When it comes to American sports, no one is able to match ESPN. Their broadcast coverage ranging from the NHL to the NFL with the latest news reports, team changes, matches, events, tournaments, exclusive interviews, plus a whole lot more. More specifically, that ‘whole lot more’ is their unbeatable range of videogames that have been building up in popularity over the years, bringing fans of sport an advance line of titles, depicting the NBA, NFL, NHL, Baseball League and others to defeat the leading hold and competition of developers such as EA Sports and Madden.
ESPN NBA 2K5 continues on the pumped up and fast-paced sporting experience of National Basketball, bringing the same, superb features, controls and graphics of the original, adding to it new and original modes. Anyone who does not own this game will never be able to pull the moves on the court and if you want to ever be in the NBA at such a high level, right next to the all-star players, then you will need to own this game. Pull on the top of your favourite team, grab your lucky b-ball, show off your skill and bring the court into your own front room!
SEGA bringing its worldwide, renowned name to this title, plus with the help of Take Two, along with the licensing of ESPN itself, ESPN NBA 2K5 will be the ultimate bling; with all of the teams, players, locations and styles of play.
Graphically, there is no other title in existence or the past that can beat NBA 2K5 in terms of basketball. In fact, it is so superb in terms of look, detail and being damn hot that it could be one of the best titles on the PS2 to showcase the console’s abilities. The players, being the most important aspect of the game have been given the all due attention that they deserve, every single of them looking like their real life selves with accurate skin tones, facial looks, hair styles, tattoos and also, in modes such as street mode, their clothes suit their own personal style too and not one of them will seem out of place. Along with the players, the courts and locations, official stadiums and home courts of simply the caged courts in the cities or other locations all look superb, smooth and detailed very much like the characters and together with again, as in NHL 2K5, there are 3D spectators!
Developers must have realised that all aspects of sports, even all of the fans who sit in the stalls to watch, are important and if not presented with quality then it degrades the experience of the game all-together. With action packed camera angles too and from courtside to chase, you will never miss a moment of the graphical splendour and basketball magnificence and believe me, when this game runs, it runs baby, you will love it. All of this coupled with the overall look of the menus and design of the game in and out of play, you will not find many faults, if one, with the graphical abilities and presentation of this title.
Though the crowd do not exactly roar, as within NHL 2K5 when a skater is slammed into a board or in NFL 2K5 where some poor sod gets buried under a pile of tacklers, the sound within NBA 2K5 does a good enough job. From the bounce of the ball to the squeak of players’ shoes, all of the sounds have been put in here to make it all the best experience that it could possibly be. The crowd do cheer and route for their team and the calls of other players on the court have been recorded very well although at times, because of the volume of the crowd and other sound effects, you cannot always hear what they are saying. Bill Walton, Bill Fitzgerald and Michelle Tafoya, as a sideline, give the commentary for this title and it is very much above average, covering all of the action and amazing talent within the NBA. You will recognise them and there are some of their trait sayings in there and a lot of unique lines that the three of them come out with but soon, as with all commentary after playing a game too many times, it will become repetitive. To finish off the sound effects of NBA 2K5, the soundtrack is of the same quality as all basketball games really, being of the R’n’B style along with some other types but most of all fit in perfectly with the basketball scene and will keep your ears happy whilst sifting through menu’s, especially in the lengthier modes.
The main point of sporting games is to copy and simulate the realistic and amazing experience of the sport being created into 3D entertainment form. NBA 2K5 does that and to more of a degree than most do; most of the time just including the basics of the sport and not actually take much notice of what the individual players do (in real life that is) to then import that into the game they are creating. Because ESPN broadcast all American sports and are always on the ball with the up to date action and updates, this gives them the perfect opportunity and advantage to show that they really do pay attention by creating realistic gameplay and controls. For starters, as said, they have added in a few more manoeuvres that you can pull off during a match, most of them being attacking moves such as rolling around a play or extra jumps so you can get into the open space of the key or to perform a hook shot into the net but there are others for the defence such backing into a player to keep them at bay from scoring. Other moves include a new method for the rebound. Where in previous games you have had to all just jump up for the ball in the hope that it will magically land in your hand, NBA 2K5 has put a bit more of certainty to it. At the time when a shot is taken, a dot will appear on the floor where the ball will land if it misses the hoop and dependant upon how close your are to the dot and the timing of your jump will secure you the rebound. A small thing such as this is what improves the entire game of basketball as a whole.
