Sony has had a rough time of getting its sports franchises up and running in the post PSOne era. While some have managed to take bigger steps than others, the overall picture hasn’t been a good one. With the introduction of the PSP, Sony has received something of a second wind and actually started to get a little more creative with their offerings. The NBA series in particular hasn’t been shy about trying different things and after three attempts, it looks like the experiments have finally paid off.

NBA '07 makes great strides in nearly every aspect of the game. The more visible of these changes are, of course, in presentation. Players still look and animate well and you can actually distinguish little trademark details on certain players. A few new animations have been added and old ones have been smoothed out and don’t have that awkward “skipped frame” flow to them. And, of course, this all comes at you at a blazing 60 frames-per-second which is impressive considering most console games have a hard time hitting that mark. Stadiums and crowds have also been tweaked. Arenas and crowds have also been given a little more vitality. Billboards shill various products while cheering for the team and the crowds are a little more active and are noticeably louder when they get excited.

Presentation is topped off by play-by-play commentary, a first for the series. All things considered, the duo does a great job of calling the action. Player introductions have also been reworked.

NBA '07 retains many of the modes that have now become standard in the series. Exhibition, Season and All-Star games are all here and joined by new mini-games and a new Slam Dunk contest mode, which is sort of like the basketball version of a rhythm-based game. Online Exhibition and All-Star games are also available for those looking to challenge friends. Pick-up games are also available when playing online. Here you and your opponent choose from a randomly selected group of NBA players, build your own team and try to beat each other to 21.

Two of the bigger additions to this year’s game are Carnival and Conquest, a group of mini-games. Carnival is set up like a carnival fairway and offers three basketball-themed versions of classic fairway arcade games like Pinball and Skeeball. Of the three, Pinball will feel the most familiar since it is little more than a pinball machine with an NBA theme. Hot Shot should also feel familiar since it is the same basket shooting game we’ve all played. The difference here is that every couple of seconds the basket moves, making it impossible to get into a rhythm that will carry you through the entire game (and rack up points). Big Shooter is a variation of Skeeball where you are given ten tries to sink six baskets. The top basket also moves, which only adds to the challenge.

Although the added mini-games may sound like nothing more than fun time wasters, you can earn points to spend on a variety of unlockable games. The rewards system actually helps to make the game a little more friendly to on-the-go gamers. Mini-games don’t take much time to play and you still feel like you are working towards something. Besides, they’re fun once you get the hang of them.

Of the added modes, my favorite is Conquest, which could be considered the NBA’s version of Risk. After choosing a home team, your goal in Conquest is to take over other NBA cities. Each turn you “attack” another city, at which point you’ll head to the court. If the attacker wins, they not only get the city, but also gain use of their team. If a team manages to turn back the attacking team, they can raid the attacking team and steal a player. One of the really cool things about the mode is that if you’re able to take over an entire region, Legends are unlocked.

Conquest games also use their own set of rules. Each team has a life meter that is reduced when the opposing team scores. In addition, if a shot is blocked, that player will take a hit to their stats and become less effective until someone on their team scores. Special score zones will also appear on the court at times and will give your team a nice point boost. And, as if the game needed anything else, you can also earn medals by building up your in-game stats. Earn enough medals, and you’ll get a bonus to your life meter.

Previous games in the series haven’t been the most challenging. I’m not a pro at basketball games, but I can handle myself. NBA '07 ramps the A.I. up considerably, making for harder-fought games. A.I. controlled opponents aren’t as prone to silly mistakes as in previous years and are quite aggressive. Players go after loose balls more often now and will usually try to break up passes. Though it is improved, the defensive A.I. still needs some work. There are times where players fail to pick up their assignments and will sometimes let a player run right by them without attempting to go after them. More experienced players might be able to find exploits, but more casual fans (like myself) are in for a decent challenge.

NBA '07 uses the same color-coded shot mechanic found in past games. As you shoot, a ring of light will appear around the ball. A green light means that the shot will likely hit while red means it will completely miss. Having reviewed the last two games, I’m really starting to warm up to the system and the timing it requires. It is nothing I’d want to see in console games, but for the faster gameplay featured in NBA '07, it works just fine. I did, however, notice that sometimes even green shots would go up as clunkers, so the system isn’t perfect yet – but compared to the original (and in some respects last year’s game), it is a much better system.

While they have the ball, players can pull off all types of evade moves while dribbling or pass it off to another player. The more aggressive A.I. makes passing a little trickier since you have to look for an open man rather than just passing it to anyone. Opposing players will usually try to get a hand in on most passes if they are close enough. One hitch with the evade moves is that you really have to be mindful of where you are on the court. If you’re in the middle of the court you’re okay, but get close to the edges and you can easily go out of bounds.

As a whole, NBA '07 is a much-improved game over its predecessors. There are still smaller, nagging issues that will no doubt be ironed out in future iterations of the game, but overall NBA '07 is still fun. In fact, Conquest mode might be enough to warrant a purchase if you’re tired of the same old NBA experience.