ESPN NHL 2K5

by 2K Sports

Product Features

• Enhanced minor league management and full coaching staff control delivers ultimate franchise experience
• Features dozens of multi-player minigames and challenges all in the name of becoming King of the Rink
• A completely re-designed fighting engine offers full-movement fighting
• Includes online leagues and tournaments, a real time sports ticker that gives updates of other games in progress
• Pits you against a ladder of all-star teams hand-selected by the some of hockey's most colorful personalities

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002IQCUM
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 5.1 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 10, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,315 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #8 in Video Games > PlayStation 2 > Sports > Hockey

Product Description

Platform: PlayStation2

From the Manufacturer

Features include:

• Party Mode: An all-new Party Mode features dozens of multi-player mini-games and challenges all in the name of becoming King of the Rink.
• Deepest Franchise Mode Ever: Establish a hockey dynasty with the most comprehensive Franchise Mode to date. Worldwide scouting, enhanced minor league management and full coaching staff control delivers ultimate franchise experience. While the breakthrough Live Scouting System lets you watch talent in action and even run practice drills to learn more about your prospect’s attributes.
• Intense Contact Controls: A completely re-designed fighting engine offers full-movement fighting -- including grappling, dodge, grab, and multiple punch moves -- while improved checks and new contact moves help keep your opponent at bay.
• Always Online: The standard-setting online quality that you have come to know from ESPN video games now includes online leagues and tournaments, a real time sports ticker that gives updates of other games in progress, and an advanced messaging system and buddy list that let’s you keep in touch with your opponents at any time.
• Dream Team Challenge: Hit the ice with the NHL's elite as you take on a ladder of all-star teams hand-selected by some of hockey's finest, including Martin. St. Louis, Jeremy Roenick, Marty Turco, Chris Drury, Brendan Shanahan and more.
• Expanded Skybox: Deeper and more interactive than before, this season’s Skybox features more than150 unlockables, including more retro jerseys, remote outdoor locations and more.
• Full Stick Control: Execute sliding poke checks, swipe at loose pucks and more with new defensive stick controls that give you hands-on stick movement in a variety of defensive situations.
• Best presentation on the market: The exclusive ESPN presentation system has been enhanced with locker room and JumboTron cut scenes, more commentary, more crowd chants, more music with custom sound tracks, and yes, ice girls.

Product Description

ESPN NHL 2K5 makes skating with the NHL's elite a reality! Return to the ice and face the latest season of high-caliber hockey. The game has all-new features combined with classic hocket gaming. Featuring the deepest franchise mode ever, plus hands-on stick movement in a variety of defensive situations. Intense new contact controls for body checks and fights kick it up a notch, while new modes like Dream Team Challenge bring home the feel of hardcore on-ice play. You can even compete for the title of King Of The Rink in the new Party Mode. Get more high-speed hockey action by playing in online leagues and multi-player mini-games Exclusive ESPN presentation system, with crowd chants, custom soundtracks, and ice girls On-ice action called by actual ESPN announcers Gary Thorne and Bill Clement

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, atleast better than EA's NHL, January 21, 2005

By 

Bryan "Bryan" (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: ESPN NHL 2K5 (Video Game)

ESPN NHL 2k5 is a good game, but not great. I am a little biased, because I enjoy EA sports games more than the ESPN titles...But due to the fact that NHL 2005 from EA is no different than the 2004 version (which i loved by the way), i was forced into buying ESPN...plus with no hockey this year most likely, i had to have some hockey right?

The pros: the gameplay of ESPN is great. The graphics are definitely up to par and the goalies are good enough so that it is actually hard to score on them on higher skill levels. (No longer will you find the score to be 10-7, that is unless you suck really bad or are incredibly good). The hits are realistic only because its not like NHL 05 in that all that game is, is a hits fest. Paul Kariya cannot crush everyone on the ice, and he cannot whoop people in fights. Which brings me to the fight category, which is definitely a great addition to the game. Now you can have range of the whole ice and not just be in a stationary stance like all of the previous hockey games invented. Another plus is the franchise mode in general. There really are so many little details in franchise mode that it is too tough to explain in here.

The pros: So many penalties! Even with the penalties just halfway up the meter (which is the default setting) you can get about 10 powerplays a game. Very unrealistic and quite frustrating when you try to focus a lot on having a good powerplay. I average about 1/12 on the powerplay, which is horrible when you try to stack up to other teams in the league. The commentators repeat a lot of the same things over and over again. You find this in many games, but this game is particularly bad in this category. Not too big of a deal, just a small thing that is easily fixed by just turning the volume down.

Overall, the game is good, but dont expect to be BLOWN away by anything. It is definitely a game worth playing for the year until NHL 2006 comes out (hopefully with some changes than the previous 2 versions :/)

-Bryan

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best NHL On Console!!!, October 7, 2004

By 

Phil "Sakic19" (New Mexico) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: ESPN NHL 2K5 (Video Game)

First, the price alone is amazing. Video game technology is cheap now so the $50 price tag should be removed from all games. Back to 2K5, The graphics are the best ever seen on an NHL game. The improvement over last years version is incrediable! Commentary is much better. Yes, still repetitive sometimes, but alot more different comments and play-by-play announcing. The crowd even reacts to the action on the ice. Ring a shot off the post at home or not your opponent on his ass you will see what I mean about the crowd reaction! The controls have improved beyond expectations. You know literally control your every move. There are more extras than I have time to describe. But the table ice hockey is great. But the Franchise mode is the best improvement. It is more indepth and you can scout and control your minor league team as well. Everyone complains about the "freezing up" I have not had it happen to me. I am in the month of March of the franchise. But that does not mean there is not a problem. I just have not experienced it.
But the best part is playing on Xbox Live! It opens an all new realm to hockey.
The difficulty levels have improved this year as well. I dominated on All-Star level on 2k4 winnig games 20-2. This year, Pro is not easy. Yes, I have won games 10-2, but those types of games happen in real hockey as well. So I know that All-Star and Hall of Famer will not be easy.
Again, Sega smashes EA Sports when it comes to hockey. This game is a must for hockey fans who want a sim hockey game. If you want arcade type action and game play, go with EA Sports or NHL Rivals, or better yet NHL HITZ PRO. But 2K5 is well worth $20 and a few hours of game time! GO AVALANCHE!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the price, you cant go wrong, September 1, 2004

By 

Special Ed (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: ESPN NHL 2K5 (Video Game)

ESPN NHL 2K5 is the second "budget-priced" ESPN title to appear this year and it is again worth every penny. For NHL fans like myself, this may be the only hockey we get to see this year! The game itself is essentially the same as last year's edition, but the player graphics have received an upgrade. The jerseys have more of a shine to them and the wrinkles are clearly visible. Player faces also display emotion, which is kind of cool. Control is tight as usual, the gameplay itself is improved over last year (no more skating around the loose puck 5 times before your player grabs it), and there is a plethora of options and mini-games.

Like the NFL Title, Xbox owners can customize their own music tracks that play throughout the game, however this version isn't quite as intricate as NFL's. In this game, you can only select the song that plays, not the particular portion of that song... which was disappointing to this diehard Leafs fan. When I score a goal, the game already supplies the proper Air Canada Center sound effect... all I need is Zombie Nation to kick in afterwards. Oh well. It's a minor nitpick.

Overall, if you enjoyed last year's game, you'll be pleased with this year's edition. And for $19.99, you really can't go wrong.

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