GENRE
	Extreme-Sports
	DEVELOPER
	EA Sports BIG
	PUBLISHER
	Electronic Arts
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

This winter, EA Sports BIG introduced the GameCube version of its widely popular PS2 title NBA Street. The idea behind the burgeoning franchise is relatively simple: mix the draw and familiarity of NBA players with the attitude and fun of street ballin' "legends", give it the atmosphere of a dozen or so distinct street courts, and then top it off with one of the most creative rewards systems gaming has seen in years. But did the end result pass muster or leave an old lady in a Wendy's commercial snapping, "Where's the beef?"

I had played the game for the PS2 last year and had some fun with it, but never got into it. When I was given the oppurtunity to review the new GameCube version, I made sure to sit down and get myself extremely familiar with the game before writing a word about it. And for a game that can look silly and shallow on the exterior, there is actually plenty of depth and strategy to, "getting your game on," as the game's announcer Joe "the Show" would likely put it. And it's even more fun with a friend.

visuals

Street's graphics are definitely improved over the PS2 title's. The characters have been smoothed out dramatically, and the environments seem to be more vibrant in color, generally. But the game really impresses with the quality of animation it boasts.

NBA Street's character models are nothing to shake a wireframe at, but they aren't quite up to where Left Field got NBA Courtside's realism. The camera is usually zoomed far back enough that any flaws in the character models can't be seen, regardless.

In a sense, that's okay, because a game's models themselves don't fool our minds into thinking a character is real. What makes us believe they are walking, talking humans like us (just trapped inside a television, perhaps) is how they behave onscreen. In that sense, the folks behind NBA Street deserve a medal. I've never been so impressed with character animations in a sports title, whether it's exaggerative of real life or not. Motion is consistently fluid, and transitions from move to move are almost always seamless. Even the swooshing of the net impresses when compared to Courtside or NBA 2k2.

The environments are fresh, fun, and flashy. Usually taking place in a distinct locale, along with very distinct personalities for the spectators (all modeled real-time), the courts are good-looking enough to create a fun atmosphere without being so busy that they're too distracting from the gameplay. EA struck a pretty fine balance in the design of the environments. "Taking it to the hole," has never been this nice a run. Generally, basketball simulations get monotonous with time, because the courts are drab and repetitive. EA countered that with Street by making sure something was moving around in the background at all times, even if it is a guy without a shirt on hollering for you to make a three.

The visuals of the menus are handled well, too. They have a comfortable aesthetic look to them, but aren't quite as off-the-wall as Sega Soccer Slam or as stylistic as Smash Bros: Melee. Their design definitely adds to the atmosphere of the game, although one must question whether a more zany approach would have done the game a favor in getting the player psyched for the next matchup.

Overall, it's very difficult not to walk away pleased with the game's visuals. Street does exactly what it set out to do, and the quality of its execution is darn near scary.

audio

It's hard to say this is where the game shines, since that's the job of the visuals (i.e. you don't hear a shine), but if there's an analogue, Street's sounds definitely leave a pleasant ring in the players ears. And this advantage lies almost solely on the shoulders of the announcer Joe "the Show". This charismatic bull-horn toting fiend is quick to give calling the game his all. While it suffers the same repetitiveness that any announcer track does in a sports title, comments are short and sweet enough to stay enjoyable much longer than a typical title's sayings.

Sadly, there isn't much to the game's music. Actually, come to think of it, I'm not sure I ever noticed any actual music in the game all the time I played it. Most of the background sounds vary from ambient bird noises to a boombox laying a sweet beat in the background. But, like Pikmin's philosophy, the less there is to it, the less there is to get annoyed with. By keeping the game's audio simple, the more memorable it remains and the more focused on the game players can remain. It all does its part.

gameplay

There are some things that are easier to show someone than sit down and describe. One of them, no doubt, would be the ins and outs of giving birth to a child. Another would be to explain how the confounded point systems work in all of these next-gen extreme sports titles and what sets NBA Street apart from the others. The game is a simple game of 3-on-3 street ball. The first team to 21 points wins. Three pointers are worth two points, and everything else is worth just one. There is no clock that determines when the game ends, and since you have to win by at least two, scores can potentially run up into the thirties in a stalemate.

