
The franchise mode returns in 2003, and while it's not quite as in-depth as the one featured in Sega's NBA 2K3, you still get to perform all the basic functions of an NBA general manager. Live 2003 still offers many of the same modes found in previous games in the series. NBA Live 2003's gameplay resembles that of the 16-bit Live games.

Ultimately, NBA Live 2003 isn't much of a simulation, but it's still an incredibly fun game that should appeal to a wider spectrum of basketball fans. This new control scheme lets you control your dribbling moves with the C stick on the GameCube controller, and surprisingly, it works quite well, giving you a sense of more control over individual players as they make their way to the basket.

Instead of placing an emphasis on the slow and deliberate half-court set, you'll see plenty of fast breaks, monstrous dunks, fancy passing, and spectacular layups, much of which is made possible because of the new freestyle control system. After the negative reception Live 2002 received last year, EA Sports reworked the NBA Live formula for 2003, and the result in a fast-paced game of basketball reminiscent of Live's 16-bit days.
