NBA Live 2005

Anyone familiar with last year��s NBA Live title probably remembers its shortcomings. Sloppy collision-detection issues and unscrupulous defensive programming made the game hard to swallow, let alone fall in love with. Well, you��ll be happy to know that those problems have been fixed for NBA Live 2005, and it feels right.

Rejoice! There are no more ungodly triple teams and few, if any, failed-collision-detection eyesores mucking up gameplay. Users finally have better control of the players on the court as well��you feel the difference as soon as you pick up the game and play.

The game��s biggest asset is its viscerally thrilling slam dunk contest. Dunking a basketball is the one element of the sport almost everyone is familiar with, including people who aren��t even sports fans. Thankfully, Electronic Arts did this right. The arcadelike nature of dunking makes it an addictive element in an already solid title. If you buy this game, you��ll probably turn on your console for the sole purpose of playing this one mode; admittedly, the alley-oops are hard to nail��perhaps excessively so��but once you get the timing right, there is no sweeter experience.

Since everything that may have annoyed you about last year��s title has been tightened considerably, 2005 is definitely worth owning. The graphics still lag behind those of the distinguished competition that is ESPN NBA 2K5, which has��yet again��found a way to look better. But all may be forgiven when the slam dunk contest gets rolling.

09 Out of ten

PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts // DEVELOPER: Electronic Arts // PLAYERS: 1-4 // LIVE: Yes // MSRP: $39.99 // ESRB: E

Now Sans Dunk

Yes, NBA Live 2005 has Xbox Live compatibility this year, just like its distant cousin Madden NFL 2005. Expect a sexy new lobby where you can meet up with other players and go head-to-head. But that lovely new slam dunk contest, along with all the other all-star weekend modes, is not available for online play. Don��t fret��traditional roster updates and tournaments will be available with new features for Xboxers everywhere. That��s right, you earned it, kiddo!

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.