Wayback Wednesday: NBA 08 by Sony Retrospective

This is Wayback Wednesday, your midweek blast from the past! From retrospectives of basketball games and their interesting features, to republished articles and looking at NBA history through the lens of the virtual hardwood, Wednesdays at the NLSC are for going back in time. This week, I’m taking a look back at the PlayStation 3 version of NBA 08, the 2008 entry in Sony’s exclusive NBA series.

At the beginning of 2024, I decided that I’d attempt to dip into the collection at least once per week, and spend some time with a game that I hadn’t played very much. I’ll admit that between getting hooked on other games, content creation, and of course other responsibilities, those plans fell by the wayside after a couple of months! Still, it was a fun idea, one that I’ll revisit in the future. In any case, while I was in the midst of those efforts back in January, one of the games that I fired up was NBA 08 for PlayStation 3.

I’d already covered NBA 07 not long before that, concluding that while it lacked depth and wasn’t as realistic as other 5-on-5 sim games, it was still capable of being fun on the sticks. I noted some of its novel and innovative features, as well as the importance of offering an alternative to the big two brands in basketball gaming. I also delved into some of the challenges and drawbacks the game faced, owing to its exclusivity. Would NBA 08 be more of the same, or would it step up and challenge NBA Live 08 and NBA 2K8? Let’s take a look back…way back…

For those who are unaware, Sony’s NBA series was developed by San Diego Studio, now probably best known for MLB: The Show. Being a first party studio, their games are obviously PlayStation exclusives. Naturally, that limited the NBA series’ market share compared to multi-platform titles like NBA Live and NBA 2K. A majority of the series was also exclusive to North America, further hampering its ability to truly contend with the brand leaders. The PlayStation 3 being region-free made it feasible to import the game to PAL regions without the fuss and risk of modded consoles, but interestingly, NBA 08 did actually receive a worldwide release on both PS2 and PS3.

Unsurprisingly, NBA 08 greatly resembles NBA 07, from gameplay to aesthetics to its selection of modes. It’s by no means a bad game; if nothing else you can jump on the sticks and have some quick fun with the teams from the 2008 season. Much like its predecessor though, it’s a more casual take on the sim genre, without being a full-blown sim-arcade hybrid. There isn’t a great deal of emphasis on authenticity when it comes to stats or strategy, and the clock erroneously stops on made baskets to allow substitutions, but there are no crazy dunks or similar breaks from reality. It’s not an ideal game for a hardcore sim head, but it can be fun if you match its casual attitude.

The controls are mostly identical to NBA 07. There are two pass buttons: regular and no-look, on X and Triangle respectively. These are both used in conjunction with R2 to send a teammate to the rim, and then lob up an alley-oop. The right stick performs dribbling moves. While it’s a preferable method to NBA 2K’s Isomotion, it feels about as precise, and thus clunky compared to NBA Live’s Freestyle Control. Jumpshots and free throws use a shot meter that’s very similar to modern games, with guaranteed makes on Green Releases. The D-Pad provides a few playcalling options, and basics such as sprinting and separate jumpshot and dunk/layup buttons are all accounted for.

One of the very few major changes to the controls in NBA 08 is the removal of the post-up button on L1. In its place is the Key Control mechanic, which allows you to set your go-to player on the fly. Once this player has been nominated, all playcalling will revolve around getting them the looks you want. It’s a sim-oriented mechanic and an admirable attempt at deeper controls, and it can be useful for setting up highlight plays if nothing else. It isn’t vital to success though, so it’s questionable as to just how advantageous it is. A mechanic doesn’t need to be used every single possession to be worthwhile, but Key Control feels like a decent idea that isn’t a useful as it should be.

I neglected to mention the motion controls in my NBA 07 retrospective, which could be used instead of or in addition to right stick dribbling. Admittedly, that’s because I’m using a third party controller for my PS3 which doesn’t mimic that aspect of the Sixaxis, so it’s not available to me. Nevertheless, NBA 07 supported motion controls, and so does NBA 08. Indeed, it expands upon them, adding a step back and hesitation move, as well as post moves and control over how you hold the ball in the triple threat position. Defensive motion controls have also been added, allowing you to raise your arms and lower into a defensive crouch, which you can still do with the right stick.

