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.
Review Scoring Details |
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.
