NBA Live 2005

The Good
This version is a huge improvement over last year's game. The gameplay has been improved with better animations and the new Freestyle Air control, which lets you change shots in mid-air. The graphics have been improved as well with better player models. Players now look very real especially their faces. The Dynasty Mode is also improved with a PDA system, which informs you about your team and news around the league. One major added feature is the All-Star Weekend Mode. In this mode you can play the Rookie vs Sophomore game, the All-Star game, the 3-Point Shootout, and best of all the Slam-Dunk Contest. You can do hundreds of dunks in this mode and the judges give you scores based on how spectacular your dunks are. Also new is the game soundtrack which features 14 original songs. They are pretty good and fits this game well. In-game commentary is once again handled by Marv Albert and Mike Frattello with a few added lines.

The Bad
Slowdowns happen but they don't happen that often. It usually happen only when there is a lot going on the court at once. Another thing is that players still skate when being push by others. Other than that the game is solid.

The Bottom Line
I would highly recommend this game to any basketball fan who have a GameCube. This game is the best you can get for that system. If you don't like NBA Live games then you could get NBA 2k2 or 2k3. I have them and they are also pretty good games.