I remember it so well. It was a gut punch because 2K5 was soooooooo good. I was 25 years old and to that point hadn’t been hurt so bad by a video games. Little did I know the pain Silent Hill PT was gonna cause me lol
Right? It destroyed Madden that year. Holy shit, it wasn't even a contest. EA shit their pants and felt they needed to coerce the NFL into giving them exclusive rights. It sucks because ever since then, Madden has taken a noticeable nosedive in terms of quality.
See that pissed off the NFL bc they felt like they were losing money by doing that so they immediately cut a deal with EA to make the NFL games only through them.ruined football games for the next 20 years and it's still going.its amazing that price reduction ruined football games for decades.
NFL 2K was that moment for me when real-time video game graphics achieved a believable state. I remember playing not long after the release of the Dreamcast, and my mother casually walked by and asked who was playing, thinking I was watching an actual football game.
same thing happened to me - it was quite the jump in graphics quality people probably don't understand unless you were around and paying attention back then Everybody else still waited for the ps2 though anyway lol
Lol same with me I remember my father God rest his soul walk in my room 1day &I was just watching NFL2K5 &he said son who u watching playing to day lol he thought it was a reallife football game I was watching😊
@@dexocube , ah, but any form of Anarchism is no better either, and thus humans are a part of the stupid cyclical rut that never seems to be solved, for they approach the problem with human minds rather than with the Divine Mind.
@@dexocube If you don't have a state, you end up with either one of two things: complete and total lawlessness, or another state. People will either organize and officially govern themselves, which will be the development of a new state, or you will have a society without law. And that would be a nightmare.
That's the thing Madden fanboys don't understand. Even if you're the biggest Madden fan, you still want 2K to make an NFL game. Competition means the consumers win.
If only the NFL and EA weren’t so money hungry and holding that license hostage, we could’ve gotten more amazing games that don’t always feel like roster updates.
NFL doesn’t price or develop the game they just sign over the license they actually do care but the deal signed isn’t over bro lol NFL wanted 2k years ago soccer moved on too
I really appreciate this video more than you'll ever know. I was one of the top players on NFL 2K5 until 2010 when the OG Xbox was taken offline. The culmination of all 6 games came to fruition in the Sim juggernaut that was 2K5. Nothing will ever touch that game. Madden 24-54 is and will forever be light-years behind ESPN NFL2K5. Sega Lord X, you are goated for this video.
Of all the stupid things Sega has done, selling 2K was the stupidest. It would have at minimum kept a good revenue flowing and kept them relevant at a time they all but disappeared. Instead of Take Two raking it in and expanding.
Many still play 2K5 & 2K8 to this day, even modding in NFL teams to 2K8 & modern rosters into 2K5. If that doesn't testify to the legend of 2K Football, idk what does!
I still remember walking into my uncles room. After school seeing him play DC NFL 2k with the snow coming down , thought it was real life, he had to show me he was playing a video game
@@vcvortex6356 , you are a reason why we have to have warning labels on shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles. Also, giving your complete and utter dumpster fire of a comment up votes does not make you right, rather, it makes you just look pathetic.
@@vcvortex6356 , your comments are like your channel, as well as the space that is currently in between your ears, namely, they are worthless, and they are also devoid of content.
I still say that NFL 2K5 is one of the best sports games of all time. NFL 2K had a nice run and it's a shame that they couldn't continue with the franchise.
I lost my best friend a few years ago. I have fond memories of playing this game with him and although I'm not the biggest sports games guy, we loved throwing down on this with a few beers and making a day of it. We continued that tradition with the Madden games later on but this one holds a special place for me.
I really hope the NFL will invite competition in its video game titles again & that 2K returns. They were outstanding in their efforts. All Pro 2K8 was also a nice title on 360. Here's hoping one day, it will come back.
@@ItsMeBarnaby , I can make them let go of it, and also straighten out the NFL, the NFLPA, and any other unions, and corrupt a s s h o l e s as well in the process. People just lack the knowledge, and the f u c k i n g b a l l s , to properly make cases in courtrooms to make organizations like those pay out the a s s for their evil deeds. Believe me, if I had the patience to sue them in a court of law, and to also be a good lawyer, then I would be one that was of a Sir Lionel Luckhoo level of wins, but even more relentless and brutal in a court room. Unfortunately, I have no intention on selling out to a state, so I did not pursue such a path in my life.
