NBA Live 2005

In the ongoing war between ESPN Videogames (formerly Sega Sports) and EA Sports, one battleground that remains a hotspot of contention is the hardcourt.  Basketball videogames have been notoriously lackluster when compared to the authenticity and real-life representation of their gridiron counterparts, but both the NBA 2K and NBA Live franchises have come a long way, baby. These two combatants add a bit more firepower to the war in the way of new features, improved graphics, and tweaked gameplay, but when the smoke has dissipated and the casualties tallied, which one of these games will be waving the white flag?

For the first time in my illustrious career as a sports video game reviewer, I’m doing a simultaneous review of two games in direct competition with each other.  A straight-up one-on-one contest between NBA 2K5 and NBA Live 2005.  In fact, you’ll see that the two first paragraphs of each review are virtually identical.  Check out my ESPN NBA 2K5 review (LINK).

NBA Live has always done well in the market with its razzle dazzle, pick-up-and-playability, and brand name.  But in recent years, the game has lost some of its basketball edge to Sega’s 2K series, which offers a much more authentic basketball game.  What do you do when you lose some ground to your competitor?  Throw in some more razzle dazzle!  And that’s just what EA did with its All-Star Weekend feature, something that games have been longing for.  Much has been hyped about the dunk contest, and yes, it is quite fun, and more than just a gimmick.  The rest of the game plays much like last year’s, which means its mindless gameplay is still intact. 

Move towards the basket, press X, and this is what you’ll get.

The best way to sum up the gameplay in NBA Live is ‘user-friendly’.  Sure, mindless was a bit harsh, but the game isn’t exactly something that will teach fundamental basketball skills.  For those of us out there who like to escape reality for a bit and just watch some ballers perform highlight after highlight, NBA Live fits tighter than John Stockton’s shorts. 

NBA Live’s offensive controls work great with its arcade-style gameplay.  Two buttons controls shooting, B for a regular jumpshot (boring…) and X for a lay-up or dunk when close to the basket.  My big complaint about this system?  Accidentally pressing the X button from outside the key results in a pathetic attempt at a long-range underhanded floater.  Pass with A, backdown with the L trigger, and hop step (and usually score) with the Y button.  The real treat when handling the ball uses the right thumbstick and EA’s freestyle control.  By moving the thumbstick in different directions, the ballhandler will execute crossovers, hesitations, spins, and just about everything else but bake a cake.  It’s immensely entertaining to string together a series of moves, blast by him, and dunk over a hapless center, but it’s also way too easy.  New this year (and seemingly in every EA sports game) is off-the-ball control.  By pressing in the right thumbstick, gamers can control a player without the ball and leave the dribbling to the computer’s AI.  From there gamers can cut to the basket, set picks, and camp out for a 3-pointer.  It’s a bit unnecessary in NBA Live because of the fast-paced action and high scores, but it is an attempt at adding some more simulation to the run-n-gun style the game favors.  Also new this year is the ability to manually control putbacks.  Crash the offensive boards and you can attempt to throw it down, lay it in, or just plain snatch it down and reset the offense. 

On the defensive side, the controls are pretty standard for basketball games.  Each of the four regular defensive moves (steal, switch player, take a charge, and rebound) have their own buttons, and turbo is controlled with the right trigger.  What NBA Live has that ESPN doesn’t have is the defensive stance move.  Pulling the left trigger puts the defender with his back to the basket in that stance that everyone in high school basketball spent hours in, facing up the ballhandler.  The left trigger also boxes people out under the boards.  Freestyle control also gets some ballin’ on the defensive side.  With the thumbstick alone, defenders can put their hands up to contest shots, get low to the ground, and steal the ball with either hand. 

But enough about controls… controls do not a good game make.  NBA Live 2005 is an arcade-style basketball game.  End of story.  I know others may say that NBA Live has gone more simulation, but trust me, it hasn’t.  NBA Live 2005 is all about showing off and making the big play.  Offensively, it’s about as easy to score in NBA Live as is it is for Kobe to ‘score’ in the Skybar in Los Angeles.  That’s because the defense has more holes in it than Jayson Williams’ murder defense.  As many holes as Kobe’s sexual assault defense.  As many holes as Paul Pierce’s body after his near-fatal stabbing.  You get the picture.  With a few freestyle moves, it’s nearly impossible not to get to the basket and perform a SportsCenter highlight dunk.  Is this a bad thing?  Not necessarily… NBA Live 2005 definitely entertains and caters to a broad crowd.  Missing shots will often yield puzzled looks from gamers used to seeing everything go in the basket at unusually high rates.  On the defensive side, it is possible to be overly aggressive and make some big defensive moves as well.  By controlling a big man underneath, it’s possible to send shots back by the dozens.  Smaller guards will have no trouble picking the pockets of ball handlers.  In my first game, Marko Jaric of the Clippers collected seven steals without breaking a sweat.  Is the game borderline ludicrous?  Yeah.  Is it fun?  Yeah.

This is actually good defense in NBA Live 2005.

