1up has posted their roundtable discussion of the Xbox NBA titel.  It is NBA2K6 versus NBA Live 06.  In this special preview format they have given their opinions based on impressions of near-final code to help you make more informed decisions on which titles to pick up (or avoid) for your new console.

Check out the discussion [here].

If you read the story last week on EA's NBA Live 2006 for Xbox 360, you know all about how the company started with a fresh slate and rebuilt the graphics, animations, and interface from the ground up to make one of the prettiest first generation Xbox 360 games. You also know that EA promised a secret about the loading area/lobby screen where you can shoot around as soon as you turn the power on. Well, now we've seen it and we can reveal that the secret is...super short players!

As you can see in the picture below, EA went the opposite of the old NBA Jam route of increasing player head sizes and just shrunk down everybody as an unlockable feature. We got to test this out in action, and it's pretty hilarious -- players jump four times their height to dunk, can move around the floor with ease due to all the open space, and hold the ball like a baby holds a giant pumpkin (since the ball is still full sized).

According to EA's Tim Tschirner, this feature started out as a gameplay bug where some characters would show up small on the screen, but the developers had so much fun with it they decided to include it as a feature in the game.

Unlocking the feature is fairly simple. When in the Create Player mode, you have to name you character "lil'" and he will appear small in the lobby. If you play a pick up game against a full sized player in the lobby, then for every point you score, the full sized player will shrink a bit. If you do well enough that he becomes smaller than you, and then start up a game, all the players in that real game will be tiny (though notably, the coaches and arenas will not.

Here are some new screenshots of NBA Live 06:

Looking at next-gen graphics makes it hard to go back and play your current-gen games. Seriously, the more screens and movies that get released, from the way the cloth moves to the muscles flexing, you're witnessing a significant visual jump.

But will the gameplay match the visuals? We'll find out in about a month when NBA Live 06 is released for the Xbox 360. Until then, enjoy these three new screens showing off The Answer, Peja, and The Matrix…no dress code required.

When players hit the court this Fall, they can expect to hear music from the phenomenally popular The Black Eyed Peas as well as new track debuts from Q-Tip featuring Busta Rhymes, Fort Minor (led by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park), Jurassic 5, Tego Calderon and exclusive tracks from Bishop Lamont featuring Chevy Jones, Chamillionaire, N.O.R.E. and Spider Loc. During gameplay, the beats have been created by the production team Da Riffs, who follow the success of Cool n Dre who produced the beats for NBA LIVE 2005 and Just Blaze who produced the beats for NBA LIVE 2004.

The complete song list includes:

ARTIST SONG

    - Afu-Ra God of Rap
    - Bishop Lamont featuring Chevy Jones We Got Next (1)
    - Black Eyed Peas My Style
    - Chali 2na featuring Anthony Hamilton Don't Stop
    - Chamillionaire Grind Time (1)
    - Fort Minor Remember The Name
    - Jae Millz Streetz Melting
    - Jurassic 5 In The House
    - Lupe Fiasco Tilted
    - M.I.A. Bucky Done
    - N.O.R.E. featuring GemStar and Big Mato Deportes EA (1)
    - Q-Tip featuring Busta Rhymes For The Nasty
    - Spider Loc Elementary (1)
    - Stat Quo Like Dat
    - Tego Calderon Mil Cosas
    - The Perceptionists Let's Move

(1) Only available in NBA LIVE 06.

The in-game music soundtrack is a part of the EA SPORTS™ TRAX music initiative that EA debuted in 2001. The program is dedicated to bringing gamers the hottest music through EA's videogames.

For more information about NBA LIVE 06, please visit the official game site at: http://www.easports.com/sports/nbalive06/index.jsp

To learn more about the in-game music soundtrack, please go to http://www.easports.com/sports/nbalive06/theater.jsp?media=music