NBA Live 99

NBA Live 99 is the fifth installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Antoine Walker of the Boston Celtics. The game was developed by EA Sports and released on November 4, 1998, for the Nintendo 64, and then on November 10, 1998, for the Windows and PlayStation. Don Poier is the play-by-play announcer. It was the first NBA Live game released for Nintendo 64. NBA Live 99 was followed by NBA Live 2000.

NBA Live 99
NBA Live 99
Cover art featuring Boston Celtics' Antoine Walker
Developer(s)PlayStation/Windows: EA Canada
Nintendo 64: NuFX
Publisher(s)EA Sports
Composer(s)Traz Damji
SeriesNBA Live
EngineVirtual Stadium
Platform(s)PlayStation, Windows, Nintendo 64
ReleaseNintendo 64
  • NA: November 4, 1998[1]
  • EU: December 1998
Windows, PlayStation
Genre(s)Sports (Basketball)
Mode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Summary

NBA Live 99 is EA Sports' NBA release for the 1998–99 NBA season. Major additions include Practice Mode and multi-season play, which features player development between seasons. Although free agency or generated rookies were not included, this would be the forerunner to Franchise Mode.

Live 99 was shipped with 1997–98 NBA season rosters due to the 1998–99 NBA lockout, putting a hold on player movements and rookie signings during the summer of 1998. Prominent bugs led to the NBA Live Series Center fan site submitting a patch petition to EA Sports, resulting in two official patches which included roster updates for the 98–99 season.

As Live 99 kept the same file formats as Live 98, patchers were able to produce the same wide variety of patches using an updated version of the EA Graphics Editor and the NBA Live 99 Toolkit.

Features

LIVE Hoops

  • Fresh new moves, including jab steps, fake passes and aggressive rebounding, plus high-flying new dunks.
  • Real NBA stats, real NBA players, real NBA moves.
  • Create a dynasty with new multiple seasons - players evolve over time.
  • Enhanced GM mode with full NBA draft and realistic computer trading.

LIVE Technology

  • New Sports Ticker via the Internet - check NBA scores as you play.
  • Unreal 3D graphics with real-time lighting and hundreds of animations.
  • Unbelievable player detail, including fully modeled heads and facial animations.

LIVE Style

  • New Pro-Action AI includes smarter, more realistic player reactions.
  • TV presentation - moving cameras focus on player highlights.
  • New enhanced Play-by-Play and Color Commentary.

Platform differences

The Nintendo 64 version is an updated port of NBA Live 98, which differs from the PC and PlayStation versions. The PC and PlayStation versions also featured a bug where players did not fatigue properly. The bug in the PC version was eventually patched.

Reception

The game received "favorable" reviews on all platforms according to video game review aggregator GameRankings.[5][4][3] AllGame gave the PC version four stars out of five, saying that the game delivers "a full basketball experience. Multiple seasons could literally keep a player busy for years which makes one wonder if anyone will really need the next version."[32] Computer Games Strategy Plus gave the same PC version three stars out of five, however, saying, "there's little compelling reason to choose NBA Live 99 over its previous version. Unlike the amazing FIFA games, the pressure to deliver an all-new game on a yearly basis is causing the NBA Live franchise to spin its wheels."[33] In Japan, where the PlayStation version was ported for release on April 28, 1999, Famitsu gave it a score of 28 out of 40.[34]

The PC version was nominated for the "Best Sports Game of the Year" award at IGN's Best of 1998 Awards, which ultimately went to NFL Blitz.[35] It was also nominated for the "Sports Game of the Year" award at GameSpot's Best & Worst of 1998 Awards, which ultimately went to FIFA 99.[36] However, it won the award for "Best Sports Game" at the Fifth Annual PC Gamer Awards.[37]

Notes
  • Due to the NBA lockout, Live 99 featured final 1997–98 rosters accurate as of July 1, 1998, rather than early 1998–99 rosters featuring the draft class of 1998. EA Sports released two official patches, the first updating the rosters, adding the 50 game schedule and addressing several gameplay issues, while the second served as a midseason roster update.
  • Multi-season play and Practice Mode were introduced in Live 99.
  • Prior to the official roster update, Michael Jordan was once again represented by a "Roster Player" for the Chicago Bulls.
  1. In GameFan's viewpoint of the Nintendo 64 version, one critic gave it a score of 68, and another gave it 71.
  2. In GameFan's viewpoint of the PlayStation version, one critic gave it a score of 91, and another gave it 89.
  3. GamePro gave the Nintendo 64 version two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and overall fun factor, 3.5/5 for sound, and 4/5 for control.
  4. GamePro gave the PC version 4/5 for graphics, two 5.5 scores for sound and control, and 4.5/5 for overall fun factor.
  5. GamePro gave the PlayStation version 5/5 for graphics, two 4.5/5 scores for sound and overall fun factor, and 4/5 for control.

