NBA Street Vol. 2

Give credit where credit is due: Electronic Arts has essentially perfected the art of the blockbuster videogame, churning out polished, playable titles catering equally to both the casual and the hardcore gamer alike. Enter NBA Street Vol. 2.

This is simple three-on-three fantasy basketball, whose fundamental structure has changed little since NBA Jam stormed arcades in 1993, since Arch Rivals did the same five years before it, or since Dr. James Naismith originally conceived the damn sport 127 years before that. Not avant-garde gaming, certainly, but who can argue with fun?

Not Xbox Nation. Xbox Nation loves fun.

Vol. 2 succeeds largely because of the high level of creativity—dare it be called interactive artistry?—the engine allows for within the confines of its courts of concrete justice. This is accomplished through an impressive assortment of tools (read: moves and combinations), and the near-infinite variety of visual payoff they generate (read: dynamic animations and effects).

The game deftly rides the line between simulation and fantasy, successfully fusing realistic physics and movements with decidedly unrealistic feats of fancy. It is precisely this juxtaposition—cleverly paralleled in the game's graphical style, which places pseudo cel-shaded graphics atop near photo-realistic backdrops—that gives the game its perpetual grace.

The combo system is deep, akin to a good fighter or, perhaps more closely, a Tony Hawk's Pro Skater title. Quite perfectly exemplifying the gaming adage "simple to learn and difficult to master," Vol. 2 provides a superbly orchestrated canvas for getting ill with an Xbox controller and subsequently talking much smack to he or she whose head has been viciously dunked on. And quite necessarily, the controls are as responsive as they are deep; with a bit of practice, rocking kick-passes, somersault dunks, and XBN dribble-move favorite "Off the Hezay" will become second nature. (ProTip: Hezay means head.)

Legendary New York City DJ and radio personality Bobbito Garcia does a solid job calling the action, interjecting amusing commentary that's sporadic enough so as not to become intrusive. Music is a somewhat inconsistent mix of golden-era and contemporary hip hop, provided by the likes of Lords of the Underground, MC Lyte, and Nelly, whose exclusive "Not in My House" Vol. 2 theme song stands as a philosophical tribute to the process of putting basketballs through hoops in videogames. While what's here is (arguably) a solid selection, it's disappointing that EA has chosen not to allow for customized soundtracks. More significant is the curious absence of online play, for which the game is so clearly suited.

And yet somehow, almost in spite of itself, the experience manages to become significantly more than the sum of its parts. Not since amphetamines has there been a more effective way to bond with friends. EA has pushed the fun button yet again: Deliriously frenetic and expertly calibrated, Vol. 2 comes highly recommended.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.