The primary innovation that makes this all possible is called 10-man freestyle, an apt description for a pioneering feature that allows realistic movement for all players in both offense and defense. According to Easports.com, motion capture sessions copied player movements for each player. Their individual positioning, technique and movement added to single data point wire frame figures are copied onto each shaded and textured individual player to look like the real deal. The result is amazing. In offense, players ask for the ball while struggling to get into position. In defense, double teams pounce on ball hogs. All players jump for loose balls and rebounds.

"Realism" is the operative word here. Not only do you recognize the players' faces exactly as you see them on TV, they really do play exactly as we've come to know them. Allen Iverson does cross-overs like you wouldn't believe. Shaq has two-handed monster dunks, while Vince Carter's (the cover for NBA Live 2004, by the way) and Kobe Bryant's dunks are accompanied by mouth-gaping, aerial twists and turns, indicating different types of dunks depending on the player. Another new innovation is two separate buttons for shooting, one for jump shots and another for lay-ups/dunks. This, by itself, is a great enhancement to the game; you now have more control over the shots you take and not have to leave the computer to do the decision for you. Holding the button longer lets you adjust your shot in mid-air, essential for avoiding blocks and, if you play the '80s All Stars, lets you play spectacular Julius Erving whirlwind slams.

Of course, there's still room for improvement. All this activity and attention to detail is a strenuous job for my 256MB 1400 Athlon XP and 64MB GeForce 4xAGP video card. The game takes a while to load and gameplay is hampered by some choppiness at the highest settings. The lower settings aren't all that bad though. Higher details are nice but don't really improve your game much. Dynasty Mode, which lets you build a team by trading players, draft picks and recruit college players, seems to have a bug.

After some time, I noticed some top players weren't getting drafted by the other teams, allowing me to have a truly powerhouse all-star roster with enough money to spare to trade players who don't play up to par. This can take some of the bite out of the whole idea. I'm not 100% sure if it was just my luck or a setting in the game I may have overlooked, although I played everything at default.