Taking me back to my teenage years with this. I remember when pops got home from fishing the year the Dreamcast came out and he bought NFL 2K along with the system. I was mind blown seeing the graphics and gameplay. Only thing that stunk was calling timeouts as the second player. The commentary was revolutionary at the time and the announcers were pretty good. Shame good things came to end.
It’s a real shame. I’m a very casual football fan, but I played the hell out of 2K and 2K1. Was sooo good! They even got a mention on an episode of CSI. Two of the guys were taking in the lab and asked the other if they saw NFL 2K on the Dreamcast and how real it looked.
I never wanted a nfl game as a kid. Loved playing Super Tecmo Bowl but when I saw NFL2K coming out on the Dreamcast I NEEDED THAT GAME. Also loved NBA2K and NHL2K from that same year they were a blast
The perfect football game. Graphics: EA College Football 25 Broadcast Presentation: 2K5 Gameplay: 2K5 Franchise Modes: Madden Add in the MyCrib feature from 2K5, the first person mode from 2K5, and the Madden MiniGames from 2003. Perfection.
One day, in the mid-2000s, my older brother visited our family and gave my younger brother and I one Xbox game each. For my younger brother, it was Marc Eckō Getting Up. For me, it was ESPN NFL 2K5. To be honest, I was a little envious of my younger brother because Getting Up seemed like a much more interesting game than what I got. Still, I was thankful for getting a free game at all. Well Getting Up was a pretty decent game but NFL 2K5 wound up getting way more play time by my brother, our friends and I. It played great and the presentation was phenomenal. The SportsCenter half-time and post-game shows were so realistic for the time. And, of course, I had a blast decking out my crib in cool stuff and taking on teams lead by celebrities like Funkmaster Flex (which made my dad do a double take when he saw Flex in the game) and Steve-O. I don’t know what happened to Getting Up but I still own NFL 2K5 to this day and, while I don’t play it nearly as often as I used to, I’ll pull it out every once and a while and still have a good time. Thank you, older bro, and thank you, Sega. 👍🏾
I came home on 9/9/99 with Soul Calibur and NFL 2K. 2K was the game I had most been looking forward to, me and my friends were crazy NFL fans. We popped it in, and I was immediately impressed...then disappointed. The running game was so rigid. You couldn't really break tackles or bull you way forward, so it was all about passing. Subsequent years did improve though. I bought every edition up through 2K4, but the crib with all the heavy branding got to be kind off a turn off. Judging by the footage here I bailed one year too early though, 2K5 looks amazing.
Thanks for the video. I remember this time frame vividly. NFL 2K was competing with a lot more than Madden at the time yet each entry was absolutely stellar. It’s truly disheartening the state of NFL games these days. I hope it changes sooner than later. Lastly, NFL 2K5 is STILL the best NFL game ever made.
It doesn't get any more early 2000s than "The Crib". Well maybe if they called it DA CRIB. I was just playing 2k1 this week, still a banger and the series only gets better from there until the end. Great vid, SLX
I remember when they went multiplatform. I read an interview with one of ea sports lead devs and he said, "They can scotch tape that thing to a ham and give them away for free and we will still outsell them."
If ea not had to drop the price from $50 to $30 2005 doesnt outsell 2k5 Heck it only surpassed it after the price drop But 1.42mill 1.38mill clearly showed there was a market for both Corporate greed an grudge (Joe Montana on Sega&Nfl Gameday remember those gems anyone) Had to cause evil association to spend 300mill to lockdown the license 20ish yrs of mediocrity later here we are
When the Dreamcast launched, stores were demoing NFL2K and I literally thought it was a real live football game playing on TV. I might not be the biggest sports fan but back then it was mindblowing.
1st I want to say thank you for covering retro sports games. They definitely don’t get the love and attention I think some of them deserve. Especially from an informed gamer. It’s appreciated. 2nd this is the most tragic what if for me. I still have fantasies of what VC would’ve done to football gaming if allowed to continue. Thanks again for this video. It was great.
Man this takes me back. I used to play online back in the day. Would sit in lobby chat rooms all the time and chat. It took forever typing without the keyboard, but man the memories
I haven’t played sports games for almost 20 years because of EA’s stranglehold on it. I really liked NHL 2K on the Dreamcast as well. All I play sports-wise ironically is MLB The Show…on my Switch 😊
The back story is the NFL banned the 'throat slash' and NFL Fever had it in the game. The league was so embarrassed by this and the attention it received that they made a decision to make the game exclusive to the highest bidder. One, for the money, and two, to keep a better eye on what's put into the game.
