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EA Sports BIG’s main franchise returns for a third spin. Taking a year in between sequels, EA Canada has been able to considerably improve the NBA Street series with each iteration. The first one was an excellent game, and NBA Street Vol. 2 added enough to the series to make it a worthwhile purchase. NBA Street V3 improves the actual gameplay, while adding enough cosmetically to make it a worthwhile purchase even if you already own the two previous games.
As you already know, NBA Street V3 isn’t about elaborate plays or killer defense; it’s about getting the ball to the basket so you can pull off an incredible dunk. While getting there, it is important to pull off a number of sick tricks to get points, which you’ll then use for a Gamebreaker. The more elaborate the tricks (as ruled by the number of turbo buttons you hold down), the more points. You’ll also get more points for the trick if you happen to knock down a player from the opposing team, and fewer points of you repeat a move too often. Pulling together combos will result in a bigger pay off once you actually make the shot. All in all, it is frantic and fun gameplay.
EA Canada has changed things a bit for V3. Gone is the multi-button pressing for tricks, instead you’ll use a combination of turbo buttons and the “trick stick,” basically the other analog stick on the controller. This system makes it much more intuitive to pull off a great move, if your baller has the “handles” to do so. Another considerable change is in the Gamebreaker system. In the first game, you can fill up your meter and either do a dunk or long-distance shot. Vol. 2 added a second meter so you can have a “double Gamebreaker” for increased points (compared to two “Level 1 Gamebreakers”). V3 eliminates that second meter but makes the process much more fun. Once you get a Gamebreaker, you can still shoot a “normal” short- or long-distance shot or you can go in for a dunk. If you go for the dunk, you can do all sorts of tricks in the air, and pass the ball to your teammates to keep it going. The more tricks you do, the better the Gamebreaker’s payoff so you’ll get up to 4 points instead of the typical 2. Of course, if you don’t time it right there’s a chance you will fall and get no points. Overall, this addition makes the game much more interactive and exciting.
Aside from the actual gameplay, there’s much to do in NBA Street V3. You can participate in the game’s main single-player mode, the Street Challenge. Here, you’ll play a number of games (both in the day and night, each time has its own events) over a course of 10 weeks. You’ll begin with local no-names, though near the end you’ll be running around with NBA stars. Each day, there are a number of events for you to participate in i.e. a trick challenge, or dunks only, and the game tells you which events are most important to your rep (which increases along the trick points). Aside from Street Challenge, you can also participate in Exhibition and a Dunk Contest.
You’ll use the afore-mentioned trick points to customize your created player. You can customize his/her appearance quite a bit, and purchase a good bit of apparel. Of course, you can also customize the character’s ability, which will markedly increase in-game performance. The game also includes a create-a-court feature. You can outfit this court with a number of logos, bleachers, and other props.
The Gamecube version of the game doesn’t include online play. Instead, Gamecube fans are given a unique team: the Nintendo All-Stars, which consists of Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. A Nintendo-themed court is also included. The characters don’t quite fit in the other courts, but fit in perfectly in the Nintendo-themed court. Overall, it is a nice feature that EA Canada implemented well. However, if you were religiously against the idea, your mind won’t be changed.
The game’s visuals are slick, as expect. The player models are great and have a very urban look to them, and they animate very well. The courts are incredible, with a ton of detail and ambient lighting bringing it all to life. The game remains a similar look across all three versions with minor differences between them.
The game’s audio is solid. The sound effects for the gameplay fit in wonderfully. Commentary is provided by NBA Street Vol. 2’s DJ Bobbito Garcia, who can be quite annoying at times, but overall isn’t too excessively bothersome. The EA Trax soundtrack includes songs like Terror Squad’s Lean Back and a few EA-exclusive remixes that fit the game’s style well.
Overall, NBA Street V3 is one of the most fun games you’ll find for current-generation consoles. You don’t even need to like basketball to appreciate the game. If you played the previous games, this is definitely worth a purchase for the improvements and overall great gameplay. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Mar 26, 2005
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