NBA Street Vol. 2

"This game makes me want an Afro"

Somewhere in the dreary night stands an empty court. This bare court could be placed behind a business or simply be as quaint as the local park. Hours earlier, in the gleaming beams of the midday sun, this court wasn't so vacant. Egos faced each other, sweat poured like a waterfall from every orifice and pride was put on the line for the chance to go home the winners. The game these men (or women) played was called basketball, but there was something peculiar about this type of basketball, around the block it was known as “Street Ball.” Street Ball deviated itself from the established rules by introducing tricks, special slam dunks and classy maneuvers that hadn't been seen in traditional basketball so much.

After scrolling down the endless lines of characters to find one of the Caucasian assemblage, I delved into the meat and potatoes of the game, “Create a balla‘”. Create a balla' is what the name implies: you create your own character, make him tall or short, stocky or lean, a powerhouse blocker or a nimble shooter. You can either make him a symbol of machoism
or an effeminate lover boy whose sexuality is questionable. Afterwards you'll be sent out into the real world to gather other ballas from around the block and form a team. The ballas you meet early in the game lack zest. Their moves are unpolished and your team will often be making amateurish mistakes that can't be avoided. Trying to pull a trick to get around the opponent will often result in falling on your ass and losing possession of the ball. Winning the games provides you with points that allow you to refine those loose ends in the team. Soon, you won't be making any more mistakes; you'll be making trick dunks and off the backboard passes. Smashing the ball against the opponent's skull for extra points will surely be the hallmark of your trick repertoire. However all this refining has a down side.

Refining takes a needlessly long time, which, on one hand, gives Street 2 a great amount of replay. On the other hand, avid players of the sports genre might get bored with the game before anything begins to happen with their team. Progressing through the ranks as your team gets better allows you to gain more of name for yourself. Soon, the best ballers will be at your doorstep. You'll have to travel from city to city to take a shot at the best teams in the entire country.

Can you shut out the strongest teams in the nation? The produces would like to think you could since they've incorporated jerseys and other such superfluities for you to collect if you manage such a feat. For instance, beating a team with nothing but dunks will allow you to pick up a jersey from a retired NBA star. You can also play against these retirees in another mode called "NBA Challenge". After picking a professional basketball team, you'll have to beat one divisions' team. There are around 6 teams per division, so that's around six or seven games per division. The final confrontation will be against that division's best players straight from old school. You'll face the likes of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan suited up with nostalgic jerseys and shoddy shoes. These retiree teams are hard, which is a bit ironic. Shouldn't they be old and decrepit? The good part is the game gives you a little something special to beat them with. It's a skill called a “Game breaker”. There is a small bar at the top of the screen that slowly fills as you perform stunts. As logic dictates, once the bar fills, you're able to perform a massive skill that allows you to steal the opponent's points. You also have a few other options once the bar fills. You can save up further and go in for the level two Game Breaker. Surely the most feared skilled around all the streets.

Suddenly, your men are lifted from the ground they once walked on and perform a feat that defies all laws of physics. They'll jump off each other and one will dunk the ball. What is the final product? The opponent will be down 3 to 4 points and you'll be up by just as many. Level two Game Breakers are truly devastating skills. Now lets pretend they have a Game Breaker and you just got one. In such a scenario you're able to cancel out theirs with yours. This doesn't happen often and you should stop playing games in general if it does.

Just as the aforementioned Game Breakers defy all the laws of physics, such is the case with a lot of other moves featured in Street 2. You can call for an ally-oop and send a teammate twelve feet into the air to dunk the ball. You can jump eight feet in the air and snatch the ball while it's going for the hoop. Such feats are impossible, yes. A ludicrous twist on reality is what Street 2 has going for it. People will fill up with joy as their favorite superstar flies like a bird through midair just to fall flat on his ass after he missed the ball. Other will love the sight of their opponent hitting their head on the hoop as they go up for the block. Street 2 has something for everyone; it's fun, creative and an overall enjoyable game that the avid sports fan shouldn't miss. If you're a gamer that's turned off by the sports scene, still gives Street 2 a try as it differentiates itself largely by its creative aspects.

Final - 9

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/04, Updated 06/27/04