ESPN NBA 2K5

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ESPN NBA 2K5
ESPN NBA 2K5 front.jpg
PlayStation 2 cover art featuring Ben Wallace
Developer(s) Visual Concepts
Publisher(s) Sega
Global Star Software (PAL)
Series NBA 2K
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release
  • NA: September 28, 2004 (Xbox) [1]
  • NA: September 30, 2004 (PS2) [2]
  • EU: February 4, 2005
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

ESPN NBA 2K5 is a 2004 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and co-published by Sega and Global Star Software. It was released in September 2004 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox in North America, and February 2005 in Europe. The sixth installment in the NBA 2K series, it is the successor to ESPN NBA Basketball , and the predecessor to NBA 2K6 . Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons is the cover athlete; this marks the first time in the series that a player other than Allen Iverson was featured as a cover athlete. It is the last NBA 2K game to be released by Sega before the company sold Visual Concepts to Take-Two Interactive, forming 2K Sports. It is also the third and last game to feature the ESPN branding on its front cover (the ESPN branding would be dropped, making later releases once again known as simply "NBA 2Kx" and later "NBA 2Kxx".).

Contents

The game strives to realistically depict the experience of basketball, in the National Basketball Association. Players mainly play NBA basketball games in a variety of game modes with real players and teams as well as customizable players. A mode focusing on street basketball is present, as is a mode where the player simulates through a team's NBA season. The game features several aesthetical details, such as crowd animations, camera angles, and commentary.

ESPN NBA 2K5 received positive reviews from critics upon release. The visuals and gameplay were widely acclaimed, while the 24/7 and Association game modes received a mixed response. The low price of the game was also well received.

Gameplay

ESPN NBA 2K5 is a basketball simulation video game which strives to emulate the National Basketball Association. Players mostly play in basketball games in several game modes, with real teams, such as the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. Gameplay follows the rules and objectives of basketball and the game is presented like televised NBA games. Several game modes are available; 24/7 mode allows the player to create their own player, Association mode allows the player to play through an NBA season with a selected team, another mode lets the player compete in basketball tournaments, and a mode where the player plays street basketball is also available. The game features Stuart Scott as a presenter, Bob Fitzgerald and Bill Walton as commentators, and Michele Tafoya as a sideline reporter. The player may customize several aspects of the game, and many aesthetical details are present. [3] [4]

Development and release

In the NBA 2K series, ESPN NBA 2K5 is the successor to ESPN NBA Basketball , and the predecessor to NBA 2K6 . It was developed by Visual Concepts and published by both Sega and Global Star Software. It was released for Xbox on September 28, 2004, with a PlayStation 2 version following on September 30, both for North America. In European regions, both versions of the game were released on February 4, 2005.

NBA 2K3 , ESPN NBA Basketball , and ESPN NBA 2K5 are the only three games in the series to feature ESPN licensing. Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons is the cover athlete. The first five games in the series featured Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers on the covers. ESPN NBA 2K5 is the last NBA 2K game to be released by Sega before the company sold Visual Concepts to Take Two Interactive, forming 2K Sports.

Reception

ESPN NBA 2K5 received "favorable" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [5] [6]

Andrew Reiner of Game Informer praised Visual Concepts for still being able to make subtle improvements over the previous game in the series, despite not implementing drastic overhauls, as was the case with ESPN NBA Basketball and NBA 2K3 . He commended how the developers focus on realism; one detail he cited was the sweat players amass as games progress. Reiner called the crowd design "amazing", particularly liking how they react to certain situations, and the said that player models were "superb". Reiner summarized his review by saying, "This is still the best playing, most rewarding, and realistic basketball game that money can buy." [8]

Game Revolution's review praised the visuals and price, but criticized the 24/7 mode for being "broken". [10] Bob Colayco of GameSpot also praised the low price of the game, as well as the "extremely well done" gameplay and visuals. He found the soundtrack "forgettable" and thought the commentary was "good but not great". [11] Both of GameZone's two reviews were positive. They praised the online features, the 24/7 mode, the commentary and soundtrack, the visuals, and the gameplay. [13] [14]

IGN's Hilary Goldstein wrote: "ESPN NBA 2K5 isn't a horrible game by any means, but it's probably Sega's weakest sports game this year. On the surface it looks fine. It plays decently and if you know how to use IsoMotion2, you can definitely enjoy playing offense. There's a lot of fine-tuning needed and it seems pretty clear this game really shouldn't be shipping quite so soon. I just couldn't possibly play any more of the Association. It's not bad, it just isn't great and some of the AI gaffs began to really get on my nerves over time. However, the 24/7 mode is refreshing, even after playing a lot last year. Considering this is a $20 game, it's certainly worth it to pick up just for those nice extra modes. However, if you want to play a real NBA sim, this one may disappoint you. It's too drive-minded and while it tries to create the idea of individuals and personality with the visuals and Association, the gameplay seems to ignore who these players are on the court. I want this to be a great game. I know a lot of other people do as well. But it just isn't great. It's merely good. And in the competitive world of sports sims these days, being good isn't enough." [15]