The system and entire play of the game seems to be highly improved from previous titles, especially all of the ridiculous fouls that would occur (most of the time against you, of course) at all of the wrong times. Not only on the defence but also on the attack, the calls against you have been cut back and you are able to get to the other end of the court with ball in hand for a chance to shoot for the basket without having to stop every other minute because the opposition has decided to cry and hold his arm. To put it simply, the game seems to be more balanced and flows smoothly from one movement to the other.
However, there are a few things that they could have spent just a little longer with to improve. One of this points being the passing. Yes, it is smooth, when it happens, and the players, frame-rate and all animation works perfectly to pull off the quick passes but it takes a long time for the game to register you are actually wanting to pass. Whilst running along, with an opponent nipping at your heels, you need to be able to bounce it right past him in a flash but it takes so long for the player to respond and even if you hammer down onto the pass button as quickly and as hard as possible, it becomes very frustrating! Also, the ‘tackle’ move might as well be non-existent! You can tap that as much as you like most of the time too whilst pushing up against the player with the ball but you might as well be fanning a fire with the pansy steal attempt. Although the actual system of passing, when it happens, is very smooth and feels more real when the players will catch it in mid-stride and continue rather than just stopping to a halt as soon as the ball comes near them. This improves the attack a lot and you are able to pull off a lot more shots through this, getting through the tough defence or simply gaining some ground across the court rather than being stuck in one half all of the time. Sometimes it can seem stilted when all of the players are cramped close together under the hoop or when three players try to defend against one but the game is much more enjoyable and relaxed rather than a tense match of watching the ball dart from one point to another. You will also find a lot of the time that the players on attack will be able to dart ahead of you and you might have a hard time trying to catch up with them and stop them before they take a shot at the net. Most of the time it will be easy to switch between your own players so that you can always have someone to stop the attack but it is difficult, even with the high intelligence of the AI players in your team. Struggling with these factors is not so hard as it sounds and with all problems in any game you can learn to work around them or even get used to them and put up with them, soon brushing them off as commonplace and the game itself is not ruined.
As with NHL 2K5 and also NFL 2K5, the right analogue will perform special manoeuvres during attacks. Of course in games like those above, you have plays available to you to execute to improve and enhance the gameplay, these little rolls, spins, ducks and moves will help to no end when you have a skilled defender in front of you. In all of these sport games you can find yourself in some pretty tight spots and you will be thankful for the right analogue being close at hand when you need it the most to get under the hoop and slam-dunk it home. Though, sometimes you will find that all of the help in the world will not get you past the two defenders that stand in your way and if you are too close to them and perform one of these skills then it will slow you down and there is a big chance of them stealing it off of you and then burning it down to your end to add another two points to their score.
Along with these fast and mini-skills, like the other sport titles NHL 2K5 and NFL 2K5, they have put in a new system and list of plays for you to assign to the D pad and perform whilst making your way down the court. In the past there have been feeble attempts at re-creating plays to execute but nothing has come so close as NBA 2K5. Now, there are not just a few simple plays that you can assign but there are more than a dozen for your playing delight and a delight they will be, as you will need all of the help you can get to perform your moves and play a superb game. These can range from the AI controlled players of your team placing a number of blocks through the court to stop the ball from reaching your end, to criss-crossing across the court to create an excellent line of passing or merely to open up the court so you can drive it to the hoop! This addition works wonders and like all of the other features and additions to this title, it creates a more realistic feel to the game and more than once you will believe you are playing a real game during those amazing moments.
