NBA Live 06 can be considered, in a lot of ways, the first true next-generation basketball game. The game engine has been rebuilt from scratch, and the game does indeed make a great first impression on high-definition screens, with excellent-looking player models and courts. Unfortunately, that great initial impression fades gradually the more you play. Though NBA Live 06 is still a fun basketball offering that's noticeably slower and more simlike than recent entries in the series, it falls short of its promise. Flaws like poorly blended animations, an erratic frame rate, a horribly flawed free-throw-shooting mechanic, and the lack of a franchise mode combine to keep NBA Live 06 from being the great basketball game it could have been.