Championship: NFL 2k5 vs. College Hoops 2k8

[BlyGilmore]

Championship

#2 NFL 2k5

vs.

#14 College Hoops 2k8

Road to the Final Four

#2 NFL 2k5 beat NHL 95, Joe Montana's Sports Talk Football, Blades of Steel, Mike Tyson's Punchout and Baseball Stars to reach the Final Four.

#14 College Hoops 2k8 has defeated Championship Manager, NBA 2k8, Tecmo Bowl and Super Tecmo Bowl to reach the Final Four.

The Argument for NFL 2k5
By Noles_ACC
This now seemingly forgotten football series (I'm staring at EA's Napoleon-esque griphold on the NFL genre) hit its full stride with the 2005 version. Not only was the game extremely economical - it retailed for just $20 - it got the oomph of having the ESPN name and presentation, bringing it a certain "Yes, we deserve to be a Big Boy on the Block" feel that the previous incarnations lacked.

Since the game originally launched on the Sega Dreamcast and was slow to come to PS2 or Xbox, this precious football gaming gem was like the trendy Indie rock band you found on MySpace that MTV had yet to serve to the masses. If you played this game, consistently acclaimed by the critics, you were not only avant garde by not drinking the Madden Koolaid but also you were, in fact at that time, playing the best game the genre had to offer.

The main reason for this is NFL 2k5's complete commitment to realistic gameplay. A simple contrast in the version's Right analog stick innovations highlight this philosophical difference with Madden. In 2k5, the right analog stick was used to among other things: quarterbacks evading on-coming rushers, running backs lowering their head to bruise forward, and adjusting linebacker and secondary coverage. Madden? This was the year they added the "Hit Stick," which for all its popularity, added nothing other than the entertainment value of laying Pro Wrestling-esque piledrivers on other players.

And in its own version of the "Hit Stick," 2k5 added its own tackling innovation: you press the square button (on PS2) hard and you get an aggressive tackle; you press lightly, you get a more accurate, wrap-them-up one. Not only is this a more natural process for gamers than ramming the righth analog stick with your thumb while simultaneously moving with your left thumb on the left analog stick...it makes sense.

Now, as time passed, Madden has added numerous innovations and gameplay tweaks that have brought it more and more to realistic gameplay, but 2k5 was perhaps the most accurate representation of NFL football we've ever seen. Couple the realistic gameplay with the ESPN in-game presentation (still ranks as one of the best ever), and you get a game for the ages. I think 2k5 is the only game, in any given year, to best the overall power of Madden, and for that reason alone, it should be considered as a classic.

The Argument for College Hoops 2k8
By ChrisS
College Hoops 2k8 is simply the best college basketball game period. Coach K's College Basketball was fun, but it could never compare to everything College Hoops 2k8 has done.

College Hoops featured excellent gameplay, an incredible legacy mode and simply fun head to head action. Let's not also discount the fact that I believe the Legacy mode made College Hoops 2k8 what it was. There was nothing more fun at the time than to get some friends and play the tournament. I had countless hours using the UCLA Bruins and their star studded cast and cut down the nets many a times.

This game certainly captured the atmosphere, colors and pagentry that can only be found in college sports.

[BlyGilmore]

the fanboi special. i'm guessing at least 10 people's heads explode.

[ehh]

Yeah, this is simply a popularity contest at this point. Neither of these games have any business being here, well I guess I could argue for CH2k8.

I wouldn't even put NFL2k5 as one of the Top 5 football games ever made but I know there are plenty of die-hards here who keep modding it.

Imagine if The Show wasn't so popular and a majority of baseball fans were stuck with a "Madden-like" baseball game, MVP on the PC would have won this contest by a landslide.

[daflyboys]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

Yeah, this is simply a popularity contest at this point. Neither of these games have any business being here, well I guess I could argue for CH2k8. I wouldn't even put NFL2k5 as one of the Top 5 football games ever made but I know there are plenty of die-hards here who keep modding it. Imagine if The Show wasn't so popular and a majority of baseball fans were stuck with a "Madden-like" baseball game, MVP on the PC would have won this contest by a landslide.

You were expecting something other than a popularity contest? As much as I like MVP on the PC, it has its' flaws as well. And remember it was only made great by the modders. So in its' raw form it's still a great baseball game, but.....

[Dislimb]

Quote: Originally Posted by ehh

Imagine if The Show wasn't so popular and a majority of baseball fans were stuck with a "Madden-like" baseball game, MVP on the PC would have won this contest by a landslide.

Yep.

Having said that, I just don't feel right voting for a six month old game as the "greatest of all time" so I voted for NFL 2K5 which I'm not even that big of a fan of to begin with.

[boomhauertjs]

I voted for CH 2k8 even though it's not even the best hoops game (NBA 2k8). Tecmo Super Bowl should've been here.

[Krioniq]

NFL2K5 is, simply put, the most enjoyable video game I've ever played.

[studbucket]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlyGilmore

the fanboi special. i'm guessing at least 10 people's heads explode.

Not really, you don't have to look 2K games to like 1 more than the other. CHoops is the best sports game I have ever played and I've voted for it since it was a 14 seed in round 1.

I'm not quite sure what it does for you or this site to label things based on your opinion other than undermining the whole process. I was really hoping I wouldn't ever see the word 'fanboi' here, but I guess the the 2K, EA, and WoW forums met up with Avril Lavigne and decided to become a contributor at OS.

[BlyGilmore]

I really have to question the sports gaming "street cred" of anybody who says CH 2k8 is the best sports game they've ever played. I guarantee in five years there aren't people playing CH 2k8.

And I hate to keep using it but its such a great point TJ made in one of the podcasts ... how is a game that probably isn't even the best basketball game THIS YEAR getting pushed this far in the tournament?

and IMO it certainly isn't the best sports game released this year. most year end wrap ups have had it in the "honorable mention" category behind NHL 08, FIFA, NBA 2k8, Skate and The Show.

NFL 2k5? Not sure its a better game than Mike Tyson's Punchout IMO but I can respect it getting this far. It was one of the best football games of all time when it came, so you can see why a fan base is voting for it.

[ehh]

Quote: Originally Posted by BlyGilmore

And I hate to keep using it but its such a great point TJ made in one of the podcasts ... how is a game that probably isn't even the best basketball game THIS YEAR getting pushed this far in the tournament?

At the same time, how is a football game that isn't even a Top 5 football game of all-time in the finals?

It depends on people's opinion as to which is better, CH or NBA2K. Most say NBA2K has slightly better gameplay but CH is the better overall package (legacy, 2K Share, etc). And that statement is kinda loaded since NBA2K would be considered the best basketball game ever made, so the "this year" part is misleading. CH is 1a if you're talking about the greatest basketball games ever made.

It's simple, there are a ton of die hard NFL2K guys left on this site and a buncha die hard CH2K guys on the site, that's why I referenced the popularity contest. OS is sucha small community so these polls are easily skewed.

And I guarantee you're wrong on the first part about no one playing the game in five years, unless by some miracle March Madness turns into a great game.