Check this out: At Electronic Arts' annual summertime press event, we got an opportunity to try out the latest version of NBA Live 2005 on the Xbox. EA had just announced the new All-Star Weekend feature of the game today, and our version of the game included all the new included gameplay modes, which will also be available in other versions of the game. Just like in the real-life NBA All-Star Weekend, there will be four events represented in NBA Live 2005--the All-Star game itself, the rookies-vs.-sophomores game, the three-point shootout, and the slam dunk contest. All of these are available as separate gameplay modes, or within the context of season and franchise mode. The centerpiece of these four events is the slam dunk contest. Live 2005 will include a new feature called "freestyle dunking," for use in the dunk contest. Instead of just having you press a single button to execute a dunk as you (still) do in a regular match of NBA Live, the freestyle dunk mode is a complicated affair that pieces together up to seven different animations to create your custom dunk. In all, the developers boast that thousands of different dunks will be possible. In our play testing, we were able to execute 180 reverse dunks, 360 slams, between-the-legs jams, and even Vince Carter's signature elbow-dip dunk. You'll start with your player holding the ball, by himself on the court. As you run toward the rim, you tap any of the four face buttons to execute your takeoff. The four basic takeoffs are one-footed, two-footed, one-footed with rotation, and two-footed with rotation. Once you're airborne, the face buttons change function into trick buttons. You must press and hold the trick button for the perfect amount of time before releasing, in order to successfully execute your dunk. If you don't hold it long enough, you'll abort in midair. If you hold it too long, your dunk will clang off the back iron. Sound simple? Things start to get complicated with the shoulder buttons. By pressing either of the shoulder buttons along with your takeoff or trick, you can modify the takeoff or trick. So on the Xbox, executing an A, B dunk is not the same as an L+A, L+B dunk. Things also change slightly depending on your positioning on the court and your takeoff point relative to the basket. Still following? You can make even more spectacular (and exponentially more difficult) dunks by first executing a toss. Just like in the real-life dunk contest, you can lob the ball high off the ground and catch it off the bounce. You can punch it with your elbow and grab it off the glass or toss it up one-handed and bank it off the shot clock. You can even start with your back to the basket and bounce the ball off the ground. In practice, the toss requires you to time and place your takeoff perfectly--any slight variance to your start position on the court alters the timing off a toss dunk significantly. During our brief play-testing time, we managed to properly catch our own tosses only a few times, and we never actually managed to successfully dunk off a toss. Perfectionists who live for such gameplay are sure to derive immense enjoyment from NBA Live 2005's dunk mode and dunk contest. While the game includes a practice mode for you to practice your dunking in a gym, the real venue for freestyle dunks is the slam dunk contest. In it, you'll be able to choose from dozens of different players (each team will have a representative--some may have more than one), but the only players included will be ones that make sense. Lakers fans for example, may pick Kobe Bryant in the dunk contest, but don't expect to be able to use the low-flying Luke Walton. You can set up the contest for up to four players or set the computer to handle a couple of participants. In the contest, you'll see lighting set up in an all-star fashion, with colored and shaped spotlights, extra JumboTrons in the background, and non-participating players sitting on the sidelines in warm-ups and street clothes. Do an especially nasty dunk and you'll see those players jump up in a frenzy with cameras and camcorders in hand. You'll also see a five-man panel of NBA legends such as Julius Erving and George Gervin holding up numbered signs to score your dunks. TNT's Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson will be on hand to provide commentary for the side events of NBA All-Star Weekend. But don't worry, Marv Albert fans. The marvelous play-by-play man and Mike Fratello still handle regular announcing duties for the primary game. We also had a chance to try out the three-point shooting mode. As you can imagine, it's pretty basic. You can select any player (not just sharpshooters) and even bring in old-school legends like Bob Cousy and Larry Bird. The right trigger button picks the ball up off the rack, while any of the four face buttons serve as your shoot button. From there, you simply fire off as many basketballs as you can in 60 seconds off the five racks stationed around the arc, just like in the real-life contest. We finished our extensive hands-on gameplay by playing a half of the regular basketball game. EA has included an all-new graphics engine, with improved player faces, and an upgrade to the lighting engine. Even at this early stage, the game is looking very sharp, and additional new animations have also been included. Much to our relief, one of these new animations is a soft lob into the post; to be sure, there are a good number of new passing and defensive animations. One of the biggest improvements to the gameplay is added defense against the jump stop maneuver. Veterans of last year's game may remember that the jump stop (or pro hop) was oftentimes just a free pass to a dunk, as it allowed you to push back a defender and give yourself great position under the basket. This time around, if you don't aim your hop into an open space, you'll lose control of the ball and turn it over, or simply get it stripped. You may also get tagged with an offensive foul if you run over a defender with your hop. Rounding out the list of new changes is added control over offensive rebounds. Instead of having no control over whether your player attempts a tip-in or putback dunk or just pulls down the board, you can now use three different buttons to crash the glass. Press the dunk/layup button to try a putback dunk. Hit the shoot button to try a tip-in. Or just press jump and pull down the rebound. Overall, we're excited at all the new changes being brought forth in NBA Live 2005. The new freestyle dunks and All-Star Weekend modes should add a great deal of value to the game, while tweaks to the graphics engine and core gameplay should amp up the presentation and realism of the game a great deal. Stay tuned to GameSpot for more information on NBA Live 2005 as they become available. Courtesy of Gamespot -------------------------------------- Sounds like a pretty good game!
