NBA Street

     I really love this game, but since reviewing NBA Live 2001, I became disenfranchised with the video game market for basketball. Basically there was nothing new about NBA Live and I felt purchasing a game that was so similar to its predecessor cheated me. I begged for a basketball game that was different, and surprising, EA Sports BIG, the people behind SSX, came through with a game that takes basketball where it belongs; the streets.

     I play street ball and there is nothing like trash talking your opponent and juke jiving in ways that would get me a penalty at Madison Square Garden. This is where NBA Street succeeds. Like NBA Jam and NBA Showtime, it gives us an arcade style way to play the game, but unlike those two stale games, this game provides more skills, in a less flashy, extra gritty, extremely strategic way. Basketball fans are going to eat this one up.

     The graphics are just beautiful and players look phenomenal on the court. The courts themselves are breathtaking real. Ever been to the Cage in New York? I have played there and I won once, but when I lost, there was a long line to get into the next game. Never did get a chance to play there again. Still, it was an experience like no other and you get to live this experience in your living room. You get to travel to Boston, Florida, Philly, Venice, and more, playing on courts with cracks in the ground, rain falling down and cars driving by. You get to play the local legendary team that has some interesting aspects to them. For instance a player named Bonafide looks like a cross between Lil Bow Wow and Ja Rule. Drake, who can't dunk, acts like Eminem. Then, there is Stretch, the guy on the cover who looks like Dr. J from his early days and plays old school. You get to play these guys and when you beat them, you unlock them as playable characters. It all culminates in a game at Rucker Park, in Harlem, the most famous street ball court in history. Your opponent is your former teammate, the Airman himself, Michael Jordan. There aren't many games that have the legend as a playable character so it is really cool to play as him.

     The gameplay itself is just great. There is a trick button that allows you to do funky things, like dribbling between your legs, or rolling across the ground while still dribbling the ball. Not only is it cool to dunk (a bunch of highlight reel dunks occupy the game), but also it is now cool again to play defense. Blocking is essential in this game, because with all the funky moves, it is hard to steal the ball, so blocking is what you must rely upon to get the ball back. There is nothing quite like jumping in the air and grabbing the ball with both hands, denying a team score and getting a shot at a killer fast break down the court. Everything you do earns points and the more points you earn, the more your status bar moves closer to a gamebreaker situation that is awe-inspiring.

     There are many cool extras in this game. As you move on, beating NBA team after NBA team, you get to take a player from that team and include him on your own squad. You also open up courts to play on, and other teams, like the NYC Legends, the extreme team from SSX, and even the girls from the group, 3LW. Just beating City Circuit is not enough. You have to play Hold The Court, winning a certain number of games in a row on each court to unlock other secrets that make the game a whole lot of fun to play; more fun than it already is.

     Badseed's Bottomline: 9 out of 10. This game would have been perfect, but I didn't like the sound. There was no cool music in the background and they should have played 3LW songs if they were going to include them in the game. The announcer actually starts getting annoying sometimes and runs out of things to say, but other than that, this game is one of the best sports titles I have played for the PS 2. It is one of those games you play even after you beat it all. So, if you can't take it to Madison Square Garden with the Knicks, take it to the streets. EA Sports BIG: You can't stop them; you can only hope to contain them.

     Send your comments and or questions about this article to Badseed@ybfree.com.

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