Reviews of ESPN NBA Basketball 2k4 - Xbox

Customer Ratings:

First of all, let me say that I own both NBA Live 2004 and ESPN NBA, and that hands down this game is the better one of the two. It's a very solid hoops game, but it still has some problems.

The GOOD: Amazing graphics. Accurate player faces for EVERY SINGLE player in the league! The graphics blow Live away it's not even funny. The control also feels less frantic and more precise than Live, and the ISOmotion control, while clearly ripped off from Live's Freestyle, works pretty well. The 24/7 mode, which allows you to build a baller and play a variety of mini games and contests, is fun and addictive. It's not perfect, as some of the objectives are frustrating or boring, but it's a neat innovation that some lesser companies would sell as a separate game! The depth of customization is amazing, especially in terms of gameplay sliders, meaning the game can be as arcady or realistic as you like. The passing is much improved, and the commentary is decent. Tons of unlockables (teams, gear, courts) make this game addictive as well! Overall, a great game.

The Bad: Camera angles. So many developers overlook this, the most fundamental presentation element of any game. 2K3 had virtually infinite camera angles, since you could customize angle of elevation, zoom, etc for each camera. This year, we have... 5, and they all stink. You get to choose between "behind the player" and a couple of utterly useless "sideline" angles which give you no depth perception at all. Limited customization of your player is also a downer, given the attention to detail elsewhere. There are only a handful of faces and skin-tones, and they're pretty generic.

The Ugly: Some Isomotion moves feel out-of-control and result in you turning the ball over. I can't stand the stats layout, it feels pretty kindergarten.

Wish list for 2K5: More camera angles, more ESPN content like post-game interviews/player of the week extras, more player model customization, more intuitive menus.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This game is just amazing, from the movement of the uniforms, to the animations, to the best gameplay I have ever played in a basketball game, I mean, hands down this game is number one. The graphics were a HUGE upgrade from last years 2k3 Every player model is perfect (cept for Kobe's Tattoo) I mean SPOT ON. I also think the effect of the jersey swaying and moving when going in for a dunk or a lay-up is sooo sweet. The gameplay is outstanding, I absolutely LOVE the ISO-Motion It really adds so much to the game. The commentary isnt the best, but it isnt the worst either. Tom tolbert does an okay job being that its his rookie year in video games. But the crowd and music is awesome. I Love the AI difficulty, that rocks. everything else is good too. Like the 24/7 mode, I found it okay, maybe i just need to play it more. Thats all I have I give it a 9.8 out of 10

Best Deals for ESPN NBA Basketball 2k4 - Xbox

I got this game last christmas and I've had trouble

putting the control down. The new 24/7 mode is a good

addition. You go around courts play different kind of

games.... One on one, Two on Two, no turbo and all kinds

of things. It does at times get alittle repetitive and

annoying.. But once you have finished it you will feel

like it was a good accomplishment.

The graphics are pretty decent... But there are alot of

options on this game. I've always liked the sliders but

better than the standard EASY, MEDIUM, HARD stuff. You

can adjust everything from the shoot percentages to the

steals and even double teams and such. The players move

up and down the court depending on what you have the

options set on. You can slow the players down which tends

to lead to lower scoring games or go full blast to turn

it closer to arcade. The one thing that bothers me is the

lack of runable plays. You have 4 standard offenses and it

feels like it was dumbed down for the bandwagon fans to be

able to operate it. When facing the computer on harder

levels the lack of plays makes it alittle together and

sometimes turns the game into one on one trying to beat

your man. Another thing that gets on my nerves is that

you can't make adjustments to the Bobcats roster. WHY???

I don't think you can even pick the franchise in franchise

mode. Speaking of the franchise mode, it's fairly good on

here... Depending on which team. I choose the Lakers do to

the big cap they have. A big problem is the contracts. One

thing I don't like is that you can't re-sign FA's until

they're contracts is up... That really gets on my nerves.

The other modes are pretty much run of the mill.

Pros:

-Lots of options

-24/7 Mode

-NBA draft workout thing is cool

-Decent one on one mode

-Good legends teams

-Iso Motion

good detailed players

Cons:

-Post game is mediocre

-Can't adjust the Bobcats team in any way

-Can't re-sign players before contracts are up

-If the computer steals the ball from you it counts

as two turnovers instead of one

-Lack of plays. Sorry, some people like more than 4 lousy

plays.

Honest reviews on ESPN NBA Basketball 2k4 - Xbox

I just got my Xbox and this ESPN basketball game a few days ago, and although it's fun, I have to say that it's not quite as good as the EA NBA Live 2004 game. I've played the EA game on my brother's Playstation 2 and found the game-play to be a LOT more fun and dramatic.

The ESPN only has one shoot button, whereas the EA game's 2 buttons allows you to shoot a jumper or go for a dunk. Also, the freestyle stick in the EA game is much more functional. With ESPN, 3 out of 4 times when I use the "iso-motion" stick i get called for charging. That's a load of c---. Why is it there?

Another thing I like about the EA game is that the camera gets in closer to the action. With the ESPN game I don't feel as involved in the action. I feel like I'm in the stands.

I also prefer the audio on the EA game. The commentators are more verbose and excited. (And the music is better.)

Overall, the ESPN is a good game, but it just seems a bit more clunky than the Electronic Arts NBA Live game. So my recommendation: spend your cash on the Electronic Arts ball game.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for ESPN NBA Basketball 2k4 - Xbox

Ok lets get real here. Before you read this please understand that I've spent an unbelievable amount of time on Sega basketball games in the past. That's why I know so much about it because I used to play it so much. With that said, it's obvious that sega sports (now espn) was just in a hurry to rush this game out. Your supposed to improve on games not make them worse. Sega's last title NBA 2K3 was way better than this garbage. They completely overhauled this game just to make it more arcadish. You used to be able to square up and strafe when playing defense by pressing the left trigger.....not anymore. Now it's impossible to keep anyone out of the paint. You can just run a pick and roll all day. This is why the computer will get 50 assists a game on you. And it can't be stopped.

Another reason it appears they rushed this game is because there aren't near as many camera angles as there used to be. Now your forced to go with what they have instead of customizing it yourself.

The graphics are starting to get cheasy now. The only time the players look good is during cut scenes.

The only reason they put the isomotion moves in this game is because they wanted to try to copy NBA Live 2004 which came out first. Your teammates don't help you rebound. The characters start dribbling between their legs for no reason and won't stop, then you turn the ball over. A lot of the NBA players & rookies are missing, and it only allows you to create about 10 players. The game sliders don't seem to have any affect on the game. I put the shooting sliders down all the way for the computer and they were still hitting shots from all over the place! When you pass the ball the receiver of the pass jumps up in the air for no reason messing up your offense. When there's a loose ball, your teammates don't rush to it, but the computer sure does.

Now then, I'm not here to promote any basketball video game. Personally, I've tried all the new basketball games, and they all stink! My advise, wait until next year and see if they improve, because they are not worth your $$. But if you must, then NBA 2K2 & 2K3 are still the best. (Even though there are a few problems with those too, I enjoyed those two a great deal. Peace......