028zzzStore

game is good to play on xbox, 2k series

Best hockey game of all time in my opinion. Easy and fun to play. Works with both XBOX and XBOX360.

Thanks

it was a pretty good game for a old game. I liked it a lot. it was pretty good .

ESPN NHL 2k5 is a difficult game to review. From a pure gameplay standpoint, you can't go wrong. I can't think of one single thing to complain about, especially since virtually every aspect of the gameplay can be tweaked via "slidders". Visuals are outstanding, and sound can be made to be outstanding. I say that because the default sound settings are rediculous. All you can hear are the commentators. No goal horn, no arena announcer, etc. Fortunately, you can fix all of that.

The problem, however, is that you need to "fix all of that" every single time you play a game. General settings, for whatever reason, are not properly loaded from your saved settings. Gameplay settings are retained, thankfully, but settings related to sound need to be manually set every time you load the game up. Annoying, to say that least.

I'm not much of a franchiser (I'd rather play than manage, but that's just me), but I've heard the franchise mode is great. However, it also seems to be plagued by a bug that freezes it mid-season. I don't know the specifics of it, but I know that you can avoid it by turning injuries off when initially setting up the franchise.

Fortunately, I haven't encountered any bugs related to on-ice gameplay. I find the controls to be excellent (you have 3 different control schemes from which to choose: Classic, Intermediate, and Advanced), too.

If you can live with the bugs (which I consider to be minor), there is no other choice for hockey.

Hopefully the NHL doesn't sell out to EA like the NFL just did and the NBA is considering.

First, the price alone is amazing. Video game technology is cheap now so the $50 price tag should be removed from all games. Back to 2K5, The graphics are the best ever seen on an NHL game. The improvement over last years version is incrediable! Commentary is much better. Yes, still repetitive sometimes, but alot more different comments and play-by-play announcing. The crowd even reacts to the action on the ice. Ring a shot off the post at home or not your opponent on his ass you will see what I mean about the crowd reaction! The controls have improved beyond expectations. You know literally control your every move. There are more extras than I have time to describe. But the table ice hockey is great. But the Franchise mode is the best improvement. It is more indepth and you can scout and control your minor league team as well. Everyone complains about the "freezing up" I have not had it happen to me. I am in the month of March of the franchise. But that does not mean there is not a problem. I just have not experienced it.
But the best part is playing on Xbox Live! It opens an all new realm to hockey.
The difficulty levels have improved this year as well. I dominated on All-Star level on 2k4 winnig games 20-2. This year, Pro is not easy. Yes, I have won games 10-2, but those types of games happen in real hockey as well. So I know that All-Star and Hall of Famer will not be easy.
Again, Sega smashes EA Sports when it comes to hockey. This game is a must for hockey fans who want a sim hockey game. If you want arcade type action and game play, go with EA Sports or NHL Rivals, or better yet NHL HITZ PRO. But 2K5 is well worth $20 and a few hours of game time! GO AVALANCHE!!

IT'S ONLY $20!

Last years 2k4 took great steps to incorporate real hockey presentation with smooth game play. The effort was more than noteworthy but something was lacking. This year the 2k series seems to have picked up steam and has made necessary changes while adding new features that make this game more than enjoyable.

IT'S ONLY $20!

First off, for the causal hockey fan, this game does everything it can to keep things simple. You have your speed burst, poke check, shoot, slap shot, and check buttons when playing. The difficulty has been started of at almost too easy but never worry, there are many settings you can tweak to adjust to your level of play.

IT'S ONLY $20!

The advance users can use a more advanced control scheme. From pinning your opponent to the boards, catching air borne pucks, dumping the puck - you name it, this game's got it. You can even switch to a player not controlling the puck and call for the pass!

IT'S ONLY $20!

Game play this year seems the same pace it was last year with only a few gripes to voice. First the face off animations are awesome but right after dropping the puck the game seems to move in slow motion for second - and not on purpose. Goalie animations are mediocre at best. Come on, butterfly means putting your pads where u can see the whole face, not at an angle. Either motion capture is in experienced or animation department is a little off. Either way, there are just not enough save animations for the netminders. Other than these two nit-picks, the game is smooth as butter, or cream, or your favorite drink...you get the picture. Player animations are awesome, fighting is a lot more realistic with the new fighting engine, and scoring goals top-shelf never felt better.

IT'S ONLY $20!

Modes of play have changed allowing users to participate in mini party games which are just a blast! Exhibition, Franchise -which now has minor league teams with scouting, Tournament, Quick Game, and Live play will also keep you glued to your TV for hours. Even if you don't feel like playing any games there is always the more than welcome Skills Competition.

So hey - if you ever buy just one hockey game this year or any year please make it ESPN NHL 2K5. After all it's just twenty dollars. That's it. And, at this price tag, it's more than a steal - but don't feel guilty, this game just rocks.

P.S. I pray for the NHL season this year. They better come to an agreement. I NEED my hockey.

great