GameCube

NBA Live 2005

Even when you're a basketball powerhouse making improvements to your overall game is the way to keep the competition on its toes. NBA Live 2005 is going for the crown this season with its flashy All-Star Weekend mode. But gym rats are going to appreciate the improved artificial intelligence, a new inside game, and graphical touch-ups working behind the scenes.

EA Sports’ basketball sim drops in at a slightly reduced price. You have to love capitalism. For years, yearly sports games have shipped at $50 and no one really questioned the practice. Until Sega and Take-Two decided to team up and release their “2K” line of sport games for a mere $20. EA Sports wasn’t ready to make that big of a drop but NBA Live 2005 is shipping at $40 this year. And no one is complaining since the game is still a superb and ever-flashy basketball title.

The obvious challenge with sports titles is finding a way to reinvent how we experience the same game each year. Some years have been more innovative than others. But when titles find those new wrinkles, new elements that seize our attention, those instances are true successes. NBA Live 2005 accomplishes this truth with its addition of the All-Star Weekend. By taking what could be considered the most exciting event that the NBA has going for it these days, EA hands us the opportunity to dunk to our hearts delight.

While all of the focus is on the Slam Dunk contest, and for good reason, it's a mistake to overlook the quality and improvements made to the rest of the game. In one year, Live has really transformed its 5-on-5 game into more of a sim without losing the fun and flash of previous seasons, Dynasty mode has been revamped completely, and the AI across the board, from the trade scenarios to how players behave on the court, is far superior to any basketball game EA Canada has ever put out. Like I said, even with its flaws, this is still the best NBA Live game in series history and the addition of All-Star Weekend really elevates this title to must-buy status. And at only $39.99, this is a steal even Marcus Banks could appreciate, even if he does only have 70 speed.

From little transition animations to acrobatic dunks, developer EA Canada has absolutely captured the on-court authenticity of the sport with this season’s Live. That’s not to say, however, that the gameplay follows suit. Once again, the inspiration of gameplay seems to stem more from NBA Street than the actual NBA itself. Almost every play has an epic feel to it. Aggressive moves into the paint, rim-rocking slams, high-flying blocked shots, and rocket-fueled fast breaks are the order of the day. It’s like a non-stop highlight reel. While it does rely on the run-and-gun mentality a little heavily, it is a nice alternative to ESPN’s sim formula – making for a more entertaining ‘brag-worthy’ multiplayer experience.

Tout comme l'était déjà la version 2004, l'édition 2005 de NBA Live se montre plutôt avare en nouveautés. Heureusement, la base est toujours aussi attirante et question basket, on ne peut pas lui reprocher grand-chose. Un excellent jeu, donc, pour ceux qui veulent tâter du ballon orange sur le parquet de leur console.

Sports fans in America know that when a slight chill starts to fill the air, it's time for one of two leagues to begin: hockey and basketball. While the NHL may be completely frozen out this year, the season of hoops is gearing up for its opening tip-offs around the country. But why pay massive ticket prices and stand in long concession stand lines when you can have the NBA at home? EA Sports has delivered their latest update to their NBA Live franchise, which delivers their most accurate simulation of a season to date. Check the laces on your high tops, because we're about to slam dunk NBA Live 2005.

For the last few NBA seasons, Electronic Arts has been in a unique position: looking up at a competitor. ESPN's NBA 2K series has been tearing up the parquet for 4 seasons now, slowly distancing itself from its closest rival. EA's not about to go quietly, though, and the latest iteration of their pro hoop series, NBA Live 2005, has enough new additions and upgrades to close the gap considerably. It's also got something that no other basketball game before it has featured: a freestyle dunk contest that lets you soar through the air like your hardwood heroes.

NBA training camps haven't even opened yet, but that hasn't stopped Electronic Arts from shipping the latest iteration of its NBA basketball franchise, NBA Live 2005. Live 2005 offers a number of new features, such as a full implementation of all-star weekend, complete with the slam-dunk contest and three-point shootout. There's also been a revamp of the franchise mode and some tweaks made to the basic gameplay. But, as with an NBA team, a game is not just the sum of its parts. NBA Live 2005 plays a solid game of basketball, but even the flashy new features can't hide the fact that it isn't a huge step up from last year's edition.

The graphics are much, much better than previous EA efforts and the player faces, although not as good as ESPN’s title, are also a marked improvement. One thing that EA does do better than ESPN’s basketball title though is animation. Everything seems fluid and transitions between animations seem realistic. The All-Star Weekend mode looks much better than actual games. Since the hardware has much less to render, EA decided to really vamp up these sessions despite the lack of continuity. The commentary by Marv Albert and Mike Fratello has significantly more variety than ESPN’s offering and provides a good backdrop for gameplay.

Like the NBA in general, NBA Live 2005 goes for flash over substance by putting more effort into its dunks than the fundamentals, although in this case the basics were pretty sound to begin with. The much ballyhooed Dunk Contest offers some incentive for fans looking for more sizzle, but for the most part, this baller didn’t learn a lot over the summer.