NBA Live 16 Pro-Am Can Be Quite Fun

Feature Article

Submitted on: 10/06/2015 by Robert Kollars

If you’re a developer and want to have sustained success in the genre of sports video games, your plan had better include a robust selection of online gaming modes. While NBA Live 15 mostly lacked such components, the developers have included a new mode in Summer Circuit, and have improved Live Run in Live 16, but are they still worth your time a couple weeks later?

Summer Circuit

For the uninitiated, the Summer Circuit mode allows one to five players to get together and take on tiered NBA players in a ladder type tournament that increases in difficulty the further you advance. Summer Circuit has seven different venues, and each venue has a five-game mini tournament that you will need to beat in order to earn gear for your created player. You will start off facing the likes of a Kelly Olynyk and Anthony Bennett, and work your way up to a team that consists of LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul at the most difficult championship venue.

What makes Summer Circuit fun (for me at least) is that the game mode rewards each individual for playing sound fundamental basketball. You earn skill and reward points for playing smart defense, distributing the basketball and playing within your created player’s ability. On the flip side, you can also have points deducted for going outside your player’s strengths. Unfortunately the frame rate/slowdown is hit or miss during a Summer Circuit run, and also the mode forces you to play up to 21 by two.

Live Run

Live Run is your basic pick and play five on five online mode. It allows you and four friends (or randoms) to take on another five players in a game up to 21. Much like Summer Circuit, the better your team does -- and you do as an individual -- leads to more skill and reward points that unlock gear for your player, improve your player’s attributes, and help your skill set. A nice addition to the Live Run feature set is the ability to see how your created player stacks up against others in the Live Run Weekly Leaderboard.

What stops Live Run from being an absolute great mode are two different issues. The first is the inability to play consistent interior defense, and the second is the high shooting percentages. Also, if you are playing with teammates who love to hog the ball, or simply have no understanding of the game of basketball, Live Run can be a somewhat frustrating experience. Regardless, if you have four solid teammates who understand their roles and know how to communicate, Live Run has continued to be an awful lot of fun, and it might just prove to be the go-to mode for a lot of NBA Live fans this year and beyond.

How are you enjoying NBA Live's new Pro-Am circuit at this point?

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Member Comments

# 1 The 24th Letter @ 10/06/15 06:52 PM

Quote:


	What stops Live Run from being an absolute great mode are two different issues. The first is the inability to play consistent interior defense, and the second is the high shooting percentages. Also, if you are playing with teammates who love to hog the ball, or simply have no understanding of the game of basketball, Live Run can be a somewhat frustrating experience. Regardless, if you have four solid teammates who understand their roles and know how to communicate, Live Run has continued to be an awful lot of fun, and it might just prove to be the go-to mode for a lot of NBA Live fans this year and beyond.

Pro Am is definitely the highlight of this years game....and this paragraph pretty much sums it up. Assuming you can find some guys to run with it's a lot fun...

It could even be a lot more fun to run with randoms if there were defense in the mode . Guys have 0 incentive to pass the ball when you can essentially dunk the entire time with no real fear of interior defense or shot blockers...

Tough being a big in this mode...

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# 2 pslieber @ 10/07/15 12:01 AM

Well said. Worth it's weight in gold to check W/L records before taking the plunge with other players. Ball hogs almost ALWAYS lose. Let alone have no idea how to play man-on-man defense (for chrissakes, people), and/or rotate.

# 3 Black Bruce Wayne @ 10/07/15 11:57 AM

The thing that NBA Lives Pro-Am got right , is the CPU generated teammates/opponents. With 2K you are forced to find 10 people to play, which is damn near impossible. With Live you only need at least 3 or 4 and the game can start. Because of Lives Pro-Am set up, you can get in multiple games in a short amount of time. You get in , you get out. Live got that aspect of it right.

# 4 PS4FR3Ak @ 10/07/15 03:03 PM

I'm holding a 3v3 Live 16 tourney

# 5 Dr. Poe @ 10/08/15 01:19 AM

the live pro am was pretty cool. i like playing with others against the nba players. it is a quick pick up game to 21. it's pretty fun.

# 6 GisherJohn24 @ 10/08/15 07:57 AM

If I could only play defense now. Lol

# 7 Capitol P23 @ 10/08/15 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GisherJohn24


	If I could only play defense now. Lol

My Sentiments Exactly

# 8 krazyboy225 @ 10/09/15 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misterkrabz


	You can...I was playing with a guy last night who was almost maxed out on shot blocking and we couldn't get near the rim w/o getting swatted.

If you play a game with all players rated 80+ and 90+ youd be pretty surprised how many defensive plays youd see.

Forced a team to miss 4 or 5 layups in a row .. talking about rebound/putbacks

# 9 Insight23 @ 10/10/15 07:54 AM

Wish they had this mode sold separately. Strapped for cash right now & as much as I like the other game I prefer Live's Pro-AM much more.

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# 10 dirtypuppet @ 10/13/15 08:56 PM

I'm genuinely surprised this game and this part of the game in particular aren't gaining more traction.

