ESPN NBA 2K5

Just as ESPN NFL 2K5 made a huge splash with its big game play and small price, now NBA 2K5 is doing the same for basketball. While essentially the same as last year's version there are some marked improvements.

The offensive and defensive A.I. issmarter and 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 animations and models are all improved over last years making an already great looking game look even better and one of its advantages over NBA Live. There are a number of improved and added movesets for both post-up and perimeter players that add further to the realism.

There are also some interesting coaching strategies you can use such as both positive and negative reinforcement, training, etc...there's even a fair amount of psychology involved.

While NBA 2K5 may not quite have the overall depth to franchise modes that NBA live does, it's great look and gameplay makes up for it. And at $20 bucks, and often seen on sale for $15 bucks this is one bargain you can't pass up.