By July 2006, the PlayStation 2 version of ESPN NBA 2K5 had sold 1 million copies and earned $20 million in the United States. Next Generation ranked it as the 57th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in the United States. Combined console sales of ESPN NBA 2K5 reached 1.6 million units in the United States by July 2006. [20]

Related Research Articles

NFL 2K is an American football video game series developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega. The series was originally exclusive to Sega's Dreamcast video game console due to the absence of EA Sports's Madden NFL series on the system. As the foremost "2K" title, it marked the beginning of a running athletics series that eventually led to the spinning off of 2K's sports publishing business under the name of 2K Sports. Upon the Dreamcast's discontinuation, the series continued to be published for other sixth generation game systems and became the chief competitor of the Madden series.

NBA 2K is a series of basketball sports simulation video games developed by Visual Concepts and released annually since 1999. The premise of the series is to emulate the sport of basketball, and more specifically, the National Basketball Association.

<i>ESPN College Hoops 2K5</i> 2004 basketball video game

ESPN College Hoops 2K5 is an American college basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega. It is a college basketball simulation available for the Xbox and PlayStation 2. It features former Stanford forward Josh Childress on the cover.

<i>NBA 2K6</i> 2005 video game

NBA 2K6 is a 2005 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the seventh installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to ESPN NBA 2K5. It was released in 2005 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K6 is the predecessor to NBA 2K7 in the NBA 2K series and is the first NBA 2K title to be released by 2K Sports. This is the first game in the series to be released for the Xbox 360.

<i>ESPN NHL 2K5</i> Ice hockey video game

ESPN NHL 2K5 is an ice hockey simulation developed by Kush Games, co-published by Sega and Global Star Software, and released on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles. ESPN/ABC's Gary Thorne on play-by-play commentary and Bill Clement on color commentary calls all the action. This is also the last NHL Game to be published by Sega, and the last to be branded by ESPN.

<i>ESPN NFL 2K5</i> 2004 video game

ESPN NFL 2K5 is an American football video game developed by Visual Concepts for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. Co-Published by Global Star Software and Sega, it is the sixth installment of the NFL 2K series and the last to use official NFL licensing. Gameplay is presented as a live ESPN television broadcast and features the voices and digital likenesses of multiple ESPN on-air personalities.

<i>NFL 2K3</i> 2002 video game

NFL 2K3 is an American football video game released in 2002 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. It was developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega. It is the only NFL 2K game for the GameCube. The cover athlete features Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears, becoming the first cover athlete in the NFL 2K series besides Randy Moss.

NHL 2K was a series of hockey games developed by Visual Concepts. It was published by Sega Sports from 2000 to 2004, and 2K from 2005 to 2014. The games are officially licensed from the National Hockey League and NHL Players Association.

<i>NBA 2K7</i> 2006 basketball video game

NBA 2K7 is a 2006 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the eighth installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K6. It was released in 2006 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360, and as a launch title for PlayStation 3. Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K7 is the predecessor to NBA 2K8 in the NBA 2K series. This was the last installment in the series to be released for the Xbox.

<i>NHL 2K3</i> 2002 video game

NHL 2K3 is an ice hockey video game developed for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox by Treyarch and published by Sega. Jeremy Roenick is on the cover. It is the only game in the NHL 2K series to be released for GameCube. NHL 2K3 uses ESPN's presentation and was the first hockey game with support for PS2 Online and Xbox Live online services. The rosters are from the 2002–2003 NHL season.

<i>NBA 2K8</i> 2007 basketball video game

NBA 2K8 is a 2007 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K and Spike. It is the ninth installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K7. It was released in 2007 for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K8 is the predecessor to NBA 2K9 in the NBA 2K series.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K9</i> 2009 video game

Major League Baseball 2K9, or MLB 2K9 for short, is an MLB-licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K. The game was developed for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and Wii. The game was released on March 3, 2009, to mixed-to-positive reviews.

<i>NBA 2K9</i> 2008 basketball video game

NBA 2K9 is a 2008 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the tenth installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K8. It was released in 2008 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K9 is the predecessor to NBA 2K10 in the NBA 2K series.

<i>NBA 2K10</i> 2009 basketball video game

NBA 2K10 is a 2009 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It was released in October and November 2009 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, and Wii. As the eleventh installment in the NBA 2K series, it is the successor to NBA 2K9 and the predecessor to NBA 2K11. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is the cover athlete of the game. NBA 2K10 is the first game in the series to be released for the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo Wii platforms; it is also the first game in the series to be released on a Nintendo console since NBA 2K3 was released for the GameCube in 2002. The game is NBA 2K's last 2000s entry.

