First Encounter

EA SPORTS™ has made their reputation on the foundation of a consistently excellent lineup of sims like NBA LIVE, Madden, and MVP Baseball™. Recently, the company has stepped into the more laid-back world of fantasy street ball with great success, success that culminates (for now) in the jaw-droppingly good NBA STREET V3. It's got everything that made Volumes 1 and 2 work so well, but with complete Xbox Live® functionality, new trick systems, and new features like a Slam Dunk contest, a court creator, "street"-ified takes on all your favorite NBA stars, and refined, intuitive controls.

NBA STREET V3 has all the right moves.

The core gameplay in NBA STREET V3 remains unchanged, and that's a very good thing—the three-on-three format and outrageous, almost Neo-like moves you can pull off in the game are both intact. You can choose between the classic STREETcontrol setup or a new style, which makes heavy use of the right thumbstick, or "Trick Stick," for the wilder moves. And, in this third volume of the game, you don't just get current greats or NBA legends to choose from—EA has included a roster of NBA STREET classic players, too. Whether you need to practice your skill or are new to the series, V3 makes sure you get up to speed with a full set of tutorials that are quick and to the point. You don't even have to wait for the customary FMV of someone declaring that EA SPORTS is "in the game," which is a merciful omission in this reporter's humble opinion.

You can both fly and touch the sky inV3.

You need all those skills for both the single-player career mode (called "Street Challenge"), which lets you design your own baller and even (once you earn it) your own court, and for the brutal competition on Xbox Live. The "World Challenge" features the same three-on-three action as the Street Challenge, except this competition is as real as you can get without stepping onto the court. You get to create your own baller for online play, too, if you wish, and customize your home court. The Create-a-Baller feature is almost as deep and enjoyable as the one in Def Jam® FIGHT FOR NY™, complete with clothing choices, detailed physical appearance variants, and, of course, the all-important team barber who makes sure you don't walk out there looking like a chump.

Classic STREET players return to the hoop.

The Gamebreaker returns, and once again your ballers can use this turbo-powered special move to flatten the opposition and rack up the buckets. But it ain't easy to save up that turbo, since there are so many ways you can use it aside from the Gamebreaker—to power a long pass, drive through a troublesome defender, or dunk with authori-tay, just to name a few. In the Street Challenge mode, you find tournaments and matches that are based solely on the number of Gamebreaker points you can accumulate, too, so you can master those moves before heading online.

Anywhere, anytime, with Xbox Live.

Perhaps inspired by NBA Live, this year's STREET includes an all-new Slam Dunk contest that's good enough to be a separate game—yet EA loves you so much they put it in here for free. The Slam Dunk contest is like a Tony Hawk game with balls (so to speak), but the moves are still based on the in-game controls. It's what you can do with those controls that's so impressive and gravity-defying. You can even choose to use props like ladders before the contest—props can boost your score a lot, or totally destroy it if you fail to make good use of them.

Indoor street ball? Why not?

Even if you think you're not a fan of sports games, EA SPORTS has the answer: NBA STREET V3. It'll make a hoops booster out of you in no time.

By Ben Barker