Hoops, they did it again!

For years gamers have cribbed — at least I have — about lack of a proper basketball game. You either get shooting hoops or really poor games that get annoying before you can say NBA. Not any more. EA Sports has answered our prayers in the form of NBA Live Mobile.

NBA Live Mobile is the fun basketball game that will enthuse first-time gamers as well as old timers.

Available on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, the game can be downloaded for free though you can make in-app purchases. There are four modes — live events, head-to-head, full season and leagues. NBA Live Mobile works on EA’s Ultimate Team format — you have to build a team and you’re given a basic starter pack of players. The gameplay in season mode is simple — you play matches, earn coins and then buy more players that suit your team’s requirement.

For a mobile game, the graphics of NBA Live are sharp and while they don’t give you a real life-like feel as on consoles but it’s still a very good gameplay experience. The key to playing sports games on mobiles lies in the ease of controls and NBA Live scores highly on that. The controls are easy to use, extremely handy and not at all complicated. There are certain times when you will get frustrated — especially while changing line-ups — but these are small flaws in otherwise what is a very good game to play. One huge drawback is that you always need to be connected to the internet if you have to play the game. But those familiar with EA Sports’ mobile games are perhaps accustomed to that. NBA Live Mobile plugs an important gap for fans of sport-based games. It’s easy to play, scores high on most criteria, and most importantly, it is great fun. What else do you need in a mobile game?