im definately gonna pick that up when it comes out, i had like 03 but for some reason i never picked up 04, ill probably pick up gta san adreas when that comes too out
I am a fan of the ESPN NBA Basketball series. Anyone hear anything new about that? Clearly NBA Live 2005 is setting the bar high with the All Star Weekend festivities. ESPN NBA Basketball probably has to have that included in their game or be left behind. Thanks for the gaming update!
All I really heard about was an ultra secret franchise mode, which will really make you care for your team. Don't really know what that means, but hope it is cool. I, too, am a ESPN fan, but the last Live was pretty good, and with these imrovements, all they need to do is make the franchise mode somewhat realistic as well as gameplay, and they got an awesome game. ESPN definitly has a lot of work to do. If only Live had done this a few years ago, then there would be no such thing as ESPN Basketball.
I agree. Compared to Live 03, you couldn't move the players and the passing on Live 04 was slower. It was impossible to move the ball around really quickly.
well if it makes the same improvement that mvp baseball did over its predecessor then it could be the best basketball game ever. i liked last years ok but this slam dunk contest seems really bad ass. right now i think the best basketball game ever is nba 2k2 for the dreamcast. it went downhill ever since it moved to the newer generation consoles.
i had 03... no yao ming for some reason. what i loved to play was 80s all star v. 90s all star on superstar. it's really only a challenge if you play as 80s. you can sub hakeem in for moses. magic is cool to play as. but the only way you can really score is with bird anywhere, dr. J driving the lane, and posting up hakeem. what infuriorated me was that the AI friggin cheats, down the stretch when the score is tight they'll start doing things that are impossible with the basic laws of physics... like teleporting in front of your dribble to draw charges, and Stockton making every single three, no matter how contested. made me so mad once i took the disc out and snapped it into two. in retrospect that was a real weird moment of rage. edit: now i remember. my character in there was everything the rockets need for PG... i led the league in assists at 20 per. which is not easy to do consider the game was 5 minute quarters!
Same here....I love that series and have been playing it since it was on Dreamcast when it was just called NBA2k...2K4 was pretty tight but some of the dunks are unrealistic and the commentary becomes too repetitive.
I loved the 2K series... but ESPN basketball was crap in my opinion. The franchise mode was just as clumsy and awkward as the gameplay. 2K on the dreamcast had fluid gameplay.. ESPN turned it into almost a turn based RPG.. I will be picking up Live 05.. unless of course the AI is CRAP like it was last year.. get ahead by 10 points and you start missing dunks left and right and your opponent can magically teleport..
Did anyone else notice in last years game it seemed like you would drive and if a player stepped in your way it was just like you hit a wall and couldnt go anywhere, it might have just been happening more on ncaa march madness but they used the same engine so it happened a lot in live 04 as well imo.
Exactly! That's the only problem I have with Live 2004, and that's the reason I only play when my friends are over. Once you put the game on all-star/superstar difficulty, the computer becomes some super-powered team that never misses shots! I'd be playing as the Rockets and Yao would miss hookshot after hookshot, then Francis would miss a few dunks.....but then people like Ira Newble would drain 7 straight threes or something!
Yep, that totally pissed me off. Also, I hated a couple of flaws: 1. Offensive fouls where the ball goes in the hoop and counts. It happens to me all the time. The computer charges. The player is charged with the foul, but as he charged he shot it and made the shot. So the game gives him the points and the foul, so the ball is mine.....but they scored. 2. Somtimes after charges etc. My player gets the ball to inbound it from the side since the computer turned it over. And as he steps out of bounds to inbound it and he is called for stepping out of bounds. WTF?! The ball wasn't even in play! 3. missed layups and dunks.
