Be a Pro

Right off the bat, I'll say that anyone expecting a fully fledged Superstar Mode out of Be a Pro is going to be disappointed. NBA Live 09's Be a Pro Mode is a single game, single player mode that allows the user to take play as one player for an entire game. While this will probably disappoint a lot of people, it's a still a fun mode that should add some replay value and probably serve as training for Online Team Play. And while nothing has been confirmed, it's probably something that will be expanded upon in future games into more of a Career Mode. That's just speculation on my part, however.

Getting back to what's in this year's Be a Pro, you'll notice that the camera zooms out to give you a view of the whole court, unlike the usual camera angle. This is a good idea as you'll be expected to move around within the offense or set up defensively and it's obviously difficult to do that when you can't see where you are. The camera zooms in again when you're in the same halfcourt as the ball.

Indicators appear on the floor directing you where to go so that the team can run the offense properly. You'll be graded on your performance. Scoring or making an assist or making a defensive stop will be favourable to your score while letting your opponent score on you or turning the ball over will adversely affect your grade. During the course of a game your performance is indicated on-screen by a meter which fills with either red or green. The more green in the meter, the better you're doing.

The exact things that affect your grade depend on the player you've chosen. For example, if you've chosen to take control of a point guard you won't be penalised if your rebounding total is low but since you're expected to take care of the ball the amount of assists and turnovers you have will affect your grade. Conversely, if you're in control of a power forward or centre you'll be looked upon favourably if you can grab rebounds and block shots but you won't be penalised if you don't tally many assists.

Players who are a threat will also have an indicator above their heads. Casual fans will probably find this more useful than hardcore NBA devotees but it will help out by providing a guide as to whom you should be paying attention to on defense.

I expect I'll be spending more time in Dynasty Mode than Be a Pro but it still strikes me as a fun mode to play if you're looking for something a bit different. It might not have as much lasting appeal given that it's limited to just one game but the addition of the grading system provides a challenge that should keep players coming back, especially if there are some Xbox Live Achievements associated with it. If a Career Mode is in the cards for future NBA Lives then Be a Pro should be a good warmup.

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