NBA Live 95

NBA Live 95 is the follow-up to NBA Showdown and the first NBA Live title in the NBA Live video games series from EA Sports. It was published by EA Sports and released in October 1994. The cover features an action shot from the 1994 NBA Finals.

NBA Live 95
Cover featuring the 1994 NBA Finals between Houston Rockets and New York Knicks
Developer(s)EA Canada (credited as Hitmen Productions)
Publisher(s)EA Sports
Composer(s)Traz Damji
SeriesNBA Live
Platform(s)MS-DOS, Genesis, Super NES
Release
  • Super NES
    • NA: October 1994
    • EU: 1994
    • JP: December 16, 1994
  • Genesis
  • DOS
Genre(s)Traditional basketball simulation
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

It introduced what would become standard elements in the series, including the isometric on-court perspective, the "T-meter" for shooting free throws, and the turbo button used to give players a temporary burst of speed. The game's engine is a modified version of EA Sports' FIFA International Soccer engine, using the same perspective. The game was re-released with NBA Live 06 as part of the EA Retro Series. Game Players gave the Super NES version its "best sports game award" in their Super NES division on the January 1995 issue of their magazine.[1]

This was the first official NBA simulation video game to introduce customized fictional teams. It is also notable for being the first NBA video game to not feature Charles Barkley, as he began refraining from signing licensing agreements due to the lack of pay to retired players from the NBAPA.[2][3]

NBA Live 95 was followed by NBA Live 96.

Version differences

The SNES version of the game featured the 1993-94 NBA rosters, while the Genesis version of the game featured the up-to-date 1994-95 rosters (minus most of the year's rookie class). Both versions featured limited roster management functions, however in the Genesis version, only players in the starting lineup could be traded. Additionally, there was no Create-a-Player function or a Free Agent pool to draw from.

The PC release featured updated rosters accurate as of the 1994–95 season's trade deadline, and included the entire rookie class of 1994.

The Sega Genesis version was included in the PlayStation 2 version of NBA Live 06.

Reception

GamePro wrote of the SNES version that it "improves on last year's NBA Showdown with better graphics, more in-depth strategy, and more realistic game play." They particularly praised the game's 30-degree-overhead court view, saying it allows players a better view of the action while allowing the game to run more smoothly.[8] In February 1995, Famitsu magazine's Reader Cross Review gave the Super Famicom version of the game an 8 out of 10.[9]

GamePro rated the Genesis version positively, though they commented that the cooperative multiplayer tends to be confusing. They noted that players take command of basketball players, coaches, and general managers, saying that this adds variety and depth to the gameplay.[10]

Next Generation review of the SNES version rated it five stars out of five, stating, "Live '95 emerges as the best basketball sim' available."[6]

In 1996, Computer Gaming World declared the original NBA Live the 57th-best computer game ever released.[11]

The game's notable success helped launch EA's other sports games. Both Madden NFL '95 and Triple Play Baseball outsold their competitors, NFL '95 and World Series Baseball, respectively, for the first time following NBA Live's release.[12]

References
  1. "NBA Live 95". Game Players. January 1995.
  2. "NBA Live 95 is the Greatest Basketball Video Game of All-Time". NBA.com.
  3. "Charles Barkley will not appear in 'NBA 2K' unless game publisher pays NBPA". Sporting News. 12 August 2021.
  4. Scott Alan Marriott. "NBA Live 95 (SNES) Review". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  5. 読者クロスレビュー - NBA LIVE '95. Weekly Famitsu. No.323. Pg.39. 24 February 1995.
  6. "Finals". Next Generation. No. 1. Imagine Media. January 1995. p. 104.
  7. "NBA Live 95 Review". CD Player (in German). January 1996. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  8. "NBA Live Jams to the Top". GamePro. No. 65. IDG. December 1994. p. 186.
  9. 読者クロスレビュー - NBA LIVE '95. Weekly Famitsu. No.323. Pg.39. 24 February 1995.
  10. "Hoop it Up with NBA Live '95". GamePro. No. 66. IDG. January 1995. p. 116.
  11. Staff (November 1996). "150 Best (and 50 Worst) Games of All Time". Computer Gaming World. No. 148. pp. 63–65, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 84, 88, 90, 94, 98.
  12. "NLI Research Video Game Sales". NLI Research Journal.
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