Dynasty Mode returns fairly identical to last year’s mode.  Your obvious number one goal is to take a team to the championship and bring home the trophy.  Throughout the season, Dynasty points will be awarded based on player and individual achievements.  These points can be spent on coaches to improve individuals or the team permanently, for the next game, or for the next few games.  It takes a while to get points when players simulate games, but they can really pour in when the user plays the games.  PDAs appear to be all the rage in franchise menus, and NBA Live is no different.  Managers will have access to e-mail from different departments such as players agents, owners, and league news.  This is probably one of the better dynasty seasons I’ve seen from EA, and can get quite involving.  As you trudge through the season, teams will offer trades for draft picks or players, scouts can evaluate potential draft picks from all over the world (watch out for those 7-footers from Asia!), and players will get injured requiring roster changes.  Overall, the Dynasty mode in NBA Live is pretty solid. 

All-Star weekend has been drilled into our brains through advertising as the next big thing in hoops games.  While this may not be exactly true, the dunk contest is much better than I expected.  Dunking comes in three phases – the takeoff, the trick, and the finish.  The first thing to do with your high-flyer is to position him somewhere on the court.  They can start from virtually anywhere on the court and should be the right distance away from the basket to execute their takeoff.  There are four basic takeoffs and four basic dunks, but they can all be modified with the shoulder buttons.  After taking flight and selecting a dunk, the dunker goes into slow motion.  Upon releasing the trick button at the right time, the dunker throws it down.  To make things a bit more tricky, dunkers have a variety of tosses they can make as well to sweeten the score.  They can punch it off their fists, throw it off the shot clock, even kick it with their feet.  Timing is everything with dunks, and the first several attempts can cause frustration, but once you get a taste of a 180 reverse windmill, it’s hard to stop trying out new things. 

Dunk contest, or shoe-endorsement opportunity?

The three-point contest, like it is in real-life, is rightfully overshadowed by the dunk contest.  It really is just guys taking 25 shots from beyond the arc.  Grab a ball from the rack with the right trigger and press A to shoot.  This contest is less about timing and rhythm as it is about selecting a guy with a good three-point rating and letting them fly.  All-Star weekend also includes the Rookie-Sophomore game, which is simply this year’s top rookies such as Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor playing last year’s stellar rookies, including LeBron and Carmelo.   

Press R.  Press A. Release.  Repeat 25 times.

NBA Live 2005 (just say it – it rolls off the tongue) uses a lobby system in its online action.  I’ve never been a fan of lobbies, and I’m not a fan of the EA system.  NBA 2K’s online system is better, easier to navigate, and includes seasons.  NBA Live does have quick tournaments, but the lack of seasons definitely gives the edge to NBA 2K.  Other than that, the online mode is pretty standard.  But of course, EA does include the sports ticker!  Yahoo!  Speaking of Yahoo, where are the stock quotes!?

Graphics wise, NBA Live is good, but not outstanding.  When compared to NBA 2K5, it’s hard to continue to praise EA’s graphics.  The players still retain a bit of that cartoonish feel, and the animations lose a bit of their luster when it’s possible to crossover like Steve Francis on a caffeine buzz at any time, even when surrounded by three defenders in the lane.  Players will occasionally slide a bit, reducing what otherwise are good-looking animations.  The stadiums are okay, and the 2-D fans turn to paper thin cut-outs when the game pans out to show the whole stadium. 

The sounds of the game are fine.  Because of the high flying action, the commentators will get really excited, all the time.  Marv Albert gets more worked up than when he was in that Virgina hotel room that fateful night in 1997.  The stadium sounds and court sounds are great, just what you would want from a game.  The soundtrack is full of typical EA Trax that you’ve heard from other EA games, focusing on hip-hop from artists such as Will I. Am, and old-schoolers MC Lyte and the D.O.C.

NBA Live 2005 is full of fast-breaks, monster dunks, and ankle-shattering dribble moves.  It’s a perfect fit for anyone who loves to just sit down, put a controller in their hands, and see some instant action.  For those who prefer to be a little more technical, ESPN’s NBA 2K5 is definitely the way to go. 

Gameplay: 8.6

An arcade baller’s dream… run n’ gun action that’s fit for anyone who just wants to play.  The slam dunk contest is very cool, but it doesn’t have the lasting power as everything else.

Graphics: 8.5

Don’t get me wrong, the graphics are quite good, but when compared to NBA 2K5 side-by-side, they actually don’t compare.  The 2-D fans are also fairly budget.

Sound: 8.5

Nothing exceptional here, but nothing wrong either.  The soundtrack isn’t the best I’ve heard.  Ever notice how all the EA hip-hop tracks are full of egotistical rhymers? 

Difficulty: Easy

A button-masher’s paradise… just roll up the floor flip the joystick, and throw it down, big man…

Concept: 9.0

Gotta love the dunk contest… EA did a great job with it, surpassing many expectations.  But then again, it is just a dunk contest.

Multiplayer: 8.0

I was hoping for more from the online portion of the game, but it’s pretty much just the standard stuff, quick games and basic tournaments.   

Overall: 8.5

NBA Live 2005 won’t win any awards, but it does give the fans what they want, and that’s action action action.  However I’d rather buy NBA 2K5 twice for the $40 NBA Live costs.  NBA team comparison: 2003-2004 Los Angeles Lakers – Lots of flash and attention, but in the end it falls short of the title.