The last couple of nights I've been playing Pro-Am.... heaps. Yes there are some flaws but it is real fun and if you play with the right people (not a guarantee) you can get a really solid basketball experience. I'm usually a casual offline guy and this is already the most I've played any sort of on-line mode possibly ever. The game really does an excellent job of encouraging team play and for the first time ever I enjoy hearing the other human players voices trash talking through the screen because it allows people to really call out the few who are ball hogging and and not playing team ball. Team ball really is key in this mode and as a guy who gets enjoyment more out of setting up others for open shots, setting good picks and playing solid D, it's satisfying.

The main problem I've come across (aside from perhaps some unresponsiveness under the hoop) is that there just aren't enough people playing this. Last night I was trying for some Live Run and there were 18 people on-line........... 18. That's terrible. This meant that you'd have to wait around quite a lot and often only have 2V2 human players with AI fill ins. Still fun, but not the same.

C'mon people, give this one a try and start playing some Live Run - it can be a really rewarding experience.

If anyone wants a good team mate (post scorer) who's going to play team ball on PS4 a me 'camhawks'.

# 11 Insight23 @ 10/14/15 12:29 AM

When the price drops I'll be copping this just for Pro-AM or maybe when I put enough money to the side. Bills have been killing me but I've enjoyed this Pro-AM more than the other game's purely off the demo.

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# 12 The 24th Letter @ 10/14/15 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtypuppet


	I'm genuinely surprised this game and this part of the game in particular aren't gaining more traction. The last couple of nights I've been playing Pro-Am.... heaps. Yes there are some flaws but it is real fun and if you play with the right people (not a guarantee) you can get a really solid basketball experience. I'm usually a casual offline guy and this is already the most I've played any sort of on-line mode possibly ever. The game really does an excellent job of encouraging team play and for the first time ever I enjoy hearing the other human players voices trash talking through the screen because it allows people to really call out the few who are ball hogging and and not playing team ball. Team ball really is key in this mode and as a guy who gets enjoyment more out of setting up others for open shots, setting good picks and playing solid D, it's satisfying. The main problem I've come across (aside from perhaps some unresponsiveness under the hoop) is that there just aren't enough people playing this. Last night I was trying for some Live Run and there were 18 people on-line........... 18. That's terrible. This meant that you'd have to wait around quite a lot and often only have 2V2 human players with AI fill ins. Still fun, but not the same. C'mon people, give this one a try and start playing some Live Run - it can be a really rewarding experience. If anyone wants a good team mate (post scorer) who's going to play team ball on PS4 a me 'camhawks'.

Chances are we've been on the court together....it's definitely a small community right now....

Definitely a fun mode, only part of disagree on is the team ball aspect right now. They nerfed under the basket scoring success....sucks for us big men, but it also adds strategy so that's cool...

With this, they left driving to the lane as it is, so you can still dunk in crowds too often..... I feel like now there's even less incentive to throw it down to bigs and move the ball...

It was funny last night though ....we ended up having to freeze a guy out since he wouldn't pass....actually felt bad for him after a while, lol

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# 13 Nemesis Enforcer @ 10/14/15 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The 24th Letter


	They nerfed under the basket scoring success....sucks for us big men, but it also adds strategy so that's cool... With this, they left driving to the lane as it is, so you can still dunk in crowds too often..... I feel like now there's even less incentive to throw it down to bigs and move the ball... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Was wondering why my post scorer was total crap tonight throwing up bad lay ups. Got iced out of many games.

# 14 The 24th Letter @ 10/14/15 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemesis Enforcer


	Was wondering why my post scorer was total crap tonight throwing up bad lay ups. Got iced out of many games.

Yeah the sudden change threw me off....especially because most my finishing is in the 90s....

Not complaining too much, just wish it was evened out...

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# 15 GisherJohn24 @ 10/14/15 09:32 AM

Anyone know why ProAm still lags even when all the players are cpu?

# 16 The 24th Letter @ 10/14/15 09:54 AM

The only lag I notice is in Summer Circuit....hardly any in Live Run

# 17 Nemesis Enforcer @ 10/14/15 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The 24th Letter


	Yeah the sudden change threw me off....especially because most my finishing is in the 90s.... Not complaining too much, just wish it was evened out... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Seems like this change was based on the fact that proam is littered with guards. I have troubles against a good rim protector.
Hopefully this mode is expanded upon to a position option game where you have to have 2guards 2forwards and a C.

# 18 davis420 @ 04/24/16 03:31 PM

I just played 2 games today. I'm looking to try and complete some of the challenges. The random on my team today just shot 3's. It worked game 1. Game 2 not so much. I'm just trying to keep playing because this mode seems pretty good. If people are still playing Live 16 on PS4, my name is ahotzman.

# 19 KingTocco @ 04/24/16 05:07 PM

Looking for something different, might pick it up this week on PS4.

Edit: Nvm, it's still $35+ in stores, not sure why...

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