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41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
NBA Live 2005: Like a Jordan reverse lay-up...so sweet..., October 12, 2004
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
As an annual purchaser (some may say sucker) of the NBA Live and ESPN 2K series, I've found it interesting over the years how both franchises have gradually switched sides on the gaming spectrum. Once known for it's focus on arcade-like game play, NBA Live 2005 is now even more in tuned with an actual NBA game in which defense wins championships. On the other hand, ESPN 2K5 is now all about flash where highlight-reel dunks and high-scoring games are the norm. But that's for another review... However, if I'd have to choose between the two (geez, it's like choosing between Jessica Alba or Jessica Biel), I'd have to go with NBA Live 2005 over the other.
New to this year's edition is the All-Star Weekend mode which includes the Slam Dunk contest, 3-Point Shootout and the Rookie vs. Sophomores game. The Slam Dunk contest by itself is highly addicting. I have the blisters on my thumbs to prove it. Though it's quite difficult to pull off at first (thankfully there is a tutorial), once mastered, the different combination of dunks at your disposal are enormous. Some, obviously, are physically impossible such as banking the ball off the scoreboard, doing a cartwheel and catching the rock for a 360 between-the-legs jam. But it sure does looks neat. Alley-oops are by far the most difficult to accomplish because of the precise timing involved for it took me about an hour to finally pull one off.
What really sets NBA Live 2005 apart from ESPN 2K5 is it's "meat and potatoes" realism. Some prefer a more arcade-like approach where scoring is rampant, but I believe it's refreshing to have to work for a bucket. And boy do you have to work... I wouldn't say that the experience was outright frustrating, however, the AI will do you no favors. Out of the twenty or so games I've played, I have yet to score more than 62 points. Freestyle control, which is basically a set of crossover dribbles and spin moves is virtually useless because the defender will almost always recover. A new feature this year is called Freestyle Air which basically allows a you to adjust a shot in mid-air if you think it will be blocked a 'la Michael Jordan over Sam Perkins in the '92 Finals. However, it's rare that such a shot will go in the basket which really makes it more of a gimmick. Interestingly enough, the sheer amount of blocked shots in a game are astronomical. It's as if EA wanted you to utilize Freestyle Air as much as possible in order to avoid a stuff. Now if only the ball went in half the time... However, I did enjoy the newfound option to perform a tip in or a tip dunk if the ball rattles out of the basket. The hop step, which was introduced in last year's edition, is further refined this year-some may say for the worse. No longer will you be allowed to use it at will since it will most likely result in a turnover or an offensive foul. As a result, you'll hardly use it unless the lane is as wide as a freeway. But hey, that's how it is in real life. Furthermore, the defender will almost always catch up with you during a fast break on those rare occasions that your player will blow by him. And speaking of fast breaks, don't expect your teammates to help out because they ALWAYS STOP in mid-stride to catch a pass which kills whatever momentum you have towards the basket. The true way to win is to play a half court game by setting multiple picks to free your man and to memorize the money plays that will lead to an open shot. As boring as it may sound, this is how basketball is played. Obviously, the level of difficulty varies between settings. I had mine on the All-Star difficulty level as opposed to the default Starter level. However, the level of difficulty was so wide between these two settings that I felt I had no choice than to stick with the All-Star difficulty because it provided the most challenge without it being too easy.
The graphics in NBA Live 2005 are much better this year. Though it still doesn't hold a candle to the insane amount of detail in ESPN NBA 2K5, I felt the players looked more crisp and similar to their counterparts than last year's edition. EA also added some ambient lighting which looked like a fine powder of snow on the surface of the players which was rather nice. I still wished they added more cut scenes during the game other than the one during timeouts when the players are converged around the coach. It really would have added more personality to the game. Another gripe is that the game doesn't save the level of zoom from a camera angle. For instance, I play my games in the Press Box angle which, in my opinion, gives the best overall view of the action. However the default zoom level makes the players look like ants which makes it an annoyance to have to pause the game and manually adjust it every single time.
The franchise level has been tweaked a bit. The level of organization has been refined using a customizable PDA which breaks down all aspects of your franchise. Furthermore, players contracts now use real dollars rather than that ridiculous point system from past editions.
NBA Live 2005 is by far the best ever in the series. It's tough and gritty with just enough flash (NBA All-Star Weekend) to satisfy fans of new and old. Some may fault EA for ditching it's arcade roots in the series, however, I find it refreshing to have to work for a score. Kudos to EA for a great job.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Summary of the game, October 2, 2004
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a summary and my opinion of this game.
1. All-Star Weekend can be played in its entirety. The rookie game is fun, lots of freelance hoops. The dunk contest is hard to get used to, but there is a practice section in the game. This is a fun addition to the middle of the season and is very worthwhile to add.
2. Dynasty: Been revamped to be more like Madden. I especially like the rookie scouting on this. While not as comprehensive, it is an improvement. The only flaw I see is the PDA on trades. It is fun to see power rankings, e-mails, etc., but why do you have to wait for a response? Seems unnecessary.
3. The gameplay is improved. The graphics are tighter, and facial features can be made out. The "EA hands" are still there. The excessive bumping from last year is out of the game, but you need to adjust the foul settings to your liking. Also, there is some more realism involved. A player on the break will NOT get caught this year. Tony Parker will never get caught by Oostertag on the break like in 2004. I played, and he blew by Kirk Hinrich for an open layup. The quickness differential is emphasized more. Post moves are more difficult, because for some reason you can't zoom in as far, or else it could be just that the players are smaller. But, can't have everyting.
Summary: This is an improvement over previous versions of the game. I think the PDA thing should get fixed, it's a pain, but the rest lives up to NBA Live's high standards
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Revolutionary, October 11, 2004
Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars
Five stars doesn't do this game justice. The gameplay is awesome as usual, and they went even further to make it realistic when you drive into traffic, when you get bumped and have to force up a prayer, and so on. The motion is a little choppy at times, but you won't even notice it with all the detail put into the rest. I haven't really played full games yet, partly because now you can sim games quarter by quarter and only play the second half if you see your team getting beaten too bad. Also, the bulk of my time has been spent on the dunk contest feature. This is what I mean by revolutionary. There are more types of dunks to do than you can begin to count. This isn't Jordan vs. Bird. Pretty much any dunk you can think of is possible in this game. And they did a good job actually making it look good, and the controls get easy fast. Kenny Smith doing the commentary is icing on the cake. The dunk contest by itself would get 5 stars. I swear it's better than the real thing. I could go on for days, but you get the idea. If you really appreciate the art that goes into a good dunk, you'll appreciate the hell our of this game.
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