I never played too many sports games, but when I did Eileen more toward the arcade style sports. NFl Blitz and Techmo Bowl we're about the extent of my football video games. I didn't get a Dreamcast right away, but ended up getting the Sega sports bundle at a pretty good discount. After playing NFL 2K, I was blown away. My friends and I played the hell out of it in college, and it was a great balance between simulation and more approachable arcade style football. NFL 2K 5 was amazing, and I loved the Xbox version of it. I am still pissed at EA for monopolizing the NFL license and killing any competition of the Madden series, which I never liked. this is a perfect example of why competition is a good thing. I miss this series, and Blitz a lot. Screw EA Sports!
Life changing game series for me. Others have said NFL 2K5 is the best football game of all time and I agree. Several other games in the series mean just as much to me. No one on earth might believe me but I’ve never played any Madden game since the death of this series.
I rarely comment on your awesome videos, Sega Lord X. But, as a long-time subscriber I would love a longer, more in-depth video of your thoughts on this series. It still sucks that it went away after only 6 years on the market (screw you NFL & EA Sports), and I still pine for an alternative pro football game of this quality in the market.
2K2 is my fav football game. Nice mix between arcadey and sim. It's not perfect by any means, there's silly stuff w the running game but I think it's the most fun football game.
I missed the days when NFL gave their license to different game development companies. Now we're stuck with EA in their crappy development. I would love to play football games again if they release NFL 2K.
@@BobbyHo2022 people keep saying that but not actually saying what EA "did". What they did was bid on an open license. So what you're saying is it should be illegal for an ip holder to license it's content to who it wants? Please explain why they should be illegal. Mind you i'm not asking you to tell me why you don't like it but why it should be illegal.
@@BobbyHo2022 , it technically IS illegal what EA did, but the NFL also committed more crimes as well, as it also is guilty of making a monopoly of professional American football leagues in the USA as well.
@@tical2399 , you are literally denser than a black hole for your comment. The license itself is made from an organization that had already committed crimes even BEFORE the NFL made the deal with EA, so said license was made from a monopoly that had already existed, thus said license is already legally invalid, as it ironically violated the law (see the RICO Act, and similar legislation, for more information). Also, I do not care what the Supreme Court said, as its ruling not only violated the law, but that it also ignored the law as well, and not only with what I had previously said, but also with the lower court rulings of Capcom U.S.A. Inc. v. Data East Corp., and Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx, Inc., thus such things that EA, the NFL, the NFLPA, and others had would have made in any of their likeness lawsuits would have all been thrown out if people had actually did their m o t h e r f u c k i n g jobs in the judicial branch of the United States Government. Honestly, the lawyers that represented Sega in this lawsuit were also m o r o n s as well for not finding these things out, and arguing those arguments as well.
My god, NFL 2k on the Dreamcast was such an awesome experience! It absolutely blew my freinds and I away. Nothing else was even close man Great video brother, appreciate all your work!!!
i was a huge Dreamcast mark & 2k made me enjoy something i previously had no interest in. it was fun & great to look at- especially snow games! i still don't watch or play real football but 2k was a blast.
I still have my copy of 2k5 & it’s one of my favorite FB games of all time. We were so upset when EA bought the exclusive rights, that year’s madden sucked, so we played 2k5 for years.
What happened was when 2k5 came out they sold it brand new for 20$ while Madden was 60$ so the NFL felt like they were losing money bc of that so they intentionally gave the rights to EA bc of that.
I loved the NFL 2K series as SEGA made great strides with gameplay, graphics, sound, style, and overall refinement. EA simply couldn’t keep up, and cheated their way to the top with a big payout to the NFL smh. I wonder if we’ll ever get the series back someday…
I was lucky enough to be at E3 so I got to see NFL 2K on the Dreamcast before most people. It blew me away like no other game before or since. It changed video game football and it is very telling that the animations in 1999 are STILL better than the animations in Madden 2024. In fact, I don’t think Madden will EVER have animations as realistic as the ones in NFL2K5. Madden 2024 is Madden 2001 with better graphics; the animations are the same (let’s just say there a lot of swiveling players on the field)
In a perfect world, we would've kept Sega's NFL 2k franchise and EA's MVP Baseball franchise ... they were the best in their respective sports' video games and were cut out by exclusivity deals.
Nearly 20 years later, NFL 2K5 remains the gold standard of NFL gaming. EA, instead of innovating, has churned out mediocre products annually, relying on their exclusivity. Compare NBA 2K to the now-defunct NBA Live series- This is a clear example of how EA's lack of innovation and poor game design has led to its disdain amongst gamers today.