References
  1. IGN staff (November 4, 1998). "NBA Live Ships Early". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  2. Hulsey, Joe (November 10, 1998). "NBA [Live] 99 Ships to Stores". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 23, 2003. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  3. "NBA Live 99 for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  4. "NBA Live 99 for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  5. "NBA Live 99 for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  6. Gaudiosi, John (November 17, 1998). "NBA Live 99 (N64)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 23, 2000. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  7. Bub, Andrew S. (December 10, 1998). "NBA Live 99 (PC)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  8. Salvator, Dan (February 1999). "Basketball Jones (NBA Live 99 Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 175. Ziff Davis. pp. 218–19. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  9. EGM staff (1998). "NBA Live 99 (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Ziff Davis.
  10. EGM staff (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 114. Ziff Davis.
  11. "NBA Live 99 - Nintendo 64". Game Informer. No. 68. FuncoLand. December 1998. Archived from the original on September 8, 1999. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  12. McNamara, Andy; Anderson, Paul; Reiner, Andrew (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 (PS)". Game Informer. No. 69. FuncoLand. p. 47. Archived from the original on May 23, 2000. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  13. Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Justice, Brandon "Big Bubba" (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 (N64)". GameFan. Vol. 7, no. 1. Shinno Media. p. 88. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  14. Higgins, Geoff "El Nino"; Ngo, George "Eggo" (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 (PS)". GameFan. Vol. 7, no. 1. Shinno Media. p. 88.
  15. Johnny Ballgame (December 1998). "NBA Live '99 (N64)". GamePro. No. 123. IDG Entertainment. p. 220. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  16. The GamePros (1998). "NBA Live 99 Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 13, 2004. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  17. Air Hendrix (January 1999). "NBA Live 99 Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. No. 124. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 25, 2004. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  18. Cooke, Mark (December 1998). "NBA Live 99 Review (PC)". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  19. Dr. Moo (November 1998). "NBA Live 99 - PS". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on April 8, 2004. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  20. Gerstmann, Jeff (November 10, 1998). "NBA Live 99 Review (N64)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  21. Chin, Elliott (December 9, 1998). "NBA Live 99 Review (PC)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  22. Gerstmann, Jeff (November 20, 1998). "NBA Live 99 Review (PS)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  23. Schneider, Peer (November 5, 1998). "NBA Live 99 (N64)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  24. Blevins, Tal (November 10, 1998). "NBA Live '99 [sic] (PC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  25. Harris, Chris (November 6, 1998). "NBA Live 99 (PS)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  26. "NBA Live 99". N64 Magazine. No. 24. Future Publishing. January 1999.
  27. "NBA Live 99". Nintendo Power. Vol. 115. Nintendo of America. December 1998. p. 130. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  28. Kujawa, Kraig (January 1999). "NBA Live 99". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 4. Ziff Davis. p. 106. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  29. PCA staff (January 1999). "NBA Live 99". PC Accelerator. No. 5. Imagine Media. p. 102. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  30. Smolka, Rob (February 1999). "NBA Live 99". PC Gamer. Vol. 6, no. 2. Imagine Media. Archived from the original on March 11, 2000. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  31. Hopper, D. Ian (1998). "Another swoosh for EA Sports". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on April 28, 2001. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  32. Sutyak, Jonathan. "NBA Live 99 (PC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  33. Bauman, Steve (December 14, 1998). "NBA Live 99". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on May 23, 2003. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  34. "NBAライブ99 [PS]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
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  36. GameSpot staff (1999). "The Best & Worst of 1998 (Sports Game of the Year - Nominees)". GameSpot. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 1, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  37. PC Gamer staff (March 1999). "The Fifth Annual PC Gamer Awards". PC Gamer. Vol. 6, no. 3. Imagine Media. pp. 64, 67, 70–73, 76–78, 84, 86–87.
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