Because I don’t have any experience with the motion controls, I can’t comment on the effectiveness, sensitivity, and overall quality of their implementation. I will say that I’m generally not a fan of motion controls in sim basketball games, due to a lack of precision and generally feeling gimmicky. I’ve also noticed that if you’re not using a Sixaxis or a third party controller that replicates its motion sensor tech, any player that you control on defense will keep his arms raised as if you’re constantly tilting back with the motion controls. Fortunately, you can turn off the motion sensor controls in the settings, which you may prefer to do even if you have a compatible controller.

The pace favours the offense and an up-tempo style of play, though it’s possible to both slow things down and set up in the halfcourt, and to make stops on D. There’s a slightly canned feel to the blocks and steals – more so steals – but it’s not too bad, and it’s satisfying to send back shots or poke the ball loose and get out on the break. The best strategy is to shoot the lights out, but gameplay is balanced enough that you don’t feel helpless on defense. Dunks are emphatic, and the Poster Cam cuts on wide open jams add to the excitement, though you can turn it off. Jumpshots are way too easy on the lower difficulty settings, but Green Releases do make the mechanics feel modern.

A few other mechanics from NBA 07 were likewise retained in NBA 08. Showtime returns, providing skill boosts for consistently performing highlight plays such as dunks, alley-oops, and no-look passes. It can still be turned off if you feel that it’s too cheesy. The Power Boarding System once again assists in positioning your players for rebounds, but it can also be disabled if you don’t want the hotspot popping up. This is arguably preferable, as it’s only displayed on misses, thereby telegraphing when a shot is going in. As in modern titles, the Shot Meter can also be toggled on and off if you feel that it makes shooting far too easy, or simply detracts from the game’s aesthetics.

Player movement is light and responsive, and is closer in feel to NBA 2K8 than the heavier foot planting of NBA Live 08. The trade-off is that there’s some skating, and unrealistic player speed. There’s also a tendency to get stuck to CPU defenders, and foul calls are inconsistent with a lot of late whistles on reach-ins. Once again, it may be a bit too casual of an approach for hardcore sim gamers. It wouldn’t have been what I was looking for back in the day, and I certainly wouldn’t want NBA 2K to mimic its style now. I appreciate it as an alternative though, and while it might not be my top choice for retro gaming, it can be an enjoyably casual take on sim basketball.

NBA on TNT presentation returns, and this time, there’s actually commentary! The legendary Kevin Calabro is on the call, and he’s joined in the booth by Mark Jackson; an interesting pairing given that Jackson was working for ABC/ESPN at the time. Calabro’s energetic style of play-by-play, seasoned with his trademark catchphrases, euphemisms, and analogies, adds excitement to the on-court action. Jackson is fine, though his interjections are fairly bland and unmemorable. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as lengthy anecdotes can get extremely repetitive after a while. Interestingly, Kevin Calabro mostly refers to the players by their nicknames as he calls the action.

Instant replays don’t seem to trigger quite as often in NBA 08, and unfortunately there isn’t a frequency setting for it. When they do pop up, automatic replays are bordered by team branding and the player’s details, almost like an animated trading card. It’s a nice, clean design, though I’d prefer a full screen, TV-style replay. On the bright side, the default camera is a broadcast view, though once again camera settings can only be changed during gameplay. The manual replay controls are standard and functional, though there’s no way to completely hide the minimised “Show Controls” overlay for cleaner screenshots and clips. Of course, that wasn’t uncommon in games back then.

As a first party game, NBA 08 was designed to spotlight the power of the PlayStation 3. To that end, like its predecessor, it’s in full HD: 1080p with 60 FPS. That makes for some smooth action, but it also does little to hide that some of the player faces are – to be blunt – terrible! From Neanderthal Steve Nash to Yao Ming resembling Mr. Bean, there are some laughably bad likenesses. Some faces are better than others, but there’s a stylised, action figure-like inaccuracy to the players that makes them look goofy. Also, it may sound like I’m nitpicking, but some players randomly wear headbands that they didn’t sport in real life. It points to an overall lack of attention to detail.

That brings us to the biggest problem with NBA 08. Like NBA 07, it lacks a number of staple features, and has some really strange design choices. Let’s start with the frontend. Its menus are visually appealing, but are cumbersome to navigate. The main menu places five categories of options/submenus around a star, and you have to press the correct direction to move around the screen. It’s not difficult, just a bit contrived. There are also screen transitions when you move between menus that are pretty, but they get old very fast and can’t be turned off. Exiting an exhibition game won’t take you back to the main menu, forcing you to back out of all of the pre-game screens.

