ESPN NBA 2K5

"Has everything a hoops fan can ask for, save for the BK Shaq-pack (2005#2)"

Sega's NBA 2K line has always been my favorite basketball franchise since its debut on the Dreamcast in 1999. That said, last year's 2K4 edition was somewhat of a letdown because I felt the gameplay was heading in a wrong direction with a new arcade type atmosphere. Sega has set things right this time and things feel just as authentic as the franchise I once knew and loved.

First and foremost, the gameplay is back to its greatness. The IsoMotion ball handling system introduced last year was a set of different jukes and stepbacks that can be performed with flicks of the right analog stick so can help you squeak by defenders. It works better this year as defenders can counter some IsoMotion moves by taking a charge for the team, or having a better chance at stealing the rock if a ball carrier shows off too much. If the IsoMotion is not your cup of tea, then you can still do regular spins and call for screens, as well as pick from a wide variety of plays to make it an easier experience driving your way to the paint.

One new element introduced into gameplay is the “Next Movement” system. It automatically has the player performing certain little maneuvers as he paces his way up and down the court. This includes automatically trying to cutaway from a possible screen and instantly performing a defensive strafe at the appropriate moment. I still prefer and miss the fact you cannot manually defensive strafe, but I am adapting to the new system.

I'm glad the developers at Visual Concepts took out the little arcade elements they introduced to last years game. Blocks happen at a much more acceptable frequency, and they no longer have that stupid swoosh animation that follows a blocked ball whenever they occur. Fast breaks are back to their normal rate too, and the overall tempo of the game feels right back where it use to be in 2K3. 2K5 reuses the free throw system they introduced in 2K4; it takes quite a bit of getting use to, but in the end I like it more than the old setup as this one feels a bit more challenging.

The main Franchise mode of the game got a slightly new makeover and is now dubbed “The Association.” You can still do all the same operations as a franchise owner such as making trades, and all the fun offseason options like retiring and resigning players, etc. The new stuff that makes it stand out is a weekly training and talking with the players one-on-one. Weekly training has the team primarily focus on practicing one area of their game each week that can be adjusted by three different practice settings; the reward is a slight increase in their attributes in that area. But be careful, the more the players are pushed in training, the riskier it is for an injury to occur. Talking with the players in the one-on-one cut-scenes is a fresh idea for basketball franchise modes, but the end result is kind of mixed here. A player will approach you with what is on their mind and you have to select one of three responses for them. The correct response yields an overall boost to team chemistry and vice versa. The problem with this is a lot of questions my players asked me had nothing to do with what was going on in my season. Spreewell was apologizing for not playing well lately when in all actuality he was producing great for my team.

24/7 mode is back again after its glorious debut last year. If you missed out on it, it plays like a simulation version of Midway's NBA Ballers where you tour around the country in mostly one-on-one matches. The purpose is so you can build your created player's attributes and unlock new gear for them to wear on the court. I had a blast with it and found it rewarding to discover little secrets like finding the right one hour timeslot of the week to play against Dr. J and beat him in order to add him to my contact list for 2-on-2 games. Also playing on holidays is more rewarding as you win other little extras like a Santa hat or a Pumpkin basketball. Unfortunately I ran into a nasty glitch in this mode where I was just several wins shy of finally qualifying to play the last boss with 99 wins, but when I got my hundredth the game would freeze on me as it loads back to the reward screen.

ESPN NBA 2K5 still has its long list of other gameplay modes that can easily hold you over until next year's game. Online play over Xbox Live now boasts online leagues and tournaments, and you can now also play an opponent's 24/7 customized baller online too. If you don't like 24/7 mode you can also play in a more customizable Street mode that lets you play half or full court and customize the rules to your liking. There are also basic quick exhibition games and a practice mode perfect for honing your skills before you tear up the competition online. The main extra mode I wish was here was a cool unlock system of some sorts. Madden has the Madden Cards and NFL 2K had the Crib, but 2K5 just has a simple scroll down list of unlocks. It really takes away the sense of accomplishment. That should be fixed in the upcoming 2K6 however as I understand 2K Sports is taking away NFL's Crib system since that franchise is now defunct courtesy of EA.

I do not know how Visual Concepts pulls it off, but 2K5 has some of the best visuals to ever grace a basketball game. Each and every NBA player's face is manually scanned into the game in order to deliver the most realistic player models ever. The animation seems just as authentic now with the Next Movement implemented into gameplay. Just watching the players make their screens and cuts is a thing of beauty. Add the awesome ESPN presentation to the mix with authentic overlays and it seems like an actual telecast is unfolding before your eyes. That ESPN license is put to good use too as Bill Walton does a tremendous job of calling the action on commentary and throwing in many important historical factoids about the players too. Stuart Scott handles the pre-game intros with his intensity, and the many ESPN themes are still as present as they ever are. However, the developers finally got a more rap and hip hop based soundtrack for menu music, though it's mostly from a bunch of unknowns. Even so, the new music provides an acceptable tone for the game. I really dig the customizable arena music options added this year so I can set my own custom soundtracks to kick in at the right moment to help immerse me into my game.

Sega finally got the rhythm back again as ESPN NBA 2K5 excels on all levels and is easily the best playing and most featured filled basketball game on the market. It is noteworthy to mention this is the last entry in the series brought to you by Sega and ESPN. Sega sold the rights to their sports games to Take-Two, which has now launched the 2K Sports label the series will now get published under. ESPN's contract with 2K Sports expires at the end of this year and ESPN already signed a long-term deal with EA instead. With that in mind it is good to know 2K5 has been going for a measly $20 since it was released, which means if you are even the slightest fan of basketball games this is worth checking out. It is not a lot to ask for a fully decked out basketball games that should satisfy any hoops fan for many months.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/05