Okay, so I've been meaning to review this game now for the past few weeks.
Every time I start writing, I feel that I have to go back and play EA Sports BIG's NBA Street Vol. 2 so I can be reminded how good this game is. I'd then lose all track of time and end up pushing it off again.
But to keep the review simple: NBA Street Vol. 2 rocks!
First Impression
This game is definitely not its predecessor. Vol. 2 is actually fun to play. The announcer is different. The semi-cell-shaded graphics look beautiful. EA went back to the drawing board for this one.
Gameplay
Arcade-style basketball games have come a long way from NBA Jam. Instead pushing your through the opponent, in Street you have to combinations of the shoulder and square buttons to fakeout the opponent to get around him. My favorite fakeout move is bouncing the ball off your opponent's head. He's stunned for a moment, and then you make your move for the hoop.
Playing on the offense is more than just faking out the other team, you get to perform some sick monsterous dunks. The best dunk is bouncing the ball off the backboard then catching it in the air and jamming it home.
Like SSX Tricky and Def Jam Vendetta, you can build up the Gamebreaker that, once filled, will make your shots nearly unblockable. You will gain points while your opponent loses points. Hold up, player, you can also save that Gamebreaker to upgrade it Level 2 Gamebreaker that makes your shot completely unblockable. On a three-pointer, the opponent will lose four points.
Don't let get fooled by all the offense, there is some mad "D" in this game. Stealing the ball is relatively painless, but picking the ball straight out of the air is just sick. Goaltending? What's that?
NBA Street Vol. 2 also offers different gameplay options including the Pick-up Game which as it says, lets you play a pick-up game against an NBA opponent including old school stars. The thing I like about the Pick-up Game is that you can set your own rules for the game including scoring style and spotting some points. The Be a Legend mode is where your build a player and team and take them to different street ball competitions across the U.S. The NBA Challenge requires you to play against every NBA team to unlock more old school players.
Sound
The music sets the mood for the entire game. It's your basic hip-hop featuring the likes Nelly, Nate Dogg, and MC Lyte. The music is great, but it gets lost in the background while playing.
The thing that stands out is the announcing. Instead of stupid scripted announcing, EA brought New York DJ Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. DJ Cucumber Slice. Garcia's announcing is fun and refreshing for a sports game. It's not the drunken slurring of words like in Madden or the cheesy repetitiveness of the Sega Sports series. This stuff is all original. You get the feeling that he watched the game for about an hour, and they recorded everything he said.
Graphics
The semi-cell-shaded graphics give the game a ton of flare. It's scary, but I created a player that looked eerily familiar to me. So, I guess the graphics are pretty good.
I really liked the preview reel showing off the different dunks and fakeout moves when you edit your player. Wasn't neccesary, but a nice touch none the less.
Final Word
If you don't own this game, what the hell is wrong with you? Your friends will make fun of you. Nobody will like you. You will be relegated to writing reviews for video game... wait, anyway, go out and by this game. Did I mention the SSX3 trailer that's included?
Ryan Eilders is the Webmaster and video games reporter for the ASU Web Devil. You can reach him at ryan.eilders@asu.edu.
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