ESPN NBA 2K5

If basketball is the people's sport, then here's a great game of b-ball sporting the people's price tag.

ESPN NBA 2K5 isn't backing down from anyone. Having built its rep on solid basketball fundamentals, this season's revamped software engine tightens up its game another notch. Oh yeah, that $19.99 price tag is pretty darn aggressive, too.

Leadership on the Court

There's a lot of subtlety to the improvements in 2K5. Even veteran players will notice that the game just "feels" different. That's because developer Visual Concepts has tuned movement to the actual physical attributes of the real players. So big guys move a little slower than small guys. Doesn't sound like much, but it actually affects your strategy at both ends of the court.

The offensive and defensive A.I. is also a little smarter and consequently much more realistic. On defense, for example, you'll notice that defenders away from the ball are watching the ball handler like real players do and positioning themselves to guard the passing lanes. The improved smarts make some cool gameplay nuances possible, like forcing a driving player to change his shot in the air by making an aggressive defensive move at him.

The visuals also augment the effect. Player models, already a 2K5 strong suit, have been redone, and according to V.C., all the animations have been replaced with improved versions. You also get some great details on the players, right down to ripple of their jerseys and the sweat on their forearms.

The Give and Go

With NBA 2K5, the series takes another evolutionary step forward with its controls. For instance, now there's a whole set of interior post-up moves available to centers and forwards. The pro hop's a little less effective (and more realistic) while the pump fake is a little more effective.

Additionally, the Isomotion feature adds new sets of moves to the cross-overs and between-the-legs dribbles to set up a sort of b-ball combo system. And while you can still map offensive and defensive sets and plays to the action buttons, all the playbooks are tuned according to the actual styles of the different NBA teams.

All the Right Moves

Franchise mode gets a name change, so this year call it "The Association," but there are some good strategic improvements, too. If you decide to simulate games, you can still make coaching decisions such as making substitutions or changing offensive tactics to affect the outcome of the sim.

You as the coach can also affect team chemistry during the season both positively and negatively, and thereby affect performance on the court. Factors like training regimen and the assistant coaches you hire make an impact. Also, players will ask for one-on-one meetings to air a gripe or a concern. You select your responses during this Q and A from a set of answers. Choose wisely or you'll soon have a bench full of unhappy campers.

No one's going to beat 2K5 on price, and the game's tough as nails on the court. ESPN NBA 2K5 proves that hard work can get you to the top.

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