PlayStation 2

ESPN College Hoops 2K5

Once again Sega shows why it continues to play in the sports market. There are some games that just rise above all others, and this year ESPN College Basketball does just that. With a superior dynasty mode, better graphics, good enough to be fun controls, and a sick $20 price tag, I can not think of an excuse not to have this game. It is nearly everything a fan wants in his College Basketball video game. Sure, still room for movement here and there, but the most solid it's ever been I believe. Another fine job by the folks at Sega, ESPN Videogames, and Visual Concepts.

Each year, ESPN College Hoops gets better and this year's no exception. ESPN College Hoops 2K5 is my favorite hoops game of the year for its atmosphere, its wondrous meterless free throw system, and its improved Legacy Mode. Though there are still some gameplay flaws and sound bugs, College Hoops 2K5 is a diaper dandy.

In closing, this is a really solid and incredibly deep college basketball sim. Fans will have the ability to control every single facet of the game from the action on the court to the action behind the scenes. The basketball action is intense and fast paced, aptly recreating the passion and emotion that makes college basketball what it is. The slick ESPN-style presentation also adds immensely to the atmosphere and feeling of the action. Beyond the plain visuals and the disappearing sound, there’s a whole lot to love here. For fans of the sport, you definitely cannot go wrong here, a fact further hammered home by it’s $19.99 price tag.

Like its NBA cousin, ESPN NBA 2K5, College Hoops 2K5 offers up a great game of roundball. While the balance of gameplay still hinges on star players, there are still enough intrinsic nuances to give the game a college basketball feel. If you're a fan of college basketball, the attractive presentation, smooth online play, and deep legacy mode are all good reasons to check out ESPN College Hoops 2K5.

Overall, I am impressed with the overall game, but the poor gameplay really dampens what could have been the best ESPN title to date. The improvements to the career mode, and the graphics, particularly on the Xbox, make this a decent game. It still trails NCAA March Madness for the usual reasons, but if you could somehow take the career mode from this game, and the gameplay from EA’s title, you would have the best sports game ever made.

If there’s anything I would expect out of ESPN videogames, it would be another $20 winner that trumps the double-priced competitor. Even though ESPN College Hoops 2K5 boasts some features that are sorely missing from EA’s hoops game, what results is a stiff, unbalanced and inaccurate successor to last year’s joy.

College Hoop's ESPN license is largely wasted, represented only some familiar music and that ever-present logo. The game lacks an NCAA license but it doesn't matter since the players look realistic and wear the correct numbers. The commentary is serviceable, but it does sound odd to hear the players called by number ("Number four should not have taken that shot!"). The career mode is pretty weak because you only have a limited number of teams to start with, and if your favorite isn't on the list, what's the point? This would have been a good year for College Hoops to overtake March Madness, but apparently Sega was not up to the challenge.