NBA Street

Like SSX before it, EA Sports Big?s latest game reinvents a stale genre with the kind of sensational gameplay that made SSX one of the superstars of the PS2 launch.

If you think you?ve played this game to death back when it was called NBA Jam, think again. Midway?s games are packed with fanciful moves that even an Olympic gymnast couldn?t pull off without more wires than on the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon set. NBA Street, though, sticks to more authentic, real-life dunks, fakes, and alley-oops?though admittedly even Michael Jordan would have trouble busting this many sick moves in one game.

Much more important than Street?s cred, though, is how smartly and smoothly it plays. In the Jam series, the A.I. alternated between blatant cheating and playing worse than a grade-school newbie, but Street?s CPU players play a smart, tough game. If there?s a rebound, they?re up to nab it; if you make a mistake, they?re quick to exploit it. The result is thrilling, addictive gameplay loaded with tough battles and jaw-dropping moves that?ll lure even the most jaded b-ballers back to the court.

When the final buzzer sounds, Street get serious props for breathing a huge blast of fresh air into what had been Midway?s stinky old locker room. Street has staked its claim on the court, easily earning the title of this summer?s latest must-have PS2 game.

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