NBA Live 2005

"WOW! Very good game."

This game is insane. It builds upon last year's mediocre/pretty good game and adds on a few very fun things. I have really enjoyed this game and plan on playing it a lot more. The graphics and camera angles may annoy some at first, but once you get over these, it is sweet.

GAMEPLAY-10/10
The gameplay is very good. You can choose whether to shoot or dunk, pass to whoever you want, and call for alley-oops. Also, on defense you can tangle up a guy and get on the fastbreak, or come up with an amazing block. You can also break your defender's ankles with the variety of freestyle moves and the combinations you can make with them. I especially like the triple-threat move with this. Overall, the gameplay is sweet. The shots are realistic, as they actually bounce of the rims and stuff, and the shots made by the players are realistic. Another cool thing is that when you get a player shooting very well, their circle becomes darkened and that signals to give them the ball. I really liked the way EA Sports threw in another special thing where the later in the game you get, the better your star player does.

They also added an All-Star Weekend feature. Now this really makes this game great. You can choose whether to play the Slam-Dunk Contest, Rookie vs. Sophomore game, or the Three-Point Contest. The Slam-Dunk Contest is by far the best. There are TONS of different dunks possible. My friend and I once spent THREE STRAIGHT HOURS playing the Slam-Dunk Contest, let alone the game.

The Dynasty Mode of this game is pretty cool too. You can play up to 30 seasons. It allows you to gain NBA Store points, which let you unlock many things, i.e. jerseys. There is also a Legends Pool, which is really cool.
The only bad side is MJ is not in the game.

GRAPHICS-8/10
The graphics are a little bit above average. Nothing at all pops out about them. There are no bad things about them, but definitely nothing special or great about them.

REPLAY VALUE-9/10
Since you can unlock NBA Store points, you might want to play this game more. I also think that you will really enjoy the Slam-Dunk Contest, or Three-Point Contests with your friends, they are really fun.

Overall, I really enjoyed this game. It brings so many new things to the NBA games. The All-Star Weekend alone is amazing. Even if you do not enjoy basketball games, I am pretty sure you will guarantee this game.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/20/04