Play NBA Live 97 Online

NBA Live 97 came out for the Super Nintendo in 1996, published by EA Sports. It was one of the later basketball titles on the system, arriving when the 16-bit era was winding down. You could pick from all the real NBA teams of the time, which felt like a big step up from some of the earlier, more basic basketball games on the console.

You control all five players on the court, switching between them to play defense, set picks, and drive to the hoop. The main goal is to outscore the other team, of course, but the game gives you a surprising amount of control. You can call specific plays from a menu, which affects how your teammates move off the ball, and you have separate buttons for passes, steals, and different kinds of shots. The pacing is fast, and the computer can be pretty aggressive on higher difficulties, leading to a lot of turnovers if you aren't careful with the ball. It feels responsive and strategic, even with the simple graphics.