They had kiosks running NFL and NBA 2K into laces like Best Buy. People were stacked 2-3 deep watching the screen. Sold a ton of Dreamcasts. But alas, not enough I guess.
People ditched them for EA, it sure is a wtf, but not on SEGA's part. Gamers made their bed and now it's too covered in trash and microtransactions to sleep in.
The old NFL 2k's are better than any modern Maddens.
Amen, my friend.
2K5 was the best football game ever.
Yup
Definitely, Madden has taken a noticeable nosedive in quality since EA bought exclusive rights.
We still edit and play 2k5 till this day check out 2k redirected
That was a bitch move by EA.
2K5 > Madden
This NFL is at least as responsible given they are the licensor they chose to sell out that way.
big facts
I remember it so well. It was a gut punch because 2K5 was soooooooo good. I was 25 years old and to that point hadn’t been hurt so bad by a video games. Little did I know the pain Silent Hill PT was gonna cause me lol
EA really been some bullshit for a long time. They dumped EA Big in that deal too.
Facts!!!
NFL 2K5 scared the daylights out of EA. That's what happened.
Right? It destroyed Madden that year. Holy shit, it wasn't even a contest. EA shit their pants and felt they needed to coerce the NFL into giving them exclusive rights. It sucks because ever since then, Madden has taken a noticeable nosedive in terms of quality.
@@DesertRainReads Madden always sucked. Even Quarterback Club was better than Madden
@@DesertRainReads yea there wasnt a nosedive, they've been making the same Madden since sega genesis
So much so EA signed an exclusive contract with the NFL for the licensing rights
Facts
I remember buying NFL 2K5 for 19.99 on the Xbox while Madden 05 was 49.99. That game is still one of my all time favorite NFL games.
That is exactly the reason EA bought the license to nfl. Couldn't compete. Better days 😢
See that pissed off the NFL bc they felt like they were losing money by doing that so they immediately cut a deal with EA to make the NFL games only through them.ruined football games for the next 20 years and it's still going.its amazing that price reduction ruined football games for decades.
NFL 2K5 is the best football game ever made.
I have never and WILL NEVER forgive EA for taking good football games away from millions of fans back in 2004.
Don't forget the best part was the game was only $20 when it was released.
Good times.
Hell yes it is
For me, a non-football fan, it's NFL Blitz on N64 mainly because it let's me powerbomb people lol
Yes
I was never really a sports game player. But When NFL2K came out on the dreamcast me and my buddies played that game to death!
I hate most sports games but I have a soft spot for NBA Live 95 and Super Football on the Atari 2600. Of course Tecmo Bowl was fun too
“Those damn enchiladas!!!”
@@andreana2112 NFL Blitz! was awesome too!
Same
NFL 2K was that moment for me when real-time video game graphics achieved a believable state. I remember playing not long after the release of the Dreamcast, and my mother casually walked by and asked who was playing, thinking I was watching an actual football game.
same thing happened to me - it was quite the jump in graphics quality people probably don't understand unless you were around and paying attention back then
Everybody else still waited for the ps2 though anyway lol
We were waiting for the cheapest dvd player available since it cost $150-200 more back then
But once GTA III released then all heck broke loose
Good old days playing nfl 2k2 all night man
Your mom had shitty eyes
Lol same with me I remember my father God rest his soul walk in my room 1day &I was just watching NFL2K5 &he said son who u watching playing to day lol he thought it was a reallife football game I was watching😊
Crazy that a game about to be 20 years old is still better than the crap we have today.
encrappification and the need for post-sale revenue has ruined sports games. However, modern 2K sports games are the absolute worst with this.
👒
Wherever monopolies exist, people suffer
The state owning everything is no better either.
@@paxhumana2015 Simple answer, don't have a state
@@dexocube , ah, but any form of Anarchism is no better either, and thus humans are a part of the stupid cyclical rut that never seems to be solved, for they approach the problem with human minds rather than with the Divine Mind.
@@dexocube If you don't have a state, you end up with either one of two things: complete and total lawlessness, or another state. People will either organize and officially govern themselves, which will be the development of a new state, or you will have a society without law. And that would be a nightmare.
That's the thing Madden fanboys don't understand. Even if you're the biggest Madden fan, you still want 2K to make an NFL game. Competition means the consumers win.