Roster editing is extremely limited. There’s no Create-a-Player – sort of, I’ll get to that – and no way to edit players, meaning you can’t fix jersey numbers or positions, or modify ratings. There are 15-man rosters, but activating players and reordering the bench requires moving them in and out of the starting lineup, which is rather sloppy design. It uses the same interface as the substitution screen, which as in NBA 07, involves highlighting a player with R1 and L1, and selecting the replacement with X. I’m not sure if the developers were unaware of how other games handled this interface or if they were deliberately aiming to be different, but either way it was a poor choice.

Signing and releasing players is straightforward, but the trade interface is finicky. Rather than selecting players and then hitting a button to execute the trade, you need to carefully highlight the player on each team, and then hit X to complete the swap. Again, it’s not a difficult process, but it’s really easy to accidentally trade the wrong players when you’re used to selecting them and then making the deal. There’s also no way to cancel any changes; you need to manually undo them, or completely reset the rosters. The customised roster becomes the new default, with no way of loading or saving multiple files. In short, it’s not a game where you’ll do a ton of roster editing!

There’s a barebones single season mode with no salaries or restrictions on trades. Playoffs mode has an accurate format, but the brackets are randomised and can’t be modified. Furthermore, both modes only support control of one team. There’s no practice/free shootaround mode. Quick Game puts you right into the action with the two teams you choose, while Exhibition includes the usual jersey selection and other options. Head-to-head online used to be available, along with leaderboards. Mini-Games include Own the Court, the Three-Point Shootout, and the Skills Challenge, exclusive to Sony’s NBA series as they were the sponsors of the event at the time.

Considering all the acclaim that San Diego Studio has received for the quality of the modes in MLB: The Show, the lack of depth in NBA 08 may come as a surprise. Even the story-driven “The Life” from the PlayStation 2 version was nowhere to be found on PS3. On the other hand, what the game lacked in traditional modes and features, it made up for with NBA Replay. It had debuted in NBA 07, and was clearly meant to be the flagship mode; a hook that set the NBA series apart from NBA Live and NBA 2K. It speaks volumes that both NBA Live and NBA 2K later implemented similar challenge-based modes that utilised live service content as NBA Replay did.

As in NBA 07, NBA Replay is comprised of The Season and Games of the Week. Both modes task gamers with stepping into the shoes of an NBA player, and then replicating a memorable performance. The Season features games from the 2007 regular season and Playoffs, with historically accurate milestones. There are two types of goals: “Meet the Challenge”, which clears the game and progresses through The Season, and “The Extra Mile”, which are additional goals for 100% completion. Goals include replicating statistical feats, and new to NBA 08, making shots from specific areas of the floor; a concept that NBA Live later used in its BIG Moments challenges.

Because it involves re-playing memorable moments from the 2007 campaign, The Season is an offline mode that remains complete and playable to this day. Its live service counterpart, Games of the Week, is naturally no longer functional in the wake of the NBA 08 servers being shut down. During the 2008 season however, fresh challenges came through every week, based on standout performances; again, very similar to BIG Moments in NBA Live. As in The Season, goals included replicating statistical feats, and hitting shots from specific areas. While the servers were online, leaderboards allowed you to compete for top performance scores in both modes.

Although there’s no career mode, it is possible to create a player in NBA 08 that both serves as the face of your profile, and appears in the Free Agents Pool. Like a career mode player, his starting ratings are paltry, but they can be upgraded through UpSide Progression. This is the game’s rewards system, in which points are earned by playing games and achieving statistical goals. Those points can then be spent on upgrades, shoes, and accessories for your player, as well as rewards such as retro jerseys and floors, fantasy arenas, and player intros, not all of which are immediately available.

That’s because you’ll need to level up to unlock all the rewards for “purchase”. While your balance of reward points will fluctuate as you spend them, there’s a running tally of accumulated points that will level up your profile once you hit the target score. All of this information can be viewed in the Progression Hub, which is also where you’ll unlock these rewards. You can also view the collectibles that are earned when you clear challenges, such as trophies and player cards. In many ways, it’s reminiscent of the rewards system in recent NBA 2K games, albeit without the Season Passes and microtransactions. It’s another example of concepts often being older than we realise!

