NBA Street Homecourt

Back in the early 90’s there was this killer arcade basketball game by Midway called NBA Jam. At a time when sports games were taken a bit too seriously, NBA jam featured 4 player action with players that could jump over a house to make a dunk and innovations like hotspots and balls on fire (basketballs you perv). It was not very real, but hell it was fun.

While NBA Jam never managed to get much success from its sequels, the concept was well appreciated and further evolved by other videogame manufacturers that gave rise to a number of street arcade basketball games, the most notable of which was EA Sports Big’s NBA Street series. Many years and a lot of iterations later the NBA Street franchise has made it to the new generation of consoles, with a highly evolved gameplay and attitude that few other games can boast. But does the novelty still hold one’s attention in the fourth version of this game? This is exactly what I intend to find out.

Getting the players high on the EMO right at the start, NBA Street is full of little history videos about how the greatest names in the NBA started small, and through hard work and perseverance, made their name in the game. Though the narration of these videos can get a bit heavy, especially if you’re not a big fan of the sport, the videos bring in the right mood for what lies ahead.

Though the game looks fresh in just about every aspect, there are quite a few things that stay intact from the previous versions; namely tricks. Here you carry out tricks to dodge the ball from the opponent in a crazy display of acrobatics and ball control, while at times even taunting your opponent by passing the ball from underneath the opponent, or by simply mocking him by bouncing the ball off his head. The more antics you pull off, the more points you get. Doing a certain number and types of tricks before putting a shot into the basket earns you multipliers that seriously jack up the points ratio at your end.

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When I say points, I don’t mean the score of the game. You can win the game by scoring higher than your opponent, while the points don’t offer anything like that. What they do offer is Gamebreaker. For those who haven’t played any of EA’s ‘Street’ series of games in the past — By unleashing the Gamebreaker , you get access to special moves, better dodges and tricks, more accurate shots and a chance to score 3 points at once while your opponent loses out on one point from his score. So you see how it can be all worth it.

Earning points through tricks is what adds a lot of value to the gameplay instead of just a mad-rush to the opponent’s side of the court and dunking the ball for a cheap point.

Speaking of dunks, this game has the best dunks EVER in the history of videogames. If you think you’ve seen all the over-the-top dunking action in the past street basketball games, you’ve seen nothing yet. Nothing compares to watching your colossal player giving Newton a metaphorical slap in the face and defying all laws of gravity to propel himself at the basket, slamming the ball in the hoop and instantly catching it with the legs as soon as the ball comes out of the net, propelling the ball back up and slamming it in once again to score double points. This is but just one of the many types of double dunks you can pull off in this game.

The best part I liked about the game in general was that it felt like a street basketball game, with emphasis on ‘street’. It puts the biggest names in basketball, right back to their roots — the street ball. The rules are not only bent here, they are altered beyond recognition to give you maxed out and uninterrupted entertainment without blowing a fowl whistle at you just as you’re heating up. No out of bounds means you don’t have to submit the ball to the other team just because you stepped out of a line; no goal-tending means you can block and slam away any attempts to score by your opponent.

You can pick up and play with your favorite NBA stars, or you have the option to start fresh by creating your own character and play through the game as him (or her). You get to recruit your team from your home court at the start, and you get opportunities to exchange players at every location you move on too. The more games you win, the better your stats get, and before you know it — you’re Mr. Invincible.
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This invincibility factor is actually one of the only drawbacks I can think of in NBA Street Homecourt. After you master the moves, learned the double dunks, the computer AI loses its challenge. But then again, that’s a problem with most sports games. That’s why the multiplayer factor will always be the biggest selling point in this genre.

That aside, NBA Street is gratifying to just about all the senses. It has the best visuals that I’ve seen from this generation of sports games yet. The players look lifelike to the extent that each one of them forms a unique identity. The courts look true to their real life counterparts, complete with the accurate wear and tear that you can come to expect from street courts. Player animations may be over-the-top, but in no way do they look unconvincing. There are a few clipping issues with the clothes, especially when you’re pulling off a double dunk, but that’s a very minor gripe. The bottom line is that the game looks absolutely stunning by any standards.

The audio of the game is quite low-key, when compared to what EA has to offer in it’s other games, but it’s still alright. The players keep talking during the game that adds a lot to the overall realism. Unlike the older series, there’s no street commentary in this one, which is something I personally miss. Don’t get ’em wrong, the street talk keeps the game real, but without the slick street commentary, the overall sound of the game seems a bit low key.

Whether you like sports games or not, NBA Street Homecourt is a pick-up and play arcade game that anyone can instantly enjoy. A must-have if you constantly have your homies coming over to play, or are looking for something other than the regular basketball simulation. Everyone else should still give this one a shot… it would be worth your while.