The fact that EA destroyed this game and went on to create games 10x worse single-handedly proves why monopolies should never exist
If only the NFL and EA weren’t so money hungry and holding that license hostage, we could’ve gotten more amazing games that don’t always feel like roster updates.
i blame nfl 100%
@@gpsxbx5097 Surprised the FTC didn't step in.
I could fix that problem, via some camping trips...
NFL doesn’t price or develop the game they just sign over the license they actually do care but the deal signed isn’t over bro lol NFL wanted 2k years ago soccer moved on too
@@rishyrish , your IQ level is a negative integer.
The graphics are really good for the day even now
My mom woke up from a nap and asked if we were watching a football game on tv....yeah shit was real in 1999.
lol facts
My pops came in my room and asked me if a game was on lol.
FACTS! My granny used to watch my brother and I play and be “like the Seahawks are winning don’t you turn that channel”😂😂😂
@tizzomr my stepfather did the same thing. 😆
Your mom needs glasses.
I really appreciate this video more than you'll ever know. I was one of the top players on NFL 2K5 until 2010 when the OG Xbox was taken offline. The culmination of all 6 games came to fruition in the Sim juggernaut that was 2K5. Nothing will ever touch that game. Madden 24-54 is and will forever be light-years behind ESPN NFL2K5. Sega Lord X, you are goated for this video.
Of all the stupid things Sega has done, selling 2K was the stupidest. It would have at minimum kept a good revenue flowing and kept them relevant at a time they all but disappeared. Instead of Take Two raking it in and expanding.
Many still play 2K5 & 2K8 to this day, even modding in NFL teams to 2K8 & modern rosters into 2K5. If that doesn't testify to the legend of 2K Football, idk what does!
I still remember walking into my uncles room. After school seeing him play DC NFL 2k with the snow coming down , thought it was real life, he had to show me he was playing a video game
No sports game has ever looked like real life...
@vcvortex6356 Well before the Train was invited, people ran the Wagon on your momma. How bout that for real life
@@solomongrundey Cool, cupcake. 👍
@@vcvortex6356 , you are a reason why we have to have warning labels on shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles. Also, giving your complete and utter dumpster fire of a comment up votes does not make you right, rather, it makes you just look pathetic.
@@vcvortex6356 , your comments are like your channel, as well as the space that is currently in between your ears, namely, they are worthless, and they are also devoid of content.
One of tbe best Football games..PERIOD!!!
Memories of playing NFL 2k and NBA 2k on Dreamcast takes me back. Didn't realize they went all the way to 2k5
2k8 last one
I still say that NFL 2K5 is one of the best sports games of all time.
NFL 2K had a nice run and it's a shame that they couldn't continue with the franchise.
Those 2k games were fantastic. My bro & I would do the co-op franchise, man those were fun times.
Who remembers watching Chris Berman re-capping all of the games of the week which including actual footage of your gameplay that day?
They used to have Dreamcasts set up at Epcot in Disney World, and i played HOURS AND HOURS of the 2k Dreamcast games
I remember around the time of the Dreamcast launch they showed off the graphics of NFL 2k on the local news
I lost my best friend a few years ago. I have fond memories of playing this game with him and although I'm not the biggest sports games guy, we loved throwing down on this with a few beers and making a day of it. We continued that tradition with the Madden games later on but this one holds a special place for me.
I really hope the NFL will invite competition in its video game titles again & that 2K returns. They were outstanding in their efforts. All Pro 2K8 was also a nice title on 360.
Here's hoping one day, it will come back.
ALL PRO FOOTBALL.....ALL PRO SOUNDTRACK!
That is an awesome game!
@@ItsMeBarnaby , I can make them let go of it, and also straighten out the NFL, the NFLPA, and any other unions, and corrupt a
s
s
h
o
l
e
s as well in the process. People just lack the knowledge, and the f
u
c
k
i
n
g
b
a
l
l
s
, to properly make cases in courtrooms to make organizations like those pay out the a
s
s for their evil deeds. Believe me, if I had the patience to sue them in a court of law, and to also be a good lawyer, then I would be one that was of a Sir Lionel Luckhoo level of wins, but even more relentless and brutal in a court room. Unfortunately, I have no intention on selling out to a state, so I did not pursue such a path in my life.
Taking me back to my teenage years with this. I remember when pops got home from fishing the year the Dreamcast came out and he bought NFL 2K along with the system. I was mind blown seeing the graphics and gameplay. Only thing that stunk was calling timeouts as the second player. The commentary was revolutionary at the time and the announcers were pretty good. Shame good things came to end.
