NBA STREETS VOL. 2
Developer: NuFx
Publisher: EA Sports
Platform: PS2
# of Players: 1-4
Having always found sport sims incredibly difficult to play and boring to boot, I never played NBA Street and didn’t expect the sequel to engage me in anyway. Then it’s suddenly the wee hours and I just need one more win to complete New York on my quest to Be a Legend-not just engaging, addictive. The controls are easy to manage and passing the ball or switching players is painless. If the single player modes, Be a Legend or NBA Challenge, bore you then find three of your closest friends for a quick exhibition game. Be sure to complete the Street School first to learn moves like “Off the Heezey” (and earn 1,000 reward points). Create history with the new and unstoppable Level 2 Gamebreaker, which gets all three players in on a wild combo, score extra points with a long range Gamebreaker or have more fun with the dunks.
NBA greats and Streetballers alike are rendered in the increasingly popular cel-shading style allowing for over the top, yet intricately detailed players. On the other hand, Courts like Mosswood in Oakland and Soul in the Hole in Brooklyn offer a realism so fine-tuned that each crack is in its spot. According to EA, the new moves and animation offer some great enhancements over the first game, but as a newbie, I can only say: With NBA Street 2, even I got game.
