After you move toward the basket and jump, you can press one of these same buttons again in midair to execute one of a host of different tricks, such as a double clutch, a tomahawk, and so on.
In this mode, there are four buttons that each corresponds to a different type of takeoff, such as one-footed takeoffs or 360-spin takeoffs. The dunk competition is more interesting. The slam-dunk contest is the centerpiece of All-Star Weekend. In practice, this mode really isn't that exciting, as it boils down to pressing the same two buttons over and over again. Each player must take up to 25 three-point shots within 60 seconds to earn points, with five specially colored balls counting for two points instead of one. The three-point contest allows you to pick up to eight NBA sharpshooters to compete against one another. You'll be able to play through four events from the real-life NBA All-Star Weekend, including the rookies versus sophomores game, the actual All-Star Game, the three-point shoot-out, and the slam-dunk contest. The biggest addition in NBA Live 2005 is its inclusion of the All-Star Weekend. NBA Live 2005 plays a solid game of basketball, but even the flashy new features can't hide the fact that it isn't a huge step up from last year's edition. But, as with an NBA team, a game is not just the sum of its parts.
There's also been a revamp of the franchise mode and some tweaks made to the basic gameplay.
Live 2005 offers a number of new features, such as a full implementation of All-Star Weekend, complete with the slam-dunk contest and three-point shoot-out. With the NBA season just under way, Electronic Arts has shipped the PC version of its NBA Live 2005.