NBA Live 2003

Since it was released a little over twenty years ago, I’ve had mixed feelings about NBA Live 2003. It’s a landmark title due to the introduction of Freestyle Control, but its fast pace, arcade-leaning gameplay, and Courtside Comedy Cutscenes, have divided many basketball gamers. I’ve come to appreciate it more in recent years however, and to that point, I’m delighted to share an NBA Live 2003 retrospective by Nate of the Live 01 Legends!

In Part 1 of this documentary/retrospective, Nate discusses the need for the series to innovate following NBA Live 2002, and how that goal was achieved with the revolution of Freestyle Control. He compares the mechanic to NBA 2K’s Isomotion, and eventual adoption of right stick dribbling controls. It’s a well put together breakdown of what turned out to be a very significant game, and I’m honoured that Dee and I are featured by way of our commentary from the NLSC Podcast! Watch it below, or check it out here on YouTube.

As noted, a Part 2 of this retrospective is in the works, so stay tuned for that! I also encourage you to subscribe to the Live 01 Legends YouTube channel, and check out Nate and Roger’s other basketball gaming videos. You can also listen to our chat with Nate and Roger on the NLSC Podcast here. Finally, I also posted my own NBA Live 2003 retrospective as part of our 25th Anniversary of NBA Live celebrations a few years back, which you can read here.

A new 2023 season roster update by Zumoto can be found in today’s NBA Live 2003 mod releases. The roster features lineups that have been updated post-deadline. Check it out at the link below!

Zumoto
Current 2023 Roster (Post-Deadline)

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

NBA Live 2003 has received some new mod releases from zumoto recently, and we’ve got a couple more of them to share today! Pick up current season roster and coach updates at the links below.

zumoto
Coaches Update
Update Roster and Coaches

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

We’ve got some exciting new mod releases for NBA Live 2003 today, as Zumoto has uploaded 2023-style jerseys for the Seattle SuperSonics, along with an updated court. Download them all at the links below!

Zumoto
Seattle SuperSonics 2022-2023 Classic Jerseys
Seattle SuperSonics 2022-2023 Current Jerseys
Seattle SuperSonics 2022-2023 Court

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

A new version of the current roster update by zumoto is available in today’s NBA Live 2003 mod releases, and can be picked up at the link below. zumoto has also provided a video tutorial on how to install the roster, which you can watch here over on YouTube.

zumoto
2022 Roster (Updated to v2.0)

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

We’re tipping off the 2023 mod releases with a new roster for NBA Live 2003, created by zumoto! It includes art updates in addition to current season lineups. Check it out at the link below!

zumoto
2022 Roster

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

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 revisiting NBA Live 2003 yet again, albeit with a slightly different perspective.

I’ve profiled NBA Live 2003 in a number of articles now. In addition to the in-depth retrospectives for the 20th and 25th anniversaries of the NBA Live series, I’ve also taken a look back at Freestyle Control. I’ve reminisced about the Courtside Comedy Cutscenes, a myth about the gameplay style settings, the soundtrack, and even my attempts to replicate a move seen in the game’s intro. In short, not only did I spend hours playing and modding NBA Live 2003 when it was new, but I’ve often gone back and revisited it years later. As such, this may seem like a well-trodden path.

However, I do believe that I have some new things to say after revisiting NBA Live 2003 more recently. We’ve also reached the game’s own 20th anniversary, and with my twenty year high school reunion right around the corner, it’s another game that I’ve been reflecting upon. This won’t be an in-depth review along the lines of my previous retrospectives, and I do still stand by observations I’ve made in the past. Nevertheless, even though I played it frequently upon release compared to games like NBA 2K14, NBA Live 06 for Xbox 360, and NBA Live 10, I appreciate NBA Live 2003 far more after revisiting it in 2022. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

In addition to our sessions, Dee4Three has been connecting with a number of people from the NLSC Forum and wider basketball gaming community to play games using Parsec. He recently connected with Forum member JuicyShaqMeat for a co-op session of NBA Live 2003 that produced several highlights.

As Dee and I discussed in Episode #447 of the NLSC Podcast, though NBA Live 2003’s arcade-leaning gameplay may not be to the taste of hardcore simheads, it can be an extremely fun game when you enjoy it for what it is. Indeed, these highlights demonstrate the loose, fast-paced fun that can be had with NBA Live 2003. Even underdog teams like the 2003 Rockets and Suns are a blast to play with and against, on top of being a fun trip down memory lane. Catch the reel below, or watch it over on YouTube!

Once again, Dee has been spearheading our efforts to upload more content to our YouTube channel, from highlight reels to the Top 10 Plays of the Week. There’s so much more that we want to do with the channel moving forward, so please give it a look, and subscribe while you’re there! We’d also love to hear your memories of NBA Live 2003, so feel free to share them in the comments below.

As Dee and I discussed in Episode #447 of the NLSC Podcast, I spent an evening putting together a rough draft of an All-Time Teams roster for NBA Live 2003 PC. We recently connected on Parsec, and tested out that work-in-progress mod in a co-op game.

Although the roster is still in its very early stages, the default assets allowed me to assemble fairly complete versions of the All-Time Lakers and All-Time Celtics. Dee and I opted to control the All-Time Celtics, with both teams wearing the throwbacks that are available in NBA Live 2003. It was a fun, fast-paced game featuring high-flying dunks, NBA Live 2003’s trademark booming swats, and some timely three-pointers. We eked out the win, and the fun we had has certainly encouraged me to keep working on the roster! Check out the highlights below, or catch them over on YouTube.

