its predecessors. The game retains the color-coded halo shooting system of previous games in the series. When you shoot, the ball will have a green, orange or red halo around it. If it’s green, it’s very likely to go in, etc. It works well, especially in a light and arcadey game. The AI is smarter this time around, but you’ll find that the game keeps its fast-paced nature.
In case you were wondering, NBA 09: The Inside includes both local and online multiplayer. In multiplayer, you can either play a regular Exhibition match or one of the game’s minigames.
NBA 09: The Inside’s production values are quite high. The visuals look great, thanks to fairly detailed players but more importantly solid animation. The fact that the game runs at 60 frames per second with no slowdown rounds out the package. Ian Eagle and Kenny Smith (who can also be found in the PS3 version) provide the commentary, which is generally on-point though a bit too repetitive.
NBA 09: The Inside is a great portable basketball title. The core basketball gameplay is solid but it’s the minigames that really extend the game’s replay value. It’s a great way to spend a few minutes and have a blast while doing something sort of related to basketball. -- Adam Nunez, PGNx Media
---- Oct 27, 2008
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