Early this past Spring when it was announced that the next title in EA' BIG series would be a basketball game, a sudden buzz of excitement spread throughout the Net and in gaming publications the world over. Next the screen shots began to appear and the buzz became much louder. The stunning visuals from SSX were re-appearing again. The question remained however, how would the final product actually play? There were worries that EA would rush the game and become similar to the less than stellar NBA Live 2001. Where Live is more simulation based, NBA Street is a pure streetball game. Comparisons may be made to the likes of NBA Jam or Hoopz. Do not be mistaken, as this is no incarnation. What EA has delivered is urban rules basketball with a heavy emphasis on showing off. Is it SSX basketball? No exactly.

Graphics
The game's developer NUFX has done a very good job here in conveying the street style of basketball. First off, all of the levels have been carefully laid out and realized. They have been brought to life in full lush colour and very tight textures. Beyond the action of the game, you can look around each court to find in bubbling with life. Whether it be cars passing by, or street lights and signs swaying in the wind, each court conveys a good sense of urban aesthetics. The character design is also of high quality. You will find players from all 29 NBA teams including a host of street players and special guests that are unlocked as the game progresses. The animated moves and dunks are simply the best animations ever seen in a basketball game. All of this splendor is delivered at a break-neck pace of a constant 60 frames per second refresh rate.
My only issue with the visuals has to do with the fact that even though the animations are smooth, they are not enough for a game of this stature. As a result, repeated animations and limited replays hold us back from giving the title a higher score in the graphics department. Perhaps in future iterations of the game, the animations will be at least doubled if not tripled.

Sound
The licensed soundtrack has few exciting tracks. For example, it features an old remixed Herbaliser track and consists of mostly nondescript funky jazz tunes. The game's MC, Joe "The Show" Jackson, provides some great commentary throughout each game and is very descriptive in the training mode. Like the animations, Joe's comments quickly tire as a result of continued repetition. Further recording with this great voice talent would have been beneficial. The sound effects on the other hand are pretty neat as they feature various grunts, tinkles and funky hip-hop sounds. During Gamebreaker moments, the game goes into what can be described as a dream sequence. Everything slows into slow motion, the light goes bright red and the sound slows down. A simulated heartbeat starts to pound and you watch the replay from three different angles. Truly breathtaking.

Gameplay
Even though games like this can look like the next best thing, it is gameplay that will ultimately determine the fate or success of the title. Fortunately, the same winning formula in SSX has been recreated for NBA Street. Easy yet precise control. Controlling the 3 players on your team is extremely simple. The controls are fluid and quite responsive to your action and re-action of the game. The meat of the game is found in the City Circuit mode. Here you must tour with your team to earn rewards and new NBA players to choose from. Every few matches, you are required to take a Street Challenge against a superfly local from the Street Legends. If you are able to defeat the legend, you will have the opportunity to add him to your roster. Slowly, you will begin to collect a large collection of both NBA players and Street Legends. You will also earn cheats to play with such as new uniforms and unlimited turbo. With the exception of a shot clock, there are no rules. You can goaltend, throw the ball back over the centre line and even deliberately smash an opponent to the ground. The first team to score 21 points is the winner. Standard shots and dunks are worth one point, while long range shots are worth two points. By scoring points, varying your approach and dunks, and performing fakeouts, your momentum bar increases. When full, you are able to take advantage of the Gamebreaker shot which reduces your opponents' score equal to the points you gain, effectively doubling the value of your basket. It is no surprise then that Street is all about tricks.
The only problem is, it is almost too easy to score and at times difficult if not near impossible to defend. For example, for some odd reason Michael Jordan is available from the outset of the game. Using Air Jordan, all one has to do is get in the vicinity of the basket and shoot for a guaranteed basket. Similarly, the CPU players return down the court and score on almost every attack. The game flows back and forth like this and ultimately becomes repetitive quite early. The super all out dunks become less and less impressive. NUFX could have added more depth to the actual gameplay. On court scuffles, wild signature moves and more distinct players are needed. As you get deeper into the game, you will find that many of the unlockable players are more similar than different.

Value
NUFX has given the player a lot of options and hidden gems to keep them coming back time and time again. In addition to City Circuit, you can find Street School, Create players and Hold the Court. In Hold the Court, the objective is to set the winning streak and total points record for each court. By doing this, you can unlock new items for a created player along the way. Additional teams can be unlocked. For example, some of the competitors from SSX make an appearance as does an all-star women's team. The create a player option is deep. Choose from a number of outfits, body types, hairstyles and gender. Additional attributes are unlocked in both the City Circuit and Hold the Court modes of play. Ultimately, you will have the most fun when engaging friends in the very addictive two-player games. Pull this game out during a party and watch the expression on even the most jaded video game critic.

Final Word
NBA Street is what basketball games needed, a refreshing formula that other development houses will hopefully adopt in their sports titles. With some more gameplay variety, Street could have garnered a higher score. As it stands however, NBA Street is easily the best basketball game on the PS2. One of this years' best games that should not be missed.