"NBA Live 2005 "lives up to expectations
Cassidy Juneau
Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: Sports
Among many other things surrounding the National Basketball Association preseason, which is now underway, is EA Sports' release of the 2005 version of NBA Live. The game follows a very impressive 2004 game, but it does have a few differences and some upgrades.
My favorite part of the NBA Live 2005 is the "Dynasty Mode." As soon as I started playing the game, I went straight into this mode as my favorite team, the Chicago Bulls. The season starts off the same as in the past, with a training camp. Following the camp, you enter the regular season. Throughout the season, you receive messages on your personal digital assistant, which may come from the team owner, the medical staff, the coaching staff, player agents, the scouting staff, the league and other NBA teams. It is important to check the personal digital assistantthroughout the season because of important messages you may receive.
One new addition to this year's version of NBA Live is scouting within the dynasty season. It is important to send out scouts around the country and around the world to find players who are potential draft picks for the next off-season. Once the draft comes around, you can bring in some of the players and have them in for an individual workout against one of your current players in order to see how they stack up and if they are right for your team.
Another great addition, and one of the major reasons I bought this year's NBA Live game, is the addition of the "All-Star Weekend." Within this weekend, you can take part in the slam-dunk contest, three-point shootout, rookie challenge and, of course, the all-star game itself. The slam-dunk contest does take a little time to get used to, and I found the three-point shootout too easy to win as I received perfect scores several times in a row. However, these contests and the two 5-on-5 games are a lot of fun. The game is worth the price just for this option in my opinion.
As for gameplay, it seems to be a little more simulation style as compared to earlier versions of the game, which were geared more towards arcade style. The players are a little smaller and the game seems to be a little slower. Also, you can no longer simply use the "pro hop" to get an easy lay-up; it actually involves some skill now, a major upgrade over last year's game. Also, the players who are good in the real NBA are the ones who are good in the game. In last year's game, I would often see players who were not very highly rated become all-stars in their first season. The rookies from the drafts are also rated better this year. However, a few of the better players in the league did receive some poor ratings when they should have been higher. Overall, the gameplay and graphics have somewhat improved since last year.
My favorite part of the NBA Live 2005 is the "Dynasty Mode." As soon as I started playing the game, I went straight into this mode as my favorite team, the Chicago Bulls. The season starts off the same as in the past, with a training camp. Following the camp, you enter the regular season. Throughout the season, you receive messages on your personal digital assistant, which may come from the team owner, the medical staff, the coaching staff, player agents, the scouting staff, the league and other NBA teams. It is important to check the personal digital assistantthroughout the season because of important messages you may receive.
One new addition to this year's version of NBA Live is scouting within the dynasty season. It is important to send out scouts around the country and around the world to find players who are potential draft picks for the next off-season. Once the draft comes around, you can bring in some of the players and have them in for an individual workout against one of your current players in order to see how they stack up and if they are right for your team.
Another great addition, and one of the major reasons I bought this year's NBA Live game, is the addition of the "All-Star Weekend." Within this weekend, you can take part in the slam-dunk contest, three-point shootout, rookie challenge and, of course, the all-star game itself. The slam-dunk contest does take a little time to get used to, and I found the three-point shootout too easy to win as I received perfect scores several times in a row. However, these contests and the two 5-on-5 games are a lot of fun. The game is worth the price just for this option in my opinion.
As for gameplay, it seems to be a little more simulation style as compared to earlier versions of the game, which were geared more towards arcade style. The players are a little smaller and the game seems to be a little slower. Also, you can no longer simply use the "pro hop" to get an easy lay-up; it actually involves some skill now, a major upgrade over last year's game. Also, the players who are good in the real NBA are the ones who are good in the game. In last year's game, I would often see players who were not very highly rated become all-stars in their first season. The rookies from the drafts are also rated better this year. However, a few of the better players in the league did receive some poor ratings when they should have been higher. Overall, the gameplay and graphics have somewhat improved since last year.
