But what's the point of earning accolades for achievements if you can't show them off online? The PS2 has a one-on-one mode that's not a whole heck of a lot of fun. It also has a worthless feature called the crown, which is kind of like an achievement tracking system. The PSP has two minigames, both of which were in the game last year: a head-to-head shooting contest called 2 ball and a DDR-style dribbling game known as handles. You can intervene in simulated games and swing the odds in your favor by actually playing the game, which is great for people who don't have the time to play all the games in dynasty mode but also don't want to leave their won-loss record to chance. Dynasty mode, three-point shootout, slam-dunk contest, online play-they're all back and virtually untouched. Hopefully, you enjoyed last year's game modes because other than the FIBA tournament, which nobody really cares about, there's nothing new here. If you enjoy offense, you'll find a lot to like here. Yet they also have the same weaknesses: Both seem to have peaked and offer very little in the way of new content. They have the same strengths: solid gameplay and a respectable list of features. Despite this difference, the two games are extremely similar. Although the NBA Live series is winding down a long and successful run on the PlayStation 2, it's also in what should be its prime years on the PSP.
