ESPN NBA 2K5

Ah, the ESPN NBA 2K franchise, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways: I love how each year Visual Concepts seems to tighten all the things that worked in last year’s game.  I also love how the controls feel so responsive and the action moves around so fluidly that you almost forget that this is a genuine NBA sim.  Yes, I love the ESPN NBA game and that’s not easy to say because EA Sports has a very attractive and engaging brother by the name of NBA Live 2005.  So who will win the heart of ball fans like me?  Who has what it takes to sweep you off your feet and prove themselves to you this year?

Last year’s entry came in strong and introduced a small number of new features that worked so perfectly that they make a comeback in this year’s game.  You’ll find all your favorite modes once again like Street Mode, only this year you’ll have some cool choices such as player match-ups and crazy locales such as a basketball court in the middle of the Egyptian ruins.  You’ll even find 24/7 Mode, one of the coolest modes ever to be introduced.  24/7 Mode has you creating your own baller and putting him through some one-on-one competitions with known players to earn items (e.g. jerseys, headbands, the shiny bling etc.) and improve your attributes to tighten your game.  The best part is that you can play offline and online and since this mode uses the console’s internal clock different events open up depending on the time of day.

Franchise mode, on the other hand, has been reorganized and in its place is Association mode.  Association basically centers on the personalities that make up the NBA and as it takes you and your favorite team through the serious competitions that make up the sport’s seasons, you’ll come to know what it’s like to deal with a team.  You’ll still be negotiating trades and see to weekly training and other duties that befall management, but this time a player will walk into your office every week and bring up a concern or offer a suggestion.  Each player has a personality type and in this game there are four types.  A Type 3 (we’re talking a huge ego here) like Kobe Bryant, for example, might walk in and ask you to concentrate on him because he’s the team’s superstar.  Based on how you handle each situation, your players will react in different ways and many of them will even start eyeing another team that’s been interested in him.

Remember the IsoMotion feature?  It’s back this year and the improvements are only minor.  IsoMotion² basically tightens crossovers and up-and-under moves in the post.  Forcing turnovers on defense feels a bit better now that there’s more crossover options.  The hop and spin steps are available making for some realistic offensive plays.  You won’t need it much, that is, unless you play the game on hardest difficulty setting.  You’ll find that the computer-controlled opposing team is a lot smarter and make plays that actually make a lot of sense.  It’s refreshing to see a NBA game that’s great at matching-up players accordingly and that allows you to do the same.  All this adds up so some pretty cool features but I’m nitpicky when it comes to my basketball game so I wish I saw more improvements in this respect.

The game, you’ll quickly find out when the game first loads, takes advantage of the PS2 HDD (Hard Disc Drive) for when you take the game online.  No doubt there will be downloadable content as well as updated rosters.  Using a Broadband or Analog connection, the game runs smoothly and you can also use a USB headset to chat with your opponent.   You can even play the 24/7 mode online, defeating someone’s created character for recognition and well as items.

Graphically, ESPN NBA 2K5 is a gorgeous-looking PS2 game.  The visual improvements the franchise seems to make each year are impressive indeed and this year the game looks amazing.  For one thing, the arenas are just far more detailed and the fans are starting to look a lot better as well.  Yet it’s the players that steal the show because they’re starting to look a lot more like the real thing than a caricature that’s somewhat baring the likeness of, say, Shaq.  Yes, the sharp details in the graphics have improved and I just can’t stop admiring them.  I guess I have a sweet tooth for eye candy.

The hip-hop flavor continues to be of the eclectic variety that mixes electronica beats and it works wonderfully during the menu selection screen.  You might just even love the way it’s cataloged in an easy to access jukebox.  Yet when it comes to arena sounds, nothing beats the detailed sound effects of sneakers squeaking, the ball slamming down on the glossy court and the foot-stomps of dozens of pumped up fans that cheer loudly.  You’ll love the ESPN televised presentation as the logo swooshes across the screen and sideline reporter Michele Tafoya catching reactions from the coach as well as players.  Yet what you won’t love, and I guarantee it, is the commentary team of Bill Walton and Bob Fitzgerald.  Walton makes some pretty absurd comments and observations throughout the game.  “You have to love the ball handling of the master of hoops,” Walton says of Yao Ming.  Master of hoops?  Who is this guy and why is he ruining the commentary?  At least you can lower the volume on the commentary.

So it comes down to the final minute, two major NBA basketball titles we’ve turned to year after year because they bring us the best ball game in town are competing for your attention.  When it comes to a fluid game of basketball with a great overall presence, ESPN NBA 2K5 reins supreme this year.  EA’s game has a lot going for it but it’s Sega’s game that provides a better basketball sim complete with some great improvements in all the right places.  If you can afford both then by all means pick them both up (Sega continues the $20 price tag for all their major sports titles) but if you have to buy just one then NBA 2K5 is the one to own. 

Gameplay: 8.0
The newly enhanced IsoMotion works just a tad better than last year but it still has a way to go, fortunately the rest of the game plays like a dream and the 24/7 Mode is even more awesome than before.   Association mode isn’t bad either, that is, if you’re into dealing with the big NBA egos of players like Kobe Bryant.

Graphics: 8.5
Somebody get me a napkin, please.  I’m drooling all over my PS2 controller looking at these sharp graphics that make this the most attractive basketball game this year.  I mean, have you seen the arenas?  Have you seen how detailed Iverson and other favorites look?  Must . . . stop . . . the drooling.

Sound: 7.5
It’s hard not to love a game that uses the ESPN brand to it’s fullest and that’s exactly what ESPN NBA 2K5 does.  I love the sideline reporting and I love the sound effects that go along with the flashy ESPN graphic but I have to say that Bill Walton and Bob Fitzgerald just doesn’t cut it for me.  They’re awful!  At least the sounds of the rowdy fans and arena sounds are really good . . . good at drowning out the horrendously useless commentary.

Difficulty: Medium
The AI has been beefed up as well and you’ll find it pretty hard to break through the defensive plays of teams like Pistons.  Although the courts don’t see as much traffic as you do in NBA Live 2005, you still have your work cut out for you.  Try this on the hardest setting for a really unique challenge.

Concept: 8.5
They’ve beefed up the ESPN presentation in a majority of Sega’s recent sports titles and while it’s not as great as ESPN NFL 2K5, what’s seen here will surely make a fan’s day.  There are also a dozen new additions this year . . . yay!  Oh, and did I mention that 24/7 Mode totally rocks?

Multiplayer: 9.0
Still one of the best online experiences, ESPN NBA 2K5 doesn’t run into any problems this year and using either a Broadband or Dial-Up connection will result in a silky smooth multiplayer game.  You can even talk trash using a USB headset.

Overall: 8.5
Not that the great price tag has anything to do with it but my money is on ESPN NBA 2K5 this year.  EA’s NBA Live 2005 is good, no, better than good it‘s excellent.  Still, when it comes to dominating the court there’s just no beating all the goodies NBA 2K5 has to offer.