How to play

Starting the game
First, highlight the "NBA LIVE by EA SPORTS" icon in the game menu on your phone. Once the game is highlighted, press the "OK" button to start the game. After the splash screens, the game's main menu will appear.

Game Objectives
NBA LIVE by EA SPORTS is a sports simulation game based on the National Basketball Association (NBA) where the user plays as any of the 30 teams in the NBA. The user can play an exhibition game with selected teams, play through a season, or take their team to the NBA Finals in Playoffs mode.

Game Modes:

Exhibition - Will allow the user to jump directly into play from the introductory or main menu screen. If a previous game is saved, Quick Play allows the user to continue play from any previous saved game modes. You can continue play from Exhibition, Season, and Playoff Modes with Quick Play.

Season - Season mode allows you to play through an adjustable length season with the goal of qualifying for the playoffs. Season games can also be simulated using Auto-Play. For NBA LIVE 08, the user is able to play a Season with lengths of 10, 20, or 40 games.

Playoffs - Playoff mode allows you to skip the season and jump directly into the playoffs.

Main Menu

• Exhibition: Starts a new or saved game by allowing the user to jump directly into play.
• Season: Allows the user to play a season with a team, game length, and season length of the player's choosing
• Playoffs: Allows the user to jump directly to the playoffs from the season mode with a team, playoff length, and game time length of the player's choice.
• More Games: Information on where to go to get more EA games
• Options: Options to set sound, game, and other special settings.
• Help: Help text on the following areas of the game: Game Modes, Controls, Rules,and Passing.
• About: Customer support information and Legal Information.
• Exit: The selection will exit the game and return the user to the phone's menu.

How to Play

MOVEMENT
Up-Left = 1
Up = D-Up/2
Up-Right = 3
Left = D-Left/4
Right = D-Right/6
Down-Left = 7
Down = D-Down/8
Down-Right = 9
Spin Move = double tap direction towards opponent basket (Left or Right)

OFFENSE
Shoot = press and hold OK or 5
Activate Court Vision Passing (CVP) = Tap OK, 5 to display CVP icons above players heads
Pass = Press directional arrow (up/down/left/right) that corresponds to icon displayed when CVP is activated, or press OK or 5 to pass to the nearest player when in CVP mode.

DEFENSE
Switch Player = OK/5 (when not in range to steal or block)
Steal/Block = OK or 5

SHOOTING
Press and hold, then release the OK or 5 key to shoot the ball. To dunk the ball, press OK or 5 when the circle under the player's feet is solid. User should release the OK or 5 key at the top of the shooter's jump (when the shot meter is filled) to make more successful shots.

PASSING
After activating Court Vision Passing (CVP), tap the OK or 5 key to pass to the single highlighted player closest to the ball. When pass icons are displayed, press the directional pad in the corresponding direction to pass to that player. The color indicates how open the player is (green = open, red = covered, yellow = semi-covered).

DRIBBLING
Dribbling is automatic. Use the d-pad or keys to control the direction of the player with the ball.

ICON DRIVEN PLAYS (IDP)
Press the soft key with the clipboard label to open the IDP menu. There are four offensive plays available with four corresponding arrows. Press the direction on the D-pad that matches the arrow next to the play that the team will run. Two of the plays (4-3 and 3-pointer) require the user to step on a green "X" on the ground to start the play. The other two plays (isolation and pick & roll) will be run by the player's teammates as soon as the play is selected.

To run 4-3 and 3-pointer, step on the green "x" with the ball carrier and then wait for a green circle to appear above a teammates head. Pass to that teammates, they should be the selected player when starting CVP. When that player gets the ball, another green circle will appear over a teammate's head. Repeat the pass process until no more circles appear, then take the shot!

Please Note: User can activate defensive Court Vision Switching by pressing the (*) while playing defense. Defensive CVP allows the user to highlight and switch to any player on court.

Tips and Hints

• Do not hold the ball too long on offense or there's a chance it will be stolen.
• Avoid shooting low percentage, long three-pointers. (red circle around player's feet)
• Watch the game clock to take last second shots.
• When shooting, release the shot button (OK/5 key) at the top of the shooter's jump, when the shot meter is completely filled, for the best shot results.
• Players that are very skilled are represented with a star icon below them on the court. Some teams have one or more star players.
• The shot meter speed will vary based on the shooter's attribute and distance from basket. As a result, the closer you are to the basket, the slower the shot meter will animate from bottom to top.
• The ball handler icons color represents when to attempt a shot. The icons colors are: Red = will miss shot, Yellow = might make or miss the shot, and Green = best time to attempt a shot. Watch the icon color underneath the ball handler to determine the best time to shoot.
• Give your shooter an edge by running an offensive play using the IDP soft key icon.
• You can change your team's defensive formation or call substitutions in the pause menu. Make sure you call a timeout when you have the ball or your substitution won't happen until the next dead ball.