NBA (video game series)
Six basketball games licensed by the NBA, successor to NBA ShootOut.
The NBA video game series consists of six basketball titles developed by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Licensed by the National Basketball Association, it is one of several NBA-focused video game franchises and follows the NBA ShootOut series. The six games are NBA, NBA '06, NBA '07, NBA '08, NBA 09: The Inside, and NBA 10: The Inside.
The first game, NBA, launched in March 2005 for the PSP. NBA '06, subtitled Featuring the Life Vol. 1, came out on October 4, 2005, for PSP and November 1, 2005, for PlayStation 2. Its cover shows Phoenix Suns forward/center Amar'e Stoudemire, and it introduced a Skills challenge mode exclusive to PlayStation. Commercials for the game featured Stoudemire, P.J. Carlesimo, and three fictional NBA players.
NBA '07, released in 2006, features Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on the cover with his new number 24. It is the second Featuring the Life installment and served as a launch title for the PlayStation 3. NBA '08, developed and published in 2007, again features Stoudemire on the cover (his second time after NBA '06) and includes a narrative, unusual for NBA games.
NBA 09: The Inside, released on October 7, 2008, has no single cover athlete; instead, it shows six players: Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Paul Pierce, and Dwyane Wade. NBA 10: The Inside, a simulation game for PSP released on October 6, 2009, uses NBA on TNT graphics with the TNT logo alongside the NBA Jumpman logo.
Reception for the series was described as "average" by Metacritic.
Quick Facts
- Title
- NBA
- Platforms
- PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3
- Developer
- San Diego Studio
- Publisher
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Genre
- Sports video game
- First Release Date
- March 2005
- Latest Release Version
- NBA 10: The Inside
- Latest Release Date
- October 2009
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The NBA series began with a self-titled game released in March 2005 for the PSP. It was followed by NBA '06, which introduced the 'Featuring the Life' sub-series and included a Skills challenge mode not found in other NBA games. NBA '07 was a launch title for the PlayStation 3 and featured Kobe Bryant on the cover with his new jersey number 24. NBA '08 was notable for including a story mode, unlike most NBA games. NBA 09: The Inside broke from tradition by featuring a group of six players on the cover instead of a single athlete. The final entry, NBA 10: The Inside, reused NBA on TNT graphics with the TNT logo and NBA Jumpman logo.
Reader's Guide
The NBA series represents Sony's in-house basketball franchise following the NBA ShootOut series. Spanning six titles from 2005 to 2009, it was developed exclusively by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The series is notable for introducing the 'Featuring the Life' narrative elements in NBA '06 and NBA '07, and for including a story mode in NBA '08, a rarity among sports games at the time. The final entry, NBA 10: The Inside, received 'average' reviews according to Metacritic. The series is one of several NBA-licensed basketball video game series and concluded with NBA 10: The Inside for the PSP.
Did You Know?
- The series is the successor to the NBA ShootOut series.
- NBA '06 featured a Skills challenge mode not found in any other NBA games.
- NBA '07 was a launch game for the PlayStation 3 format.
More in Sony Interactive Entertainment Franchises 1-24
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