by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze
Video Game Editor
It
seems that every year EA Sports puts out the latest in their
NBA franchise, there’s a lot more to play for. What I
mean by that is that after years of dominating the virtual hardcourt,
EA has been watching ESPN and Sega’s 2K franchise evolve
into a force to be reckoned with.
After a solid outing last year, NBA
Live 2005 continues the franchise’s delicate balance
of what I like to call ‘arcade-flavoured simulation
basketball.’ In previous years, Live had become somewhat
of a comical rendition of the NBA with outrageous scores and
a lack of defensive options. That changed significantly last
year with an overhaul of everything from the AI to the control
scheme. The name of the game this year is most definitely
“Freestyle.”
The big change this year has everything to do with the freestyling
options you have with the ball-carrier on the court. Crossover
dribbles, crazy dunk moves and even signature sets from the
likes of Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant have been added to the
game. You can even show up the opposing team with backboard
pass dunks and other showboating spectacles.
But the coolest new feature has to
be All-Star Weekend with the 3-Point Shootout and the Slam
Dunk Contest. EA poured a lot of ambience into these two events,
and it’s hard not to get into it once you start playing.
This is one of those features that is perfect for a party
atmosphere because it’s all about who can put on the
best performance. A slick set of dunk moves are at your disposal
through a series of button combinations, and even some dunks
that might be impossible in real-life are pulled off here.
As per usual, the overall visual and
audio presentation is fantastic, with great sounds on the
court, a very realistic portrayal of the crowd and excellent
play-by-play by Marv Albert and Mike Fratello. The game’s
soundtrack isn’t bad, but it takes a back seat to all
the sights and sounds throughout the game.
There are some drawbacks, however, and they include defensive
AI that is a little too tough sometimes. Driving to the lane
is too hard too much of the time, no matter what special moves
you pull off, and fast break points are tough to execute because
the defense is back in position so quickly. While this is
fairly realistic of NBA basketball, the best players in the
game usually find ways to get to the basket, and that’s
unfortunately not always the case here.
NBA
Live 2005 is a solid effort by EA and one that a lot of hardcore
and occasional basketball fans alike will likely enjoy. The
All-Star Weekend segment is definitely a huge addition and
the Slam Dunk Contest will probably be the most popular aspect
of the game.
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