Four words... Full All Star Weekend!

To start this review, I have to be honest. I have not kept up with the hoops competition since the Knicks gave Ewing the old heave-ho. Sure, I will glace at a game or two and even watch the playoffs from time to time. Unfortunately the feeling is not as sincere as when I used to watch Spike Lee scream at Reggie Miller from the sidelines. The drama seemed more intense and the players seemed to care more about the game and fans, than the fame and the Bling. With that said, I still enjoy the virtual realm of NBA hoops, even if I do not have a clue that who all my players are from year to year. Heck, I cannot believe that Divac is still playing, let alone a suitable replacement for Shaq! All I know now is to pick up my controller, make the phenomenal SG (me) and play 4 quarters of intense round ball. How the game ultimately plays lets me know which game I choose in the end. In the past, Live was too arcadey, Sega's was too strict in the paint, and surprisingly enough the Inside Drive series was a happy medium between to two.

Since Microsoft is out of the running, I must choose between the two competing giants to get my yearly fix for NBA action. Keep in mind that I have not had a chance to throw down with ESPN, so no comparisons will be made between the two games. In the end, that is a good thing, as I will judge Live 2005 mainly on what it brings to the table as a basketball game. My time with Live 2005 can be summed up easily. It is a great playing game, with depth, fun, and online play for both Xbox and PS2. Then you throw in the All Star Weekend play with the Rookie game, Three Point Shootout, and finally a Slam Dunk contest and you have a complete package that retails ten dollars less than it did last season.

Visually Live 2005 has stepped up the presentation and overall visuals up a bit from last year. The models are more improved physically and with more animations. You will notice after just one game the amount of new dunk, crossover, and pass animations, and they are amazing. The faces have also been touched up, resembling the actual stars closer this year than in any previous years before it. It is also good to note that the player's faces next to the stats are in polygon form, which allows for rookies and create-a-players to have a personality as well. The game adds to the drama with some nice cut scenes without overwhelming you with so many that it kills the pace of the game. I still wish they would give you best of the half and game presentation stuff, and that extra fluff just makes the 'as close to TV' style as possible. Each arena is accurately created; so much in fact, you may find yourself looking for Jack at the LA Coliseum. I only have one particular gripe. The players still seem to look as if they are skating. Next year, maybe a better weight physics model could be added much like the Madden series.

The announcers are the highlight of Live 2005's audio. Brought to you by Marv Albert and Mike Fratello, it is easy to say this is the best two team play by play on any basketball franchise. Granted, I have not played ESPN yet this year, but they will be hard pressed to beat this dynamic duo. To keep things fresh and interesting, the voice talents of Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson provide the commentary for the All Star Weekend. While the phrases done by these two are more repetitive, they still do an adequate job. Other audio sounds are pro to typical with squeaky shoes, bending rims, and energetic crowd.

I mentioned earlier in this review that Live used to play arcadey, and this has been particularly true for the most part until this year. While still not a simulation by any means, like most EA titles, they have seemed to find the nitch between fun and realism. They have done it with MVP, Madden, NHL, and now with NBA Live 2005. All the technical aspect of the NBA are signified, while still allowing a hint of fun. The A.I. has also been vamped. Before, the Live series was known for having a pushover A.I., but this year the computer acts more intelligent to situations. You will see more double teams, intentional fouls, and picks thrown than in previous outings. The CPU is a pushover on default, but there are two difficulty settings higher that will give even the most ample veteran a run. The controls, while may look floaty, are surprisingly tight. There are tons of new button combos that make for a more realistic feeling game. You have your right analog that serves as your cross overs, a button for pass, turbo, and two (that is right two) different buttons for shooting. One is your usual shooting button, but the other will toss up hook shots and floaters that will throw off the defense. There is enough depth here for gamers to learn the intricacies and dominate their friends, while still easy enough for novices to pick up and play. Overall, it may not be the most true to life title on the market; it still provides enough realism, while supplying enough fun to keep gamers from being frustrated.

NBA Live 2005 has so many game play modes that you will be hard pressed to try to fit another sports game, let alone any other game, into your time frame. Your basics are here, exhibition and season, but you also have online play, a slam-dunk contest, three-point shootout contest, rookie game, and an extremely immersive dynasty mode. In dynasty mode, you will play through 25 seasons trying to build that unstoppable dynasty like the Celtics and Lakers of old. Here you will deal with players and league news, managing salaries and even the cap that uses real dollars for the first time in an NBA console title.

The three-point shootout is back and plays as well as it did back on the PSOne. New to the series is the slam-dunk contest. While this mode has a deeper learning curve, the reward is displaying some fantastic dunks that will awe your friends. I believe the judging is too favorable when handing out 10's, but otherwise, for a first time effort, there is a great amount of dunk variations to be seen. Live 2005 brings online back to the PS2 and for the first time to Xbox Live. It seems that EA is getting the hang of the Xbox Live features and games are gelling more and more as they are released. The lag is minimal; you can set up leagues, chat with other players, set up tournaments, and even download updated rosters. There is plenty to do in NBA Live 2005 and the wealth of options is once again becoming a trademark EA is coming back with.

Fan of the Live series or not, this year EA will give everyone something to think about when trying to find that perfect hoops title. While some gamers will be turned off by the lack of total simulation, they still may be intrigued by the extras EA threw in for good measure such as the deep dynasty, slam-dunk contest, and three-point shootout. At ten dollars cheaper than other EA games, that may just be enough for even the most fickle 2K Sega fan to jump aboard the EA Titanic.