It’s a real shame. I’m a very casual football fan, but I played the hell out of 2K and 2K1. Was sooo good! They even got a mention on an episode of CSI. Two of the guys were taking in the lab and asked the other if they saw NFL 2K on the Dreamcast and how real it looked.
I never wanted a nfl game as a kid. Loved playing Super Tecmo Bowl but when I saw NFL2K coming out on the Dreamcast I NEEDED THAT GAME. Also loved NBA2K and NHL2K from that same year they were a blast
I still have my Xbox NFL 2k5 copy and cherished it since then!!!
CLASSIC... ONE OF THE FIRST VIDEO GAME CONSOLE TO HAVE ONLINE GAMING
Timeless classics, the 2k games set the standard for sports games!!!
@SegaLordX + Sports Games + 49er Fan = My favorite TH-camr
It's a good thing there are forums devoted to roster updates and other mods to the 2K series.
The perfect football game.
Graphics: EA College Football 25
Broadcast Presentation: 2K5
Gameplay: 2K5
Franchise Modes: Madden
Add in the MyCrib feature from 2K5, the first person mode from 2K5, and the Madden MiniGames from 2003.
Perfection.
wrong. Gameplay in APF2k8 was much better than 2k5...
@@mitchmurray2260 it’s subjective. I can’t be wrong on an opinion.
One day, in the mid-2000s, my older brother visited our family and gave my younger brother and I one Xbox game each. For my younger brother, it was Marc Eckō Getting Up. For me, it was ESPN NFL 2K5. To be honest, I was a little envious of my younger brother because Getting Up seemed like a much more interesting game than what I got. Still, I was thankful for getting a free game at all.
Well Getting Up was a pretty decent game but NFL 2K5 wound up getting way more play time by my brother, our friends and I. It played great and the presentation was phenomenal. The SportsCenter half-time and post-game shows were so realistic for the time. And, of course, I had a blast decking out my crib in cool stuff and taking on teams lead by celebrities like Funkmaster Flex (which made my dad do a double take when he saw Flex in the game) and Steve-O.
I don’t know what happened to Getting Up but I still own NFL 2K5 to this day and, while I don’t play it nearly as often as I used to, I’ll pull it out every once and a while and still have a good time. Thank you, older bro, and thank you, Sega. 👍🏾
I made myself as a playable character on NFL 2K5.
Had 'Eye of the Tiger' play when my team would come out of the stadium.
Was amazing game!
Lordy is an amazing journalist of retro video games!
Had some epic matches in my college dorm with this series.
I came home on 9/9/99 with Soul Calibur and NFL 2K. 2K was the game I had most been looking forward to, me and my friends were crazy NFL fans. We popped it in, and I was immediately impressed...then disappointed. The running game was so rigid. You couldn't really break tackles or bull you way forward, so it was all about passing. Subsequent years did improve though. I bought every edition up through 2K4, but the crib with all the heavy branding got to be kind off a turn off. Judging by the footage here I bailed one year too early though, 2K5 looks amazing.
Came for a Dreamcast review, stayed for the jiggle physics.
Thanks for the video. I remember this time frame vividly. NFL 2K was competing with a lot more than Madden at the time yet each entry was absolutely stellar. It’s truly disheartening the state of NFL games these days. I hope it changes sooner than later. Lastly, NFL 2K5 is STILL the best NFL game ever made.
LOVED nfl 2k. And the actors they got for the play by play were incredibly well done.
It doesn't get any more early 2000s than "The Crib". Well maybe if they called it DA CRIB.
I was just playing 2k1 this week, still a banger and the series only gets better from there until the end. Great vid, SLX
VMU play calling was the feature I loved the most when I was playing against a friend.
Heck yeah especially when they watch your play picks so this threw them off lol
Right! We had a huddle wtf!!!!
I remember when they went multiplatform. I read an interview with one of ea sports lead devs and he said, "They can scotch tape that thing to a ham and give them away for free and we will still outsell them."
If ea not had to drop the price from $50 to $30
2005 doesnt outsell 2k5
Heck it only surpassed it after the price drop
But 1.42mill 1.38mill clearly showed there was a market for both
Corporate greed an grudge (Joe Montana on Sega&Nfl Gameday remember those gems anyone)
Had to cause evil association to spend 300mill to lockdown the license
20ish yrs of mediocrity later here we are
When the Dreamcast launched, stores were demoing NFL2K and I literally thought it was a real live football game playing on TV. I might not be the biggest sports fan but back then it was mindblowing.
