Sure, NBA Live 06 on the 360 looked great, but it didn’t have what it takes in the gameplay department. Modes from the “current-gen” versions of the game were nowhere to be found and some of the new “enhancements” made it hard to play. This year, EA has addressed some of the problems that plagued the first, but the underlying gameplay is still a letdown.

Unlike most next-generation games, NBA Live 07 actually looks better in screens than it does in motion. Player models are the real draw here and look even better than they did last year thanks to better skin textures. Once the game goes into motion, everything changes. Animations are disjointed and feel very mechanical. Rather than transitioning between moves in a realistic way, players will simply switch to another move. Sometimes players will even instantly turn around without moving their bodies.

Live 07 also deals with a number of technical issues. Clipping is frequent and the framerate is far from steady. The first doesn’t hamper gameplay too much, though the latter does become annoying.

Sound is the absolute best part about Live 07. Not only do you get great commentary from Marv Albert and Steve Kerr, but you get a completely new set of commentators for the All-Star Game in Ernie Johnson and Greg Anthony. As great as the commentary sounds, it still doesn’t always match up to what is happening on the court. It still works, but the timing noticeably off.

Live 07’s soundtrack is varied and attempts to work in music to suit most players’ tastes and includes the talents of The Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5 and Gnarls Barkley.

The number of modes found in NBA Live has been bolstered in the 07 edition. Play now, Season and Online all return and are joined by Practice, Dynasty and All-Star modes.

Practice is, as the name suggests, a place for you to go one-on-one with Tracy McGrady and practice your ball-handling skills. From here, you can jump into any of the other modes as well.

In Dynasty, you take the role of team GM and make all of the decisions that come with running a NBA team. You hire coaches and other support staff as well as manage training camp. The bigger focus is on improving your team through drafts, trades and practice sessions. During the season, you can also send assistants to look into recruits, have scouts make talent evaluations or set up practice sessions where your players can improve their skills. At the same time, you’ll also have to monitor how well your team’s chemistry works. The better the team’s chemistry, the better they’ll play – especially in clutch situations. As GM, you’ll also have to keep tabs on your player’s fatigue levels. Playing certain players too much or taking cross-country road trips decreases your player’s stamina as well as making them more prone to injury. In principle the system makes sense, though it still needs some balancing work since even short stints on the road will have a big impact on your players.

All-Star Weekend is a collection of events, including the All-Star Game. The slam dunk contest is the highlight of this mode and something you’ll want to check out more than once. Also available are three-point shootouts and a rookie challenge.

When signed online, you can listen to ESPN updates every 20 minutes and even get a ticker at the bottom that displays scores and news. You can also read news stories, hear podcasts and even watch video from ESPN Motion. The features are great, but the interface still needs work. Switching between articles requires too much menu navigation. It would be nice to have some customization options such as letting you follow only certain teams or leagues.

Regardless of level, defense is overly aggressive to the point that it sometimes feels like the game is cheating. Opposing players will jump for rebounds while your players stand around and watch. Also, the fatigue level of A.I. players doesn’t match what is happening on the court. While you’ll have to switch out players, the A.I. can push players beyond exhaustion and still dominate.

Newcomers to Live will have a difficult time learning some of the upper-level freestyle mechanics. Live 07’s instruction book is inadequate and doesn’t do a good job of explaining anything beyond basic game actions. While the manual was likely geared towards fans of the series, some of the newer mechanics can be daunting for new players or casual fans. As a result, these players are left with a lot of trial-and-error gameplay.

NBA Live 07 brings over the “total freestyle controls” that were introduced in last year’s PS2 and Xbox versions. Each player has a set of skills that describe what he is known for on the court. One might be great at dunks while another is known for their passing ability. Some players will even have more than one specialty. Players are also ranked as either level 1, 2, or 3 stars. Level 1 guys are your rookies, while 2’s are your players who might not always shine, but are there when you need them. Level 3 players are your superstars.

Compared to the PS2 and Xbox versions, the freestyle moves are a letdown. The 360 version has the basics, but it is still missing three skills found in other versions of the game. In addition, clutch players can’t step-up to superstar level based on their play; instead players can get “In The Zone” during games and increase their skills.

The basic controls behind NBA Live 07 are easy to learn; though they are poorly executed. Using the right stick to perform moves feels right. In short, if the controls weren’t related to the freestyle system it doesn’t look like they received much attention. Unfortunately, that means that most of the basic mechanics are terrible. Players, even the big named ones, miss dunks most of the time and can’t make fundamental moves. Shot timing is really off and the ball physics are awkward, resulting in low shot percentages.

On one hand, it is great that EA is trying to improve an experience that left many players feeling cheated. The subtle improvements made to the game and addition of new play modes are welcome. At the same time, the gameplay hasn’t been improved at all and, even with the additions, the 360 version still trails versions found on other systems. In the end, it is still hard to not feel like you’re paying more for less of an experience.