Operation Sports Roundtable: NFL 2K5 Edition

[Brandwin]

I enjoyed 2K5 like the rest of them, but it had some major flaws itself and to me, it's doesn't deserve all the praise it gets.

[Gusto1]

It is still being talked about 5 yrs later that fact alone puts it in a league of its own. The game felt more like the nfl experience than any other game it will be interesting in a few years when the ea deal is up with the nfl.

[dan77733]

Richard - I agree with everything you said.

Chrisian - How anyone can say that 2K5 is one of the most overrated sports games ever despite the fact that Madden has been overrated, overhyped and overpriced year after year is beyond me. The gameplay isnt slow at all and maybe you should put the speed setting on fast and see if that helps you. The funny thing is that you sound like one of those Madden fanboys who have always complained about 2K being arcadish but yet, it was 2K5 and 2005 that actually reversed roles. I remember so many Madden fanboys saying "where's the momentum" in regards to the 2K series yet didnt mention it ever again when 2K5 had momentum but 2005 didnt.. You talk about the control scheme being complicated??? Are you four years old or something because going through previous versions of Madden (in game and menus) is like going through a text book tutorial in comparison to 2K5's control setup.

As for being either a 2K or Madden fanboy, I would disagree with that because going back to the SNES/GEN days, I was always the "alternative to Madden fanboy" which means that I always preferred the alternative whether it be Tecmo (SNES), Montana 92-95 (GEN), GameDay 96-98 (PS) or the 2K series (DC/PS2/XBOX) because the alternative was always superior.

As for Madden NFL 2010, I already have it paid for in full for Xbox 360 and am more than willing to give it a fair chance but whether or not it surpasses 2K5 remains to be seen.

Caley - I pretty much agree with everything and while the gameplay had its negatives, they were outshined by the positives and quite honestly, the negatives in 2K5 have more to do with the non-gameplay aspects as opposed to the actual on the field gameplay.

Bryan - I agree with everything you said and like you, the only Madden that I ever purchased and played was 2004 (Vick on the cover) and even preferred it over 2K4.

In general, I would rate 2K5 a 7/10 but if you have access to FINN's editor and an Action Replay, the rating gets increased to a 9/10 because you can pretty much eliminate the negatives that are in 2K5 itself. As for Madden NFL 2010, after watching the entire game between BAL and TEN on YouTube, im actually looking forward to playing it which I can honestly say has never ever been the case.

And sorry for the LONG post but this should be an actual topic so people can discuss it.

[metallicatz]

NFL2K5 was the benchmark for its time to be sure, but it has not aged well outside of the presentation aspect. Like one of the OS contributers stated.....I popped in my copy recently and found it to be very un-inspiring from a gameplay standpoint in 2009. Most people seem to view 2K5, like they do Goldeneye, through nostalgia-tinted goggles. It's a game we remember very fondly but simply doesn't measure up to the gameplay performance of today's offerings. I remember thinking in 2007 that the gameplay of 2K5 had been surpassed. I think this year's Madden will be the new benchmark judging from not only the demo, but also from what we know was left out of the demo (as all demos are stripped down).

[Beezzee]

I think there are a dedicated group of gamers that genuinely think that NFL 2K5 is the end all, be all fooball experience that has ever come out. Past that core group, I think there is a much larger group that praise 2K5 just because it's the cool thing to do. The presentation was was excellent but that's where the accolades end. The gameplay was mediocre at best. Take the rose colored glasses off!

[kennyacid]

@ MADman24: I aways just put the whole charging up moves into context with real life. When your playing football guys are always tryin to put more into their moves...like when they do a stiff arm, some guys just throw their hand out..But guys like LT like to put a little more into,and thats all the charge up feature represents. What I didnt like though was the whole tapping a button to run faster...it mad the running animation look a little ugly and less fluid.

[stlstudios189]

I have had a week w/out my 360 and have turned back the clock playing NFL 2k5. It is a fun game to play, the presentation is a 10/10 the gameplay is 8/10 but, the overall fun factor is again 10/10 I still play Madden every year but, 2k5 was a complete experience. Madden may be catching up in the gameplay dept and someday the 2k5 name will fade away.

[thmst30]

It's sad that 5 years after 2K5 we still have to ask these questions and wonder if Madden can surpass 2K5 in every way. It's been FIVE YEARS. Madden is getting better, but it should be better in every possible area. It's not though. Not yet.