This is almost an unofficial prequel to Angry Joe's Madden NFL videos... XD
NFL 2K-2K5 good times
Another great video SLX. Could you please make a video on NHL2K And NHL2K2 Games etc for Dreamcast?
This was also ESPN'S golden era.
1st I want to say thank you for covering retro sports games. They definitely don’t get the love and attention I think some of them deserve. Especially from an informed gamer. It’s appreciated.
2nd this is the most tragic what if for me. I still have fantasies of what VC would’ve done to football gaming if allowed to continue. Thanks again for this video. It was great.
EAs monopoly of the NFL license is one of the great artistic tragedies of our time.
The ONLY football game Ive got in my collection is 2K5. Anytime I want a football fix…I just play that. Really good game.
Man this takes me back. I used to play online back in the day. Would sit in lobby chat rooms all the time and chat. It took forever typing without the keyboard, but man the memories
black Sega Sports Dreamcast and all the Sega Sports games were and are top tier
This was mind blowing at the time
I haven’t played sports games for almost 20 years because of EA’s stranglehold on it. I really liked NHL 2K on the Dreamcast as well. All I play sports-wise ironically is MLB The Show…on my Switch 😊
Just now realizing 2K could have stuck with making college football. I loved Road to Rosebowl
Needed to mention NFL 2k5 Resurrected!
The back story is the NFL banned the 'throat slash' and NFL Fever had it in the game. The league was so embarrassed by this and the attention it received that they made a decision to make the game exclusive to the highest bidder. One, for the money, and two, to keep a better eye on what's put into the game.
I LOOOOVED the 2K football games. Best football games, hands down.
I will never forgive 2K for not fighting for the NFL naming rights.
My good sir I’m not a fan of football but this story was worth watching until the end. Very interesting. Thank you.
I never played too many sports games, but when I did Eileen more toward the arcade style sports. NFl Blitz and Techmo Bowl we're about the extent of my football video games. I didn't get a Dreamcast right away, but ended up getting the Sega sports bundle at a pretty good discount. After playing NFL 2K, I was blown away. My friends and I played the hell out of it in college, and it was a great balance between simulation and more approachable arcade style football. NFL 2K 5 was amazing, and I loved the Xbox version of it. I am still pissed at EA for monopolizing the NFL license and killing any competition of the Madden series, which I never liked. this is a perfect example of why competition is a good thing. I miss this series, and Blitz a lot. Screw EA Sports!
I loved how you could call the plays from looking at the controller. Made it nice when playing friends.
Honorable mention for All-Pro Football 2K8
Life changing game series for me. Others have said NFL 2K5 is the best football game of all time and I agree. Several other games in the series mean just as much to me. No one on earth might believe me but I’ve never played any Madden game since the death of this series.
I rarely comment on your awesome videos, Sega Lord X. But, as a long-time subscriber I would love a longer, more in-depth video of your thoughts on this series. It still sucks that it went away after only 6 years on the market (screw you NFL & EA Sports), and I still pine for an alternative pro football game of this quality in the market.
2K Hockey was great as well.
Scoring was ridiculously difficult unless you nerfed goalies, but otherwise an awesome game!
2k5 was soo good! player interviews, custom music for literally every play! it actually felt like football.
I'm not a sports gaming maven, but NFL2k2 was the most fun I've ever had with a football game. Thanks Lordster! SEEEEEEGAAAAAAAAAA!
2K2 is my fav football game. Nice mix between arcadey and sim. It's not perfect by any means, there's silly stuff w the running game but I think it's the most fun football game.
I missed the days when NFL gave their license to different game development companies. Now we're stuck with EA in their crappy development. I would love to play football games again if they release NFL 2K.
It should be illegal to do what EA did.
@@BobbyHo2022 people keep saying that but not actually saying what EA "did". What they did was bid on an open license. So what you're saying is it should be illegal for an ip holder to license it's content to who it wants? Please explain why they should be illegal. Mind you i'm not asking you to tell me why you don't like it but why it should be illegal.
@@BobbyHo2022 , it technically IS illegal what EA did, but the NFL also committed more crimes as well, as it also is guilty of making a monopoly of professional American football leagues in the USA as well.
