PlayStation 3
Released in 2007 by EA Sports
Grade: C
It’s half streetball and half “what’s the point?”
Where it falls in the series
After three installments on PS2/Xbox (see NBA Street Vol. 2), this is the first and only on PS3/Xbox 360.
Praises and gripes
I would describe this game as “cracked out.”
The trick system is cracked out.
There’s a dunk meter that’s kind of nifty but also kind of cracked out.
There are no goaltending calls, so outside shots are routinely snagged by the defense, and that’s so cracked out it’s not even funny.
It’s a shame because the game plays well at times. The basic controls are responsive. There are crafty moves to learn, like using a screen, jumping off a teammate’s back, and a shove-swipe combo to steal the ball. Games can get tense and exciting down the stretch.
The graphics are slick (once you’re past the first two courts, which have strangely washed out colors.) The sound is fine, a step down from the previous gen’s Street games.
That’s all great, except this version of Street is even more “streety” than the earlier games, with an even bigger focus on those ridiculous dribbling tricks.
The more elaborate your tricks and your dunk, the faster you can cash in on the “gamebreakers,” visually ridiculous baskets that are worth extra points.
Every possession becomes 20 seconds of Matrix razzle dazzle dribbling, leading to a ninja dunk where the guy pounces off the backboard and does a backflip. (Not even those acrobatic NBA mascots try that stuff.)
Much like FIFA Street and The Bigs 2, this game feels so far removed from the sport it’s based on. It doesn’t highlight basketball’s charms, it avoids them.