NBA Live for the iPhone, from Electronic Arts, is out in the App Store this week. 

The app looks good, and plays well too (yeah I couldn ‘t resist it, even at $9.99).  Here are a few of its key features, per the App Store description:

• AUTHENTIC TEAMS, REAL STARS, TRUE LEGENDS With real NBA rosters, you can dominate the game as Dwight Howard and other All-NBA stars. Or unlock legends from favorite NBA teams like the Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, and more.
• MULTIPLE MODES FOR EVERY KIND OF NBA ACTION Match up all 30 NBA teams in the new 82-game Season Mode. Play a casual game in Exhibition Mode, or battle all the way the Finals in the ultra-intense Playoff Mode.

• PLAY WITH TOUCHSCREEN CONTROL Control the game with a virtual analog stick. Use the accelerometer to accurately shoot free-throws. Press the clipboard to pick from multiple plays on offense or to set your strategy on defense.
• KEEP HOT WITH A COOL SOUNDTRACK Stay in the zone with the beat of15 music tracks from artists like Matt and Kim, Snoop Dogg, and Xzibit.
• COMMENTARY FROM A BROADCAST LEGEND Hear legendary announcer Marv Albert accent the action as you rain 3s from downtown.
• A PICK-UP-AND-PLAY GAME Tip-off anytime, anywhere, and watch your game come to life in vivid 3D. It ‘s intuitive enough for the casual gamer, but delivers the authenticity that hardcore fans demand.

I can vouch for that last point.  This is the sort of game that I generally suck at, despite being a big NBA fan “ as I typically never get to grips well with the controls and speed of the action in games like this.  With NBA Live I still suck, but less, and I have to admit it is very intuitive.  Instructions for how to use the controls are quite good, there are only a few to use so the screen is not overcrowded or over-complicated “ so most of my suckage is down to me, not the game.

I ‘m not good enough at the game to offer any sort of review, but I can say that I like it and found it easier to work with than I expected.  I ‘m winning most exhibition games, though still getting a bit whooped when I step up to the real season. 

The graphics and sound effects are just as good as you ‘d expect from an EA offering “ and it really is a heck of a lot of fun trying your hand as Lebron, Kobe and all the rest.  I have not found a dunking groove at all as yet, but I ‘m a half-decent shot blocker and three-point shooter.

If you ‘re a fan of hoops, and fast-paced sports games, you may want to give this one a look.  It ‘s in the App Store now, for $9.99.

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