ESPN NHL 2K5
ESPN NHL 2K5 makes skating with the NHL's elite a reality! Return to the ice and face the latest season of high-caliber hockey. The game has all-new features combined with classic hocket gaming. Featuring the deepest franchise mode ever, plus hands-on stick movement in a variety of defensive situations. Intense new contact controls for body checks and fights kick it up a notch, while new modes like Dream Team Challenge bring home the feel of hardcore on-ice play. You can even compete for the title of King Of The Rink in the new Party Mode. Get more high-speed hockey action by playing in online leagues and multi-player mini-games Exclusive ESPN presentation system, with crowd chants, custom soundtracks, and ice girls On-ice action called by actual ESPN announcers Gary Thorne and Bill Clement
ESPN NHL 2K5 Accessories
 ESPN College Hoops 2K5
Major League Baseball 2K5
ESPN NBA 2K5
ESPN NFL 2K5
Xbox DVD Movie Playback Kit
NBA 2K6
NHL 2006
NHL 2K6 for Xbox
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07
College Hoops 2K6
ESPN NHL 2K5 Reviews
There are two other things that this game has on EA. In my opinion, this game compares roughly to NHL 2002. While it was a little bit dissipointing and again not as good as EA, it is good, Clement and Pang in the booth is one of the main things that this game has on EA. This means that the most effective defense is poke check, which is not only less exciting, but less realistic. Graphics are aweful, gameplay is way to easy, you can skate around with the puck for half a minute in the offensive zone without being hit, or even walk through 3 guys into the slot, try that in NHL 2005. Instead of a button that you use to hit, you just have to run into a player with speeds burst. If you are looking for a great hockey game, go with NHL 2005, but if price is a major factor, ESPN NHL 2K5 is alright.
The EA NHL series is excellent, and it is tough to compare. That having been said, the game does have it's upside. After getting an X-Box, i was intrigued by the price of 2K5, but the upgrade to NHL 2005 is well worth it. Apart from price, the thing that intrigued me about this game was the ESPN tag. While the create-a-player is weak, it is there, which is more than can be said for the EA game. Another major problem is hitting. I assumed that this would mean a better presentation.
If they could combine the graphics of EA's and the gameplay of 2k, it would make the perfect hockey game. The body does not look good at all. The cut scenes during intermission are better, and the voice work is by far the best around. The defenders are smarter, the other players on your team are smarter.
The extras are better with the skybox, and historic teams. NHL 2005 was visually stunning. Last year I bought both NHL 2005 for the PC and 2k5 for Xbox. There are things I like in both games, though from just a hockey gameplay stand point you can't beat this.
. The players, especially the goaltenders look like boxes to me with heads. The player models look so much more realistic than what you see in NHL 2K5.
I will say the faces for the most part do look like they are suppose to be. On the other hand, the game play is much more how you would play a real hockey game.
I tried this game before i went back to ea sports. This game rules man. I created a player and I added him to the roster. I just have one question. But when I go into my season I he is niotr there.
Now they have the deke moves but that might fall into your shoting buttons. please help. Which is good to hear since there is no hockey this year. Espn has it easy and the price is great.
Plus you have the good braodcasters of Gary thorne and Bill Clement. It was hard to figure out which button was the one timer and which was the speed burst. With ea sports now they changed all of the controller configs. Any one have a solution for me. 20 bucks.
this is a true hockey simulation with a million different modes that i forgot to mention. the movements and animations of the characters, though goofy, flow perfectly. party mode, shootout, skills comp, franchise (the best i have ever seen), pond hockey, mini rink mode, international, playoffs, tournament, no helmet, even the heritage classic. anyway, the animations of the goalies is flawless. and it all affects your team. right out of the box it's perfect. i couldnt believe the offseason either. ok let me start off by saying this game does freeze occasionally, and this is caused, at least in my case, by the system scratching the game.
the goalies in this game are amazing. the whole espn presentation makes me feel like im controlling a real life game. this game hip checks EA right over the boards and into the opposing bench. . you won't have a goalie with a rating of 49 shutting out a team with a goalie of 95 10-0.
there's so much more that i just dont have the time or space to talk about. which brings up another point, the goalies. when all is said and done, for 20 bucks, you are getting a game that is worth 50.
in EA's game, the goalies seem to flop around hasek style, and they tend to not play like their real life nhl brothers. in ESPN, each goalie plays similarly to his own style, and the goalies are rated very well, and play as well as they are rated. you can actually play games and go through skills competitions with players before you draft them. this game is loaded with hours and hours and hours of fun. i had a similar problem with madden 02, where either they made the cd too thick or my system is just dirty. you control almost everything.
the graphics in this game, though not nearly as good as the cybermapped faces of EA's game, are very good. it is beyond words. the scouting in this game is amazing. neither team will let in a mass amount of goals, every game is a reasonable score, unless you are playing finland against belarus.
the coup de grase of this game is its franchise mode. your team reacts so well to everything going on on the ice, and your defense and goalies will not let in 20835729087359 goals a game. the speed of this game is perfect as well. you dont have to mess with any of the games many, and I mean many, sliders.
hiring coaches, scouts, trainers, minor league staff. i've had people walk in while i was playing think i was watching espn classic.
I realize that it mostly all comes down to personal preference but I've been playing both games for quite some time now and my vote would definitely have to go to 2k5. I'm not saying the game has never froze but then I'm not sure I've ever owned a game that hasn't froze a few times especially after extensive play (6-8 consecutive hours). This game is by far the best NHL game on the market for the XBOX. The control that 2k5 gives you over your player and the puck are unparalleled especially after you have figured out the deeking and puck protect.
I would hate to see anyone miss out on the fun that you can have playing this game. For those of you claiming that the graphics are bad obviously you haven't ever played this game on a 65" big screen at 480p. Technically the graphics are excellent and the sound effects are superb. I've played a lot of hockey, between 2k4, 2k5 and EA close to 2000 games and I must admit that in 2k5 the skaters don't "look" like they are skating as good as in EA however the controls "feel" more like your skating in 2k4 and 2k5.
I also feel the gameplay is much better than EA. I read all the reviews about how bad this game is and my recommendation would be to rent both and play them to determine which you prefer and not take some persons review as the holy word. I haven't had any significant issues. As far as the freezing goes.
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