The quest for the greatest basketball game has been a very rocky road for me. With games like NBA Live and NBA 2K, I found some good b-ball simulations. But maybe what I was craving wasn't a sim at all. Harkening back to the glory days of my Sega Genesis and NBA Jam, I can fondly remember dunking a flaming ball of fire on any NBA player who got in my way. The thrill of that was unmatchable. NBA Street recreates that excitement in spectacular fashion by combining the great game of professional basketball with the loopy antics of urban street ball. From the moment I saw Michael Jordan welcoming me to the game, I knew I was in for a great time.

As I booted the game up, I noticed that it had very quick load times, something other EA sports titles have had trouble with. The front end has a very simple setup. NBA Street features two primary game modes, respectively City Circuit and Hold the Court. Selecting City Court enables you to travel throughout the nation, competing against the best NBA and urban street players in the country. Teams are divided by region and beating them allows the option of recruiting new ballers or earning skill points to better your own player. Any NBA team can be used to run with, picking three of their five starters to form a team. Finishing this mode grants access to hidden teams such as the boarders from SSX and the musical group 3LW. The second game mode, Hold the Court sets up several courts in which there are two objectives to reach: a certain amount of trick points and a winning streak. Proceeding through the different venues, the objectives get tougher and tougher to obtain. Completing these goals opens up more options in the Create Player mode. This mode gives the option of creating your own fully customizable street baller. Almost everything about the player, from height to weight to race to sex, can be altered. Using the skill points earned in the game modes, different skills can be enhanced such as 2-point shots, dunks and quicks.

NBA Street features an optional mode known as Street School, allowing players to get a better handle on the game. Featuring fifteen lessons in total, composed of learning the simple basics to the most advanced moves to empoloy in the game. After completing all of the designated lessons, you "graduate" with a much better understanding of the game and its mechanics. Luckily, players can be assured that the pace of learning the lessons doesn't requiring one to rush through each segment, giving NBA Street a very generous learning curve. These four game modes are more than enough to keep anyone entertained and enthralled in this game for a good while.

Graphically, there isn't much more to ask for. Noticeable attention was paid to the detail of the players, especially with the faces. There isn't much facial animation, but they're certainly realistic. The bodies are well proportioned, if maybe just a tad blocky. The models move very fluidly with little or no slow down. The street courts are nice and open, capturing a good atmosphere of whatever city you are in. While small details such as weather and spectators are present, NUFX was smart enough not to clutter the screen with crap to slow the game down.

The controls can be fidgety, but the game is so engrossing so soon that any nuances the controls cause are quickly forgotten. Much like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, simple button combos allow for some really spectacular moves. Moves can also be chained together to gain some serious combo trick points. And with hordes of different moves and combos, it'll take awhile to uncover them all. When your team has built up enough momentum in a game, the ability to perform a Gamebreaker opens up, which is a lot like the "He's on fire!" riff of NBA Jam. When you execute a Gamebreaker, the points scored are deducted from the opponents score. This keeps the game interesting as both teams can even up the score with a single shot. Defensive moves are important and can mean the difference in the other team scoring or missing a shot. However this is also the leeriest part of the game. There are only three real defensive moves: the swat block, the leaping block and the steal. Shot blocking is extremely awkward with the courtside perception. However, the computer will adjust to help with this.

That's also the best part of this game, the incredible AI. Now maybe your teammates won't be the brightest at all times, but they do know when they're down by fifteen and trying for the two point shots. The other team shows intelligence as well, playing keep away while your Gamebreaker expires and setting up open shots for easy scores. Players also respond to the momentum of the game. Pulling off several shots in a row can provide a confidence edge. However, if one mistake leads to another, you can quickly be buried in frustration.

During a game, several different tunes can be heard which are played over by Joe the Show's unique commentary. I wasn't a big fan of the music since it all sounded the same and gets old quickly. Luckily, Joe's voice and comical quips drone most of it out. Most of the games tracks were handled by one artist (the same guy who did the music for Knockout Kings) so I can understand the similar styles of each song. I suppose it's better than no music at all.

The only real drawback to this otherwise great game would be the absence of a multiplayer feature. Sure, you can play against a buddy, but it would have been so much better to be able to play with someone else or even play a two on two with one computer controlled player for each team. Hopefully, in future games we will see this and with the internet and online play becoming a major factor in gaming, we could even see online streetball tournaments.

Despite the very few setbacks found, this game is still head and shoulders above any basketball game I've played on the PS2 yet. The seamless execution of the play mechanics and just the good old-fashioned fun of this game are sure to draw in masses of hungry basketball fans. So if, like me, you are looking for something to stray you away from the conventional basketball sim then NBA Street is your ticket. So BRING IT!

· · · Space Cowboy