<i>NBA 2K</i> (video game) 1999 basketball video game

NBA 2K is a 1999 sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega. It was initially released for Dreamcast in 1999. Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers is featured as the cover athlete. The game is based on the National Basketball Association and, as such, allows the player to compete in basketball games with the current NBA season's players and teams. Several game modes are present, including one in which the player can create customizable players. NBA 2K was well-received by critics, who praised it for setting the standard for basketball video games.

<i>NBA 2K1</i> 2000 basketball video game

NBA 2K1 is a 2000 sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega. It was the first NBA 2K game to feature online multiplayer and the first game to feature street courses instead of playing a game inside the arena in the first game, famous street courts such as The Cage, Rucker Park, Franklin Park, and Goat Park.

<i>NBA 2K12</i> 2011 basketball video game

NBA 2K12 is a 2011 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It was released in October 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360, and, for the first time, iOS. As the thirteenth installment in the NBA 2K series, it is the successor to NBA 2K11 and the predecessor to NBA 2K13. For the first time in the series, three different covers are available; the three cover athletes are Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls, Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics. This was the last installment in the series to be released for the PlayStation 2.

<i>World Series Baseball 2K3</i> 2003 video game

World Series Baseball 2K3 is a sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is the successor to World Series Baseball 2K2 and the last to carry the World Series Baseball name. It was released in March 2003 prior to the start of the 2003 Major League Baseball season. It was originally developed for the GameCube, but was ultimately canceled. Entertainment Weekly gave the same console version universal acclaim despite the fact that it was canceled months ago.

<i>Major League Baseball 2K5</i> 2005 baseball video game

Major League Baseball 2K5 is an MLB licensed baseball simulation video game published by 2K. MLB 2K5 is available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The previous game in the series made by Sega Sports was ESPN Major League Baseball back in 2004. The first edition of the series, powered by ESPN. Unlike the other "2K5" branded sports games, this was published by 2K, making it the first Visual Concepts-developed sports game not to be published by Sega, though Sega's logos are still seen in the background of menus and ballparks. The game included Web Gems instant replays, K-Zone pitching, Slam Zone hitting, and baserunner mode. The game was released in late February 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles. The cover baseball player was New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Later that year, an upgraded version titled Major League Baseball 2K5: World Series Edition was released during the 2005 MLB postseason.

<i>ESPN NBA Basketball</i> (video game) 2003 video game

ESPN NBA Basketball is a 2003 basketball simulation video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by Sega. It is the fifth installment in the NBA 2K franchise and the successor to NBA 2K3. It was released in 2003 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Allen Iverson is the cover athlete of the game. ESPN NBA Basketball is the predecessor to ESPN NBA 2K5 in the NBA 2K series. It is the penultimate NBA 2K game before being sold by Sega company to form 2K Sports. It is also the first game to feature the ESPN logo full-time and the only game not to feature "2K" in its title, but was instead featured "2K4" on the cover art.

References

  1. ↑ "ESPN NBA 2K5 Goes Gold - XboxAddict News". xboxaddict.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  2. ↑ Pringle, James B. (2004-09-30). "ESPN NBA 2K5 Ships". IGN. Archived from the original on 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  3. ↑ "ESPN NBA 2K5 First Impression" Archived 2023-07-26 at the Wayback Machine (September 14, 2004). GameSpot . Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ "ESPN NBA 2K5: The Preview" Archived 2023-07-26 at the Wayback Machine (September 14, 2004). IGN . Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "ESPN NBA 2K5 for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "ESPN NBA 2K5 for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  7. 1 2 EGM staff (December 2004). "ESPN NBA 2K5". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 185. p. 158.
  8. 1 2 3 Reiner, Andrew (November 2004). "ESPN NBA 2K5". Game Informer . No. 139. p. 143. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Bro Buzz (December 2004). "ESPN NBA 2K5". GamePro . p. 142. Archived from the original on February 6, 2005. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Dr. Moo (October 20, 2004). "ESPN NBA 2K5 Review". Game Revolution . Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Colayco, Bob (October 1, 2004). "ESPN NBA 2K5 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Tuttle, Will (October 1, 2004). "GameSpy: ESPN NBA 2K5". GameSpy. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Sandoval, Angelina (October 17, 2004). "ESPN NBA 2K5 - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Surette, Tim (October 21, 2004). "ESPN NBA Live 2K5 - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  15. 1 2 Goldstein, Hilary (September 28, 2004). "ESPN NBA 2K5 (PS2)". IGN. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  16. ↑ Goldstein, Hilary (September 28, 2004). "ESPN NBA 2K5 (Xbox)". IGN. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  17. ↑ "ESPN NBA 2K5". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . December 2004. p. 128.
  18. ↑ "ESPN NBA 2K5". Official Xbox Magazine . December 2004. p. 89.
  19. ↑ Hill, Jason (February 24, 2005). "Pure arcade fun". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  20. ↑ Campbell, Colin; Keiser, Joe (July 29, 2006). "The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century". Next Generation . Archived from the original on October 28, 2007.
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