Play NBA Live 97 Online Free for Super Nintendo.
NBA Live 97 hits different when it boots instantly in your browser. Released in 1996 on the Super Nintendo, this retro classic from EA Sports is ready the second you press start — no downloads, no setup.
The MS-DOS, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation versions featured polygonal models for the on-court players, thus marking it as the first 3D EA Sports basketball sequel for the series. NBA Live 97 was followed by NBA Live 98 in 1997.
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| Action | Keyboard | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| D-Pad Up | ↑ | D-Pad up |
| D-Pad Down | ↓ | D-Pad down |
| D-Pad Left | ← | D-Pad left |
| D-Pad Right | → | D-Pad right |
| B (bottom) | X | Bottom face |
| A (right) | Z | Right face |
| Y (left) | S | Left face |
| X (top) | A | Top face |
| L | Q | Left shoulder |
| R | E | Right shoulder |
| Start | Enter | Start |
| Select | V | Select |
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The Story Behind NBA Live 97
Producer Tarrnie Williams Jr. (son of Tarrnie Williams Sr.) explained the decision to have the series switch from using sprites to polygonal models for the players: Audio commentary was provided by Al Murdoch and Ernie Johnson Jr. Sacramento Kings players Mitch Richmond and Tyus Edney were among the motion capture actors.
NBA Live 97 is the third installment of the NBA Live video game series by EA Sports, released in 1996. NBA Live 97 was followed by NBA Live 98 in 1997. The player animations were all created using motion capture.
How NBA Live 97 Plays
NBA Live 97 is the third installment of the NBA Live video game series by EA Sports, released in 1996. The MS-DOS, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation versions featured polygonal models for the on-court players, thus marking it as the first 3D EA Sports basketball sequel for the series. It was also the first NBA Live title released for the Saturn.
The game received mostly positive reviews for its advanced graphics and wide array of available moves and plays, though the Saturn conversion was reviled for numerous technical deficiencies. NBA Live 97 was followed by NBA Live 98 in 1997.
Why Players Still Load It Up
While he gave it slightly lower scores than the Genesis version in sound, control, and funfactor, his review was relentlessly positive and similarly called it "the best SNES b-ball action ever." NBA Live 97 was a finalist for the Computer Game Developers Conference's 1996 "Best Sports Game" Spotlight Award, but it lost the award to NHL 97. Unfortunately, it's just not fun like it used to be." On the other side, Joe Rybicki of Electronic Gaming Monthly called it "a great game that will excite NBA Live fans", Tom Ham of GameSpot said "Boasting lightning-fast gameplay, tons of moves, great artificial intelligence, textured polygon players, and motion capture animation, NBA Live 97 may very well be the best Playstation-based basketball game to date", and GamePro gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 in all four categories (graphics, sound, control, and funfactor), concluding that "you won't find a more complete, dynamic, and in-your-face basketball game on the 32-bit market than Live '97." GamePro gave similar praises to the Genesis version, calling it "the quintessential basketball title on the Genesis." A different GamePro critic reviewed the Super NES version in the same issue. A reviewer for Next Generation mentioned most of these merits but was a dissenting voice against the game, commenting that "The super-slow gameplay just accentuates the basic flaws in a dying engine that desperately needs to be revamped. ...
In 1997, Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked the PlayStation version the 33rd best console video game of all time, commenting that "No other basketball game comes close in playability and realism." They noted the omission of the Saturn version from the ranking as deliberate, since it "isn't nearly as good." It was also nominated as Computer Games Strategy Pluss 1996 sports game of the year, although it lost to Links LS. Dean Mortlock devoted most of his review in Saturn Power to arguing that it is ludicrous to release a basketball video game in the United Kingdom since the sport has very little following in that country.
NBA Live 97 — Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a controller to play NBA Live 97?
No. Keyboard controls work out of the box (see the controls panel), and any USB or Bluetooth gamepad is detected automatically.
Who developed NBA Live 97?
Development was handled by EA Canada, with EA Sports publishing the release.
Where can I buy the original NBA Live 97?
See the "Other Places You Can Get This Game" section below the article for legitimate places to buy real-world versions.
What console was NBA Live 97 released on?
EA Sports shipped NBA Live 97 for the Super Nintendo back in 1996, and this page runs that release.