NBA Street Vol. 2

"The Street Saga Continues"

EA Big started when they made games like SSX and NBA Street Vol. 1. That saga continues with the release of NBA Street Vol. 2., the game many sports gamers have been waiting for prior to the release of the first installment. Well, they wait has ended. NBA Street Vol. 2 delves into the world of street basketball. You must earn your reputation among street players, legends and take on the country's best.

There are a few different game modes you can choose from in the game. The first is known as NBA Challenge. This mode allows you to choose an NBA team and take them through each division or ''Home Court''. When you defeat the teams in each division, you encounter a Legend Team. These teams usually consist of three legends and you must defeat them to finish that division. The other, and probably more entertaining, game mode is known as Be A Legend. In this mode you will create your own ''Baller'' and pick two other players to join your team. You travel around the U.S. competing at different community centers or schools and completing challenges. During this mode you will unlock new items such as throwback jerseys, legends, and points to upgrade your player, but we'll get into unlockables later. After the two storyline game modes, there is your simple exhibition game where you choose a team, either the games or a pre-made one of yours, and you compete against a friend or the computer.

The graphics are quite good compared to some other basketball games. The Create A Baller graphics could be better however. When you make a new player, some of the things to choose from are very limited. One of those limited things is the face options you have to choose from. Also, if you put on a throwback jersey, you do not have the option to change the shorts to go with it, they are constantly black with a white stripe on the side. Just a little note about Create A Baller, it should be harder to build up your player. It isn't very hard to get points and make your player the best, they should at least make it a little more challenging. But where the graphics lack in Create A Baller, they make up during gameplay. In gameplay, the graphics are excellent. Your eyes will be dazzled and amazed during gamebreakers, mostly the level two gamebreakers. During a level two gamebreaker, your entire team is usually included in the shooting of the ball, whether it be passing it from one to another or scoring.

The soundtrack of the game is very tolerable. In past basketball games, they have had arcade style music with no lyrics and you hear the same 3 or 4 themes over and over again. It begins to get a little annoying. But in Street 2, the case is much different. It includes a decent soundtrack that consists of hip-hop and rap artists, Nate Dogg, MC Lyte, Nelly, and many more. There is even an unlockable track.

There are also quite a few unlockables to be found in Street 2. The first, and foremost being legends. The game includes two types of legends: Street Legends and NBA Legends. The street legends, you will encounter, in Be A Legend mode prior to beating certain places on the map. These street legends include, Stretch Monroe, Whitewater, Bonafide, and a few more. Included in the NBA Legends, are, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Wilt ''The Stilt'' Chamberlain, ''Dr. J'' Julius Erving, Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson, among many others. Other unlockables include, hidden teams, courts, points for created players, and throwback jerseys that are not available in the Be A Legend or NBA Challenge modes.

The controls are very simple and easy to get used to. Like any other basketball game, you have a turbo or sprint button. This turbo will give you a momentary burst of speed on the court and it will recharge after each use. The only hard part of the controls are ''stylin''' moves. To do different stylin' moves, you have to hold different combinations of the left and right triggers on the top of your controller. For example, one combo would be 2 out of the 4 triggers or another combo would be all 4 triggers. Holding all 4 triggers results in doing the best style move that player can do and gets you the most points. Overall, the controls are non-complex and simple.

If I was asked the question, ''Should I rent or buy this game?'' I would definitely say buy it. This game is what basketball gamers have been waiting for. This game has everything you could ever want in a street ball game, no rules, legends, and good music to boot. I think EA Big will continue to thrive in the gaming industry and produce more games like NBA Street Vol. 2.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/28/04