Sports titles all too often get criticized for not innovating enough. “They only update rosters,” gamers and critics alike complain but Sony hopes to squash those remarks with the release of their own NBA title, NBA 07. For any gaming system, sports games are a critical part to reach crossover fans of gaming and sports. This year, Sony just about threw out the idea of separating the two to make one of the most authentic basketball experiences short of being a pro player in the NBA.

Controls
Controls are all that you would hope for in a sports title, fast and responsive. You are given complete control to who the ball is passed to and what kind of shot you leave for yourself. The biggest addition to the control scheme is the inclusion of some motion controls. You can perform spin and juke moves by spinning, pushing, or pulling the SIXAXIS controller. While on paper it may seem like tacked on controls, it actually adds to the gameplay experience. It is also nice that Sony didn’t go overboard with the implementation and make you memorize all kinds of movements. There is a learning curve with the SIXAXIS, because it isn’t very natural to move your controller like that to perform actual on-screen movements but after awhile, it’ll flow.

Visuals
It’s hard to miss the giant “Full HD 1080p” graphic on the box and in the game. The game is a visual stunner. The player models look great and the animations are smooth. The b-ball courts look impressive as well with the stunning recreation of each stadium and a large crowd in the seats. However, there is an issue with the frame rate choking from time to time. Overall, if you have a TV that can output in 1080p, you’ve got it made with some slick visuals. Heck, even the menus are nice to look at.

Sounds
Apart from the announcers’ voices, which are well done, there are some hip-hop tracks to keep a lively pace to the menus. The crowd cheers for good shots and go silent when there isn’t any action. The only type of music in the games are the “jock jams” that are standard in sporting arenas across the country. You’ll hear the squeaks and dribbles from the hardwood floors under the crowd noise. Not much to complain about when it comes to the audio department as it is pretty low key and adds, not enhances, to the atmosphere of the game more than anything.