Graphics
Graphically, NBA Live 2005 looks very good. In the three-point and dunk competitions where there is only one guy on the court, the game pumps up the detail and it looks really, really good. In regular 5 on 5 games the graphics aren’t quite as detailed, but it doesn’t look bad by any means. In fact, it looks pretty darn good. The animation has been given a shot in the arm with a ton of new animations. Everything is very smooth and fluid and the game looks great.Sound
The sound is also well put together. The announcing team of Marv Albert and Mike Fratello returns and they do a good job keeping up with the action. During the dunk contest, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith from TNT provide the commentary and they do a great job as well. Having these recognizable announcing teams goes a long way towards making Live 2005 feel authentic. The crowd noise also sounds great and it is slick how they boo and cheer and just the right time to follow the action on the court. The only problem with the sound lies in the music. It is 100% hip-hop and it isn’t even good hip-hop. Strangely enough, Def Jam Vendetta is a game that oozes hip-hop and rap from its pores, but the songs were more carefully selected so as not to just immediately turn off people that aren’t fans of that music. NBA Live 2005 does the complete opposite and the track selection bites. There is no option for custom soundtracks, either.
Bottom Line
Overall, NBA Live 2005 is a solid basketball game that is sure to appeal to fans of the series and fans of the sport. The gameplay is as good as ever and that really is the question that is on everybody’s mind. Yes, the game is fun to play. How does it compare to ESPN NBA 2k5? I don’t know yet. But I do know that Live 2005 is solid on its own and is going to be tough to beat. The dynasty mode is more detailed than ever and the addition of the All-Star Weekend festivities give you a few extra modes to kill time in. This is simply a good basketball game that is worth at least a rental and more likely a purchase for real sports fans.