Most of NBA 08’s depth lies in these challenges, and NBA Replay. As such, it offers a different experience to NBA Live and NBA 2K, eschewing franchise play – then the marquee attraction of most sim basketball video games – for challenges based around unlockables and live service content. It’s a unique hook – especially in 2007 – and aside from the Games of the Week, that content can still be enjoyed today. At the same time, it has limited appeal to anyone who prefers the more traditional modes. Combined with its platform exclusivity, NBA 08 is somewhat niche. That doesn’t mean that it’s bad, but it undoubtedly made it tougher to compete with EA and 2K.

Indeed, while the PSP version was a hit, the PS2 and PS3 releases had a more mixed reception. It’s hardly surprising. The combination of its niche approach, some staples that are missing or oddly-designed, and gameplay that can be fun but isn’t as realistic or deep as its competitors, make it a quirky title. To that point, quirky isn’t necessarily what sim basketball gamers wanted! The bigger fanbases for NBA Live and NBA 2K were far more interested in seeing the former rebound, and the latter keep innovating with more realistic gameplay and a deeper Association mode. Even as an interesting alternative, it was potentially a tough sell, especially being a first party exclusive title.

To answer a question I posed at the beginning of this retrospective, I wouldn’t say that NBA 08 is a marked improvement over NBA 07. I think it’s at least as good as its predecessor, avoiding any major missteps or regression. It’s about the same on the sticks though, and while that isn’t a disaster because I can enjoy the gameplay, it’s not exactly a triumph, either. It retained an innovative mode in NBA Replay and there’s merit to the rewards and challenge system, but its staples are lacking. It has unique hooks that make it interesting, but overall, I can’t rank it ahead of NBA 2K8, even though I’m not high on that game. Even NBA Live 08 is deeper and more authentic.

With that being said, I do enjoy NBA 08 for what it is, and find it less frustrating than NBA 2K8, though from a technical standpoint, the latter is absolutely the better game. NBA 08 just has too many quirks, and while I can enjoy its looser, casual style of gameplay, it’s still not my first preference. I’m intrigued by it and the possibility of tackling the challenges here and there, but the clunky right stick dribbling, odd issues such as assists randomly not tallying, superglue defense, and lack of authenticity are all key weaknesses. It has its strengths too and I can appreciate the novelty of its style now, but I don’t think I’d have been able to warm up to it as much when it was new.

Since I like to share any roster trivia that I notice when revisiting a game, NBA 08 does feature a couple of phantom stints. Martynas Andriuskevicius is on the Bulls, having missed the entire 2007 season following a serious brain injury sustained in an altercation with Awvee Storey. He never played for the Bulls, and was in fact long gone before NBA 08 was released in September. The late Justin Reed’s phantom stint with the Rockets is also accounted for, as is Dan Dickau’s brief offseason tenure with the Knicks. Rounding out the list of roster oddities in NBA 08, the Celtics have just ten players in the default roster, making them the only team without at least twelve.

Wrapping up with some odds and ends, NBA 08 has an interesting soundtrack that ventures beyond the usual hip-hop and R&B featured in most basketball video games. I was caught off guard by Sum 41’s “Underclass Hero“; not a song I’d expect to hear in a sports game, though it also appeared in Madden 08. Obviously old songs take us back as much as any other media – including video games – but as an alternative rock-loving Elder Millennial, hearing that style of music when I wasn’t expecting it was a surprising but welcome blast of nostalgia. “This Is Not The End” by The Bravery also stands out as an unorthodox choice. No complaints here, but it’s definitely unusual!

In a way, that describes NBA 08 as a whole. It eschews some traditional features in favour of new ideas, while focusing on loose fun over realism. There’s value in being such an alternative. It does have some clunky design though, on and off the court. I can enjoy the gameplay, but it isn’t technically brilliant, and lacks the authenticity that was pushing the genre forward. It’s also barebones where it counts, and didn’t really improve upon NBA 07 across the board. Nevertheless, I appreciate the unique and innovative content, and it can be fun if you don’t take it too seriously. NBA 08 has a quirky appeal befitting the #3 hoops game for 2008; an underclass hero, if you will.

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