Perhaps EA recognized this potential scenario early on in the game's development. The trick point system, while in a way distracting the player from getting baskets as quickly as possible, was instituted to promote that players not do more than just rack up a bunch of points by slamming the ball through the hoop. The trick point system encourages the player to do as much hot-dogging and showing off as they can, for points. But the points are not at all arbitrary: they accumulate into a little meter next to your turbo indicator. When you've earned a sufficient number of trick points through various combos and moves, you get what EA likes to call a "Gamebreaker". A gamebreaking dunk not only gets you a point, but knocks a point off your opponents score. It's worth a substantial number of even more trick points on its own. Earning multiple gamebreakers in one game usually turns out to be a mortal threat to your opponent, who likely can't stand to lose multiple baskets, especially in one of the aforementioned stalemate situations.

The foundation of the game is normal basketball, with which most gamers are probably well experienced. However, the trick system takes what NBA Jam did in the 90's and makes it a complicated system of moves and combos that rewards the player with today's "boom shaka-lakas." Two "Trick" triggers and three "Turbo" triggers are mapped to the Cube's controller; pressing any Trick and Turbo button in conjunction executes a combo. These combinations are somewhat intimidating at first, but within a few matches, it isn't hard to develop a handle for the game's rather quirky balance. Besides, knocking down all three of your oppenents and then continuing to serve them dinner can be quite satisfying from a gameplay perspective.

Interested in the game's create-a-player mode, I was quite pleased to find it as robust as it is. It takes honest work to get a create-a-player up to par with the Kobe's and Shaq's out there. It was also great that my nickname "juice" happened to be one of the built-in that the game came with. And there's nothing quite like hearing an energetic announcer informing the crowd that "the juice is on fire." It gives the game a personal edge, and making your own street legend isn't as hard as you might think.

The single player offerings are quite deep, even though they are very arcade-like in spirit. On the higher difficulty levels, the game is definitely a chalenge, but knowing that the next street legend is only a few games away makes it worthwhile. Every street legend has his own court, usually complimenting his attitude nicely. Additionally, the further you go, the more cheats and create-a-player points you get. The rewards system is so rich (and very nicely tied in with just about every game mode, 2-player included), it can easily keep you playing a good twenty to thirty hours.

multiplayer

It's amazing how in no time at all, GameCube has continued the Nintendo 64's legacy as a party system. While the N64 earned the title almost singlehandedly just by having four controller ports, it was games like Super Smash Bros. and Goldeneye that fostered the "party" image. GameCube now carries the distinct advantage of being extremely portable, to boot. But just like the N64, software has once again made Nintendo's console the "fun machine" to bring over to your friend's party. From Sega Soccer Slam to Super Monkey Ball, GameCube has a plethora of 4-player party games to choose from.

So how does a 2-player PS2 port of a pseudo-party title stand up against the competition? Last night, I performed an experiment. My purple lunchbox in tow, I brought 6 games with a four-player focus as well as NBA Street to a party full of casual and non-gamers to see if the two title player would get equal play. Surprisingly, it held up pretty well against Super Monkey Ball, Smash Bros. Melee, Sega Soccer Slam, and Madden 2002. While the crowd was definitely most impressed with Sega's recent soccer bananza, the fact that only two controllers got any play when NBA street was spinnin' didn't detract from the overall fun animation that the game presents. The amazing animations and sheer attitude of the players was enough to keep 6 guys' eyes affixed to every dribble, every deke, and every dunk the game had to offer.

While the game doesn't support 4-players, it is also true that the game probably can't support four players. The game mechanics are set up in such a way that it is designed as a one-on-one showoff fest. The trick point system, the priority of passing, and the dynamics of the game itself definitely lend themselves to keeping this a 2-player affair. So while limiting the number of people boosting their turbos is definitely a knock against the game, given the sheer multi-player competition out there on the GameCube, it still manages to be a fun time for everyone--whether you're playing or watching.

overall

If you thought NBA Jam was worth your time ten years ago, NBA Street should definitely be on your buy list. Even if you normally only play simulation basketball, Street's balance is a fresh of breath air. If you're a casual gamer, or looking for a party game, NBA Street still earns a healthy recommendation. If you're still wary, then it is definitely worth a rent. The only real negative is the fact that you have to leave the last two controller ports empty.

9.0/10