@@tical2399 , you are literally denser than a black hole for your comment. The license itself is made from an organization that had already committed crimes even BEFORE the NFL made the deal with EA, so said license was made from a monopoly that had already existed, thus said license is already legally invalid, as it ironically violated the law (see the RICO Act, and similar legislation, for more information). Also, I do not care what the Supreme Court said, as its ruling not only violated the law, but that it also ignored the law as well, and not only with what I had previously said, but also with the lower court rulings of Capcom U.S.A. Inc. v. Data East Corp., and Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx, Inc., thus such things that EA, the NFL, the NFLPA, and others had would have made in any of their likeness lawsuits would have all been thrown out if people had actually did their m
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g jobs in the judicial branch of the United States Government. Honestly, the lawyers that represented Sega in this lawsuit were also m
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s as well for not finding these things out, and arguing those arguments as well.
Please do NBA 2K sometime down the road. BIG fan from the Philippines.
NBA 2K was a great game. When my friends first came over to check it out, they were blown away with how good it looked.
My god, NFL 2k on the Dreamcast was such an awesome experience! It absolutely blew my freinds and I away. Nothing else was even close man
Great video brother, appreciate all your work!!!
i was a huge Dreamcast mark & 2k made me enjoy something i previously had no interest in. it was fun & great to look at- especially snow games! i still don't watch or play real football but 2k was a blast.
Your greatest video EVER. Your video echoed my sentiments for video that I told my customers shopping for video games.
I still have my copy of 2k5 & it’s one of my favorite FB games of all time. We were so upset when EA bought the exclusive rights, that year’s madden sucked, so we played 2k5 for years.
What happened was when 2k5 came out they sold it brand new for 20$ while Madden was 60$ so the NFL felt like they were losing money bc of that so they intentionally gave the rights to EA bc of that.
What a Great Video. As a lifelong Sega and Sports fan, this is a Great Segment. Cheers. Retro Sports!
I loved the NFL 2K series as SEGA made great strides with gameplay, graphics, sound, style, and overall refinement. EA simply couldn’t keep up, and cheated their way to the top with a big payout to the NFL smh. I wonder if we’ll ever get the series back someday…
NFL 2K5 was great especially at $20. Haven't bought a Madden game since EA has exclusive use of the NFL license.
The original 2K series of games hold a special place in my heart. I still have a mint black Sega Dreamcast bundle complete in box. ❤
I was kinda curious about this sports franchise, so thanks for the video SLX as always, oh and happy Father's Day to You, enjoy!
Tx SLX. Now I have the original NFL 2K on my Ebay wishlist 😊
10:45 is exactly what happens in Madden now
" Somebody's gonna shoot one of those ducks you're throwing up." The trash talk in those games was awesome.
PHENOMENAL video!
"San Francisco welcomes you to the most popular city in the world." Boy, that hasn't aged well.
I was lucky enough to be at E3 so I got to see NFL 2K on the Dreamcast before most people. It blew me away like no other game before or since. It changed video game football and it is very telling that the animations in 1999 are STILL better than the animations in Madden 2024. In fact, I don’t think Madden will EVER have animations as realistic as the ones in NFL2K5. Madden 2024 is Madden 2001 with better graphics; the animations are the same (let’s just say there a lot of swiveling players on the field)
In a perfect world, we would've kept Sega's NFL 2k franchise and EA's MVP Baseball franchise ... they were the best in their respective sports' video games and were cut out by exclusivity deals.
This is the game that made me pre order a Dreamcast and love it at launch!
These were peak gaming moments. Good job refreshing us, I remember having many battles on each game on the DC. NFL2K5 was incredible.
NFL 2K5 forever
Its 20 years later and EA STILL cant make a better football game than 2k5,its freaking ridiculous!!!
I just rewatched this episode, and it's a great trip down memory lane. If you wanna keep making more retrospective videos like this, I'd love it!
Nearly 20 years later, NFL 2K5 remains the gold standard of NFL gaming. EA, instead of innovating, has churned out mediocre products annually, relying on their exclusivity. Compare NBA 2K to the now-defunct NBA Live series- This is a clear example of how EA's lack of innovation and poor game design has led to its disdain amongst gamers today.
That side of the pond, we weren't so lucky with "soccer" games. Virtua Tennis 2 and NBA 2K1 made great consolation prizes though.
I'm glad you made the Madden point at the end: the flipside of the loss of the great NFL 2K series is the absolute stagnation of EA's offering.
They had kiosks running NFL and NBA 2K into laces like Best Buy. People were stacked 2-3 deep watching the screen. Sold a ton of Dreamcasts. But alas, not enough I guess.
The title says it all, this video is pure truth. Sega wtf man.
People ditched them for EA, it sure is a wtf, but not on SEGA's part. Gamers made their bed and now it's too covered in trash and microtransactions to sleep in.
EA happened.