Once again, moving forward I’ll be making a much better effort to share our video content here on the NLSC, but don’t forget that you can see it first when it’s uploaded to our YouTube channel! Be sure to subscribe as we’re always looking to do more basketball gaming videos, from highlight reels and game retrospectives to various tutorials.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #447 of the NLSC Podcast!

After putting together a rough draft of an All-Time Teams roster for NBA Live 2003 PC, we decided to test it out over Parsec. The result was a fun co-op game, and incentive to keep working on the project! We’ve still been having a blast with NBA 2K23 as well, and recap our recent sessions with MyTEAM, MyNBA, MyCAREER, and 3v3 Pro-Am. We also feel compelled to call out egotistical influencers who dismiss opinions based on follower counts, and remind everyone that you don’t need to be a “big name” to have a worthy opinion. After brainstorming some more modding ideas, we open up the mailbag to discuss ideas on how to improve customisation features.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:14:57 — 51.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

In addition to the Top 10 Plays of the Week and full episodes of our podcast, we also upload other basketball gaming videos to the NLSC YouTube channel! I’ve fallen behind on sharing the uploads here on the NLSC itself, and to that end, I’ll be making a better effort to post bulletins featuring new videos moving forward.

That’s because in addition to curating the weekly Top 10 countdown, Dee4Three has been very prolific in uploading excellent gameplay highlights for a variety of titles, in addition of course to NBA 2K23. This includes his MyTEAM Domination highlights, as he’s currently working his way through the mode. You’ll also find playlists featuring our Parsec tournaments, co-op and competitive sessions, and more.

I’ve also put together a highlight reel from my first session in The Rec in NBA 2K23, in which Valor and I squadded up with a number of random teammates; some better than others! Kenny also joined us for some 3v3 Pro-Am games, and I’ll have a highlight reel from that session uploaded very soon. In short, please subscribe to our channel for some fantastic basketball gaming content, and in case those YouTube notifications don’t work, keep an eye out here for bulletins about our future uploads! For now, you can catch up on the most recent uploads to the NLSC YouTube channel below.

Read More »

We’ve got some new mod releases for NBA Live 2003 today, as Tichmall has returned with an assortment of jersey updates. Download them all at the links below!

Tichmall
1996/1997 Detroit Pistons Away Jersey
2021/2022 Houston Rockets City Edition Jersey
1994/1995 Sacramento Kings Alternate Jersey
2005/2006 Boston Celtics Alternate Jersey
2003/2004 Cleveland Cavaliers Away Jersey
1990/1991 Indiana Pacers Away Jersey
1991/1992 Philadelphia Sixers Away Jersey

Thanks to everyone who continues to contribute to our Downloads database! If you need help uploading files, be sure to check out this video tutorial. For more information about downloads, the modding community, and Mod Releases bulletins, please see this FAQ in our Wiki.

From courtside of the virtual hardwood, it’s Episode #439 of the NLSC Podcast!

What are our reactions to the NBA 2K23 Jordan Challenge blog? We break down the latest news, and discuss whether it has us any more hyped for NBA 2K23. We also recap a fun game of NBA Live 2003 PC, and reflect on changing opinions about games that we originally viewed less positively. A recent post in the Forum leads to a discussion of the challenges presented by big modding projects, particularly retro season rosters. We also answer a question about downplaying past eras to promote the current NBA, and open up the mailbag to find out the first thing that gamers will be doing when they get their hands on NBA 2K23.

Download or play on your mobile device/tablet: CLICK HERE (Running time: 1:31:55 — 63.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

To get involved with the mailbag or to provide any feedback on the show, hit us up in the comments, reach out on social media, or post here in the NLSC Forum! For more information on the NLSC Podcast including episode guides, check out this page in our Wiki. You can also find the show on our YouTube channel, along with the rest of our video content. As always, thanks for tuning in, and go get buckets!

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 reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of right stick dribbling becoming a standard aspect of controls in basketball video games.

There’s no doubt that the implementing dribbling controls on the right stick is one of the most important innovations in the history of the virtual hardwood. It’s not the only idea that has pushed the genre forward, but it has a case for being one of the best. Right stick dribbling is easy to take for granted now, as it’s become a mainstay of sim titles over the past twenty years. If you were playing basketball games when it made its debut however, you’ll remember what a big deal it was. And yes, as I am someone who remembers when it was a bold new idea, saying that does make me feel old!

Existential crises, bad knees, and yelling at clouds aside, the fact that we can now celebrate the twentieth anniversary of right stick dribbling mechanics speaks to what a great concept they’ve been. After all, we’ve seen a lot of gameplay ideas come and go, and control schemes that didn’t pan out. Right stick dribbling is a concept that was built to last, and basketball games are better for it. Let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »

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 comparing NBA Live 2003 and NBA Live 2004, in a new edition of “Versus”!

Once again, I’ve gone a while between posting a new “Versus” feature for Wayback Wednesday. There is a reason for that, though. With so many retro basketball games and retro basketball gaming topics to cover, it can take a while to circle back to titles I’ve already talked about. I’d also prefer not to profile games for the first time with a direct comparison to another game, as that would get in the way of a comprehensive retrospective. However, it is fun and interesting to rank and rate old favourites, having had plenty of time to enjoy and reflect on them.

That brings us to NBA Live 2003 and NBA Live 2004, back-to-back releases in the Golden Age of NBA Live; or possibly the series’ second Golden Age, depending on how you rate NBA Live 2001 and NBA Live 2002. Among older basketball gamers, there’s a ton of nostalgia for both games. If you’re my age, you’ll remember them as fun games from early adulthood. If you’re slightly younger, they may have been your entry into basketball gaming! The question is: which game is better? I’ve broken up my arguments into five categories, so let’s take a look back…way back…

Read More »