When the NBA Street came out in 2001, it was the first intriguing take on the basketball video game genre since the NBA Jam/Hangtime/Showtime series. Street proved to be much better that the latest Jam descendant, combining the addictive, extreme, and yet simple arcade gameplay of NBA Jam, only updated for the modern age. Almost 2 years later, its sequel has finally arrived, promising more than just a simple roster update.
NBA Street 2 is composed of 3 gameplay modes. Pickup is basically - a pickup game. Pick a team to play with and against and you’re ready. You can also use any of the players you unlock and even created ones. What’s particularly nice about this mode is “My Rules,” a menu where you can specify the type of game you want, and even handicaps. It’s very in-depth in terms of options and great for multi-player games. The NBA Challenge mode is where you attempt to beat every single NBA team. Each division has a legends team where, if you defeat them, you will unlock that team’s players. The career mode lets you create a player and work your way up and make a reputation for yourself in the street basketball world. You’ll play in courts in multiple cities, including Oakland, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York.
The challenge and career modes are both single player modes, and through them you can unlock various things like players or jerseys that your created players can wear. Among the players you can unlock are 25 real basketball legends (like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson) that you can play with or against that are unlocked as your progress in the game. The create-a-player system is quite good, as there is an extensive list of details you can tailor to your liking, including body type, clothes, hairstyle, and even shoes. You can also earn special points in both modes, either to unlock things or improve your player, and it’s nice that even if you can’t unlock certain items by fulfilling a specific accomplishment, you can always buy it if you have enough points, guaranteeing that everyone will be able to complete the game 100%.
The game play of Street 2 is based on pressing a combination of turbo buttons and trick buttons. There are 3 and 2 of each, respectively. Each combination presents a different special kind of move, shot, or dunk. There are even defensive moves that can be done. The Gamebreaker meter is a sort of “super move” meter, like you might find in a video game and is built up by the execution of specials. Gamebreakers are extremely powerful and the execution of one can make a blowout suddenly reverse itself. Gamebreakers are almost more important than the score. The controls for Street are overall responsive and easy to learn. The use of the left thumbstick button as a turbo is a slight discomfort though. It was hard for me to concentrate on indenting the left thumbstick to do a move, especially for dunks, and I found myself almost exclusively using the triggers as my turbos, limiting the amount of different moves I did.
The number of things you can do is very impressive, and what’s even better is the inclusion of player-specific moves. Many legends have their own signature moves, and not only will you see them exhibit them during games; you can also unlock them for your own created player’s use. The game moves very fast, and the arcade gameplay style ensures that even if you are down big, you always have a chance for a comeback. Of course, the same for the computer is true, but the computer’s ability to cheaply get itself back into the game is kept within reasonable limits. The gameplay is supremely fun, and though the Gamebreaker meter favors flashy tricks and wicked dunks over good plain basketball, this after all, is not a simulation.
Graphically, Street certainly doesn’t push the X-Box’s limits. At the same time, there’s nothing to really complain about. The animation is excellent, and all the trick moves, dunks, and shots you can perform look distinct and bring that extra edge of flashiness to them. The game doesn’t look as realistic as basketball simulations like NBA 2K3, but it’s not Jet Set Radio Basketball either. It’s simply a better looking version of Street 1 with more style. Player models look good, with faces that are reasonably close to their real-life counterparts, though they retain a cartoony aspect to them. The courts also look good, each visually sporting a distinct look that comprise not just the court themselves, but also the surrounding environment.
Bobbito Garcia is noteworthy as the commentator for the game. His commentary is often funny whether he’s making fun of or praising you. The commentary fits the style of the game; with Street being an alternative basketball game, Garcia’s comments correspond accordingly. Don’t expect close analysis of a sequence as you might find in a simulation game. The absence of simulation-style voice work also ensures that Garcia’s comments are delivered without lag, and even if another play has started, the commentary does not fall out of place. Street does supports true surround sound, but use of it is fairly limited. There is light crowd noise from the rear, but nothing special. The musical soundtrack, featuring licensed music from hip-hop artists such as MC Lyte, is good, but because of the sheer amount of games you will end up playing, it can get tiresome. During games, instrumental versions of the soundtrack will play, and the regular versions will play in the menu interface. Unfortunately, custom soundtracks are not supported.
NBA Street 2 is the most addictive basketball game I’ve ever played, and there are no real faults with it other than that it’s likely the same game for the X-Box as it is for other systems. Lack of X-Box Live support and other features like custom soundtrack can only be seen as minor detriments from an overall outstanding product. Street 2 is a game that seeks to maximize the spectacular side and minimize the mundane aspect of basketball. The result is a highly satisfying game, either in single or multiplayer. Highly recommended.
I love video games. I just don't play too many of them. I grew up always having to learn about games through my (incredibly cheap) subscription to Video Games and Computer Entertainment (10 years later, this magazine is now known as Tips And Tricks). I'd read through each issue several times, remembering all the screenshots and details, but it was rare that I'd actually to get play any of the games featured just because I didn't have the money to do so. Now, I'm lucky enough to work in the industry, at a position that requires me to be a video game expert. Apparently I really did learn something from all that reading back then! I still don't play a lot of games though.
I enjoy virtually all game genres, except for PC war strategy, which I'm sure I just can't handle in terms of sophistication. My true calling in gaming is the PC FPS. It's the only genre where I'm willing to overlook major flaws in a particular game, finish it, and enjoy it anyway.
I also have a fascination with digitized video games (Fox Hunt, Psychic Detective, Angel Devoid), a now-defunct genre. Back when full-motion-video was all the rage, these games were supposed to be the next step in bringing Hollywood to the gamer, but most of the time, these efforts resulted in hilarious (and ridiculous) "interactive" movies that, instead of bringing innovation to the industry, only paved the way for the bad voice acting that the industry still suffers from today.