One of the more noticeable and important features that has been included is the upgraded ‘Season Mode’ that is usually found on all sports titles, but in this NBA title is known as the ‘Association Mode’. In a few words this feature has been given the same excellent and in-depth treatment that has been given to NHL 2K5 and NFL 2K5. There are some great and fresh ideas that have been injected into this mode that make playing the game of basketball a lot more enjoyable and also hard pressed to compare against it. Usually there are the normal modes of play such as to watch a game or take part in the match yourself but now in NBA 2K5 there is an extra mode of play that is very much like any of the beloved Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh card games and also has a similar system to that of RPG games. So what is this new type of play?! Taking about two turns each quarter, you are given the opportunity to command plays and instruct your players where to go and what to do during that turn of the match. At first it might seem a little odd and you will have to get used to it but once you do it is excellent and gives you a proper opportunity to be the coach of the team. The plays themselves are very like the ones you can assign to the D-pad during normal play, however, in the Association, you are given even more detailed orders to hand out such as where the players should position themselves on the court, who to mark, how many shots to have, how to defend and attack, you will not realise the scope of this mode before you get your hands on it yourself. This mode is amazing though and as said, just puts in a little bit of fresh air to the sport and games. Carrying on with coaching and the talk of the team, each week you will have to choose a different type of training to give them, to concentrate on their weaknesses that are revealed in the games you play. All of the aspects of the game are covered here from shooting to passing, stamina and speed, drills and lay-ups, pretty much all things you can think of to cover and if your team cannot cut it in the free-throws of even in basic ball handling then you will need to keep a sharp eye on all of your players to pinpoint what needs to be practiced. Of course, if you just want to give them a light work out then you can but if you want to push them to the limit then feel free but this will tire them out after a while and sometimes it is nice to just run them a little and then tone it down to get a variation in their training. For each of the players, the stars that is, they will have special abilities that are unique to them and a few others in the NBA to match with their style of play and characteristics. “Tenacious D”, “Killer J” and “Wily Vet” are some of the more common ones and each one will enhance certain aspect of the player’s game such as defence, attack, ball handling, shooting, etc. Powers such as this will always remind me of the classic NBA Jam, with the super ‘Jam’ that would set all of your players alight with fire and enhance your abilities to run rings around the opposition and slam those all important super dunks that where so ridiculous that it would have you laughing with victorious joy! In this mode you will have to keep a close eye on all of the changes and such within this mode, as, just like NHL 2K5, NBA 2K5’s computer preferences will be different to that which is best and also to what you would want. Of course, the game is not a mind reader but it will make dire substitutions or player arrangements that could not work as effectively had you done it yourself. Sadly, NBA 2K5 seems to have taken the unrealistic amounts of injuries from the previous NHL titles and put it into this game, making NHL 2K5 realistic and more enjoyable but NBA 2K5 a whole lot more frustrating. Injuries of course to happen in the NBA but if they did at the rate they occur within this title then hardly any matches would take place! Alright, so the players are not dropping with pulled muscles and sprained wrists at every moment but almost one player every four or so matches will take on an injury and you will have to stick them in the medical room and substitute him before the injury heals. The Association mode has had some great improves and a breath of fresh air to give it a bit of a new look and style of play those who have been playing this games for years, plus it will attract those who are new to the series. However, there are some things that could be ironed out and it still does not match the excellent job that ESPN has done with their NHL 2K5 title.
The diversity of the modes for individual players continues on with the 24/7 mode that featured in the previous ESPN NBA title. Just as before you can create your own player, something that features heavily in nearly all sports titles, especially the ones from the WWE and it is good to see that this mode is continuing on throughout other sports titles. After you have created the basic man with face, hair, features, clothing, tattoos, etc, you will then have to take him into the training mode to build up his skills and make him strong enough to go off against the professional stars of the NBA. Though last time this process was very boring and stretched out having you done the same drill after another, this initial process is not as long and you will soon be given the chance to begin the challenges against all of the stars in the NBA to show that you have what it takes. These are merely like the ‘Madden’ challenges and there are certain requirements that you will have to complete to pass.
Unlike recent sport titles such as WWE Smackdown VS Raw, with the most pathetic online modes or mode rather, which is so simple and pointless, NBA 2K5 utilises a lot of the actual in-game play and features into the online mode, it also brings with it a few of its own features to give it an edge over its other sports titles in the ESPN line. Of course you can play the normal head-to-head matches but you can also take part in some leagues where you can track your progress and success on a leader board. You can also take your saved and unique 24/7 player onto the net to go against others in the same style of challenges or games that you wish, making your way up to the top of the world! Online play is of a very good quality and it will rarely crash on you or freeze at any point, you can play the games through just a little less smoothly than that of the offline mode but still there is not much difference and you will not be disappointed.
ESPN NBA 2K5, although it has some problems with the controls, is a superb game and excellent example of what titles in this genre are all about. Sport games have continued to progress and improve over the years and this line does not hinder it in the slightest, in fact, it is the drive and push of this genre towards a unique, amazing and life like experience of all of the entertaining sports of the big USA. If you are looking for all of the players, teams, and courts, you will find them here. If you are looking for all of the shots, dunks, passes, skills, you will find them here. If you are looking for the most advanced, life-like, prime example of Basketball games, then look no further because you will find it in ESPN NBA 2K5. Dunk this game into your PS2 and there is no stopping the NBA experience!
Tobias Rowe
