basketball

Let me start off by saying the camera is excellent period.
For those persons having difficulty with the camera then the follow cam is the way to go, it follows you from the back court and moves with you until you reach the half court. Graphics excellent, the more you play the more you will be amazed. I was playing with the Lakers and when they showed devean george's face he looked exactly like his real life counterpart with the green eyes same face and everything. Gameplay excellent but the controls take alot of getting use to if you are a beginner at the 2k series. Since you draw alot of charges with the isomotion, all you should do is press back on the right analog stick. The player movements are not stiff like some other reviewers said, the only thing i saw stiff about the game was the movement of the nets, you don't get that swish like in nba 2k. The freethrow system i have found to be easy, it takes only about 1 minute to get use to. Lineup the left and right trigger in the center to make a basketball shape then you will see the lines on the side turn white, when the ball moves up it will turn red, press the ball in the center of the shape. Sound is excellent with a tv broadcast style fans should be easily attracted to this title if you watch nba on espn fridays you will notice the commentators sound just like there real life counterparts. The passing game is put together very well, the passes are accurate and not like live's passing system while on a fast break they just stop and pass it to their teammate, in espn they would do a behind the back or around the neck pass. You even have the ability to throw a alleyoop to your man while he is running towards the rim. The only slight problems with this game is their is not much of an offensive playbook,but their is a lot of plays on defense. If you are a player that see the court well then this won't be an issue on offense.The other problem is this year they didn't put the player introductions in the game but that's not major because they show cutscenes where the players prepare for the game. If you don't have this game in your collection go get it. I'm not saying live is a stupid game, i'm just saying you should get this because it looks, feels, and plays like a more realistic game.

I just got my Xbox and this ESPN basketball game a few days ago, and although it's pretty 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. With certain players (i.e. Tim Duncan)it works ok, but with others, you will be called for charging almost every time you use it.

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

2 other reasons why I prefer the EA game: 1. the "last man back" button 2. the "alley oop" button

The first button allows you to quickly choose your player (defender) who is the furthest back. This is great help when your opponent is running a fast break or when he's blown by you and is taking it to the rim. You can tap the button and you are ready to defend.

The second button allows you to throw an alley-oop pass when one of your players is in the vicinity of the hoop. This is great fun when executed properly.

Overall, the ESPN is a very good game, but it just seems a bit more clunky and limited than the Electronic Arts NBA Live 2004 game. So my recommendation: pass up this ESPN game and spend your cash on the Electronic Arts ball game.

I've been a fan of the 2K series since Dreamcast and let me say this is the best one yet. Every year these dudes at Sega get better and better. Out of all the basketball games that came out, this one definitely has the best graphics. The gameplay is trully spectacular. Unlike other basketball titles(NBA Live 2004) you have to actually call plays to score. Not hold the turbo button untill you get close to the rim and dunk. The defensive and offensive play calling in this game is on another level. Why is ESPN NBA Basketball 2K4 the best basketball game ever? 24/7 mode my friend.

24/7 mode allows you to create a street basketball player from birth. No joke...your player has no skill whatsoever. Before you go around the world and play on the most famous street courts(Greece, Japan, New York City and many more)against NBA players and legends. I suggest you go through training. I've had this game for almost a year and I still haven't maxed out my player. That is how challenging it is. Oh, did I mention that you can take your created player on XBOX LIVE and have deadly one on one matches to 21 against other XBOX LIVE players, with your custom soundtrack playing(I like to listen to BIG Punisher). The customization in this game is so deep that your player will look like nobody else's created player.

If you are a true basketball fan this is the game for you. Xbox Live & the 24/7 mode takes this game to the history books of basketball games.