NBA Street V3

"V3 Jukes Out the Competition And Owns On The Court"

NBA Street V3 Review

Introduction:

NBA Street V3 is the third installment in the NBA Street series. Much of the material from the previous games is transferred over to V3, and is applied very well. There are a few new additions to NBA Street V3 that really adds a lot of depth to the experience and much of the old material has been polished clean.

Graphics: 10/10

From the moment I watched the opening video, I was stunned by how gorgeous the graphics are in NBA Street V3. It was like getting sucker punched; I didn't know what hit me. All of the character models have been crafted very well. All of the NBA players look just like they do in real life, down to the smallest detail. I was especially surprised to see that every NBA player that has a tattoo (which is pretty much all of them) has each and every one placed on them, in the right spot, with breath-taking textures. I don't think it gets much better that this, ladies and gentlemen. Everything runs smoothly and looks absolutely gorgeous.

Sound: 9/10

I was very impressed with what V3 had to offer in the sound department. There are many tracks constantly playing during the game. These tracks are rap-based, for the most part, and are done by real life rappers, that are actually famous. For those of you that don't like rap, this might not be the game for you then, because it is constantly playing during menus and during individual street games.

Also, just like in the other NBA Street games, the commentary is one of the best parts of V3. The commentator has something to say about everything that happens on the court.
Most of his comments are extremely witty and are just plain hilarious, but I guess that depends on whether you have a good sense of humor or not. If you know a lot about basketball and are familiar with some of the “slang”, you'll enjoy the commentary a lot more. However, in all fairness, I must say that some of his phrases can get quite annoying very fast, but for the most part, it's very enjoyable and makes NBA Street V3 much more realistic.

Gameplay: 9/10

In case you're unsure of what “goes down” in NBA Street, I'll fill you in on the basics: You play 3 on 3 basketball on a street court in many variations of games. The mechanics are similar, but the rules are tweaked a bit depending on the contest. The simplest way I can describe V3 is by using two words: Street Basketball. You can shoot, dunk, and dribble. Dribbling is a bit more complicated, since you can do a wide variety of tricks that sadly resort to a lot of traveling. But, hey, it's Street Ball. Traveling doesn't count!
Also, Gamebreakers are here, which if pulled off, can give you points and subtract them from your opponent.

GAME MODES:

Many of the game modes from the other NBA Street games are still here, but have been tweaked a bit. In Street Challenge, you create and customize your very own player, create a team of misfits, and go prove yourself amongst other street ballers and even NBA Players, with the ultimate goal being to have a high reputation an become the best of the best. Some of the other modes are a Pick-Up Game, in which you can play with NBA teams against the computer or your friends, and Practice Mode, where you can hone your skills and practice to become the best baller out there. However, I was disappointed to see that the NBA tour is gone now, so you can't go around defeating all of the NBA teams.

CONTROLS:

The controls are pretty easy to follow in V3. The buttons can be picked up easily and you'll get the feel for the controller quickly. However, it takes some time to perfect your timing. Passing to a player for an alley-oop and jumping for a rebound takes some practice to master, but you'll have loads of fun with it once you do.

NEW FEATURES:

New to NBA Street V3 is the trick stick, which allows you to customize your dunks, dribbling techniques, and even passes. It's kind of like doing a trick on top of your trick. The trick stick lets you do tricks during dunks and allows you pull of even more whacked-out dribbling moves. Of course, to use the trick stick effectively, it takes a lot of memorization. Memorizing your favorite moves is the key to being the best at NBA Street, and it takes time to perfect.

Also new to V3 is the Dunk Contest. You can now go up against the big dogs and show them what your dunks are made of. In combination with the trick stick, you can pull off some sweet dunks, and you can even put obstacles in your way to up your score, assuming you can finish your dunk. My only complaint is that your jump looks too unrealistic. You're in the air for at least 7 seconds. It looks too fake.

Final Note:

NBA Street V3 is a blast. The realistic gameplay and sounds make for the complete street basketball experience. Every bit of V3 is polished and well done. For anyone that likes basketball, you have to pick this up. Even if you're not a fan of basketball, I still recommend you check V3 out. You'll love every minute!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/24/05