After bringing other EA Sports franchises to the Wii, the NBA Live franchise makes its debut in NBA Live 08. All things considered, this definitely looks and feels like a first attempt by EA to make a basketball game on the Wii. There are things that need to be fixed in next year’s game, and it feels more like a foundation to build on for NBA Live 09, but it’s still an okay game.

NBA Live 08 features two Wii-specific modes: a challenge mode, where you find yourself in the shoes of NBA superstars, having to complete in-game challenges. Also added is a party mode that is basically just the NBA All-Star weekend games from previous NBA Live installments. Unfortunately, create-a-player and dynasty modes are victims of party and challenge mode’s inclusions in the Wii port, as they didn’t make the cut.

The main focal point of Live 08 is the controls and whether they’re better or not. In some areas, they are better. Free body control, which is in the other versions of the game, is missing from this version. The Wii remote is programmed to be used in several motions, most notably for things like shooting, blocking, stealing and making lay-ups. While the movements are easy to make, the only downside is that everyone seems to be able to shoot with the same ease and skill. Even big guys like Shaquille O’Neal can shoot better than their real-life counterparts, and EA needs to fix this in the next Wii installment. Family Play also rears its ugly head with the same result: the game is basically played for you. It’s still lame.

For the slam dunk competition, you have to select a dunk from a predetermined list, each with point values. Then, you move the Wii remote in different directions, with the game gauging both that it was moved correctly and quickly enough. The better you do, the higher your dunk score. I’ll be bluntly honest – this feels ten times better than doing it on the DualShock or 360 controller. You don’t have the same control over movement, but it’s far less complicated.