NBA Ballers Phenom
- April 05, 2006 00:00 AM PST
An uncertain blend of super-arcadey half-court action, mild urban exploration and trite mini-games keep this title far from being phenomenal, but the easy on-court fun is hard to deny.
NBA Ballers: Phenom is Midway's latest addition to the obnoxious and ever-growing action-sports genre, combining over-the-top arcade action with an awkward storyline and bizarre Tony Hawk-style levels (complete with trite mini-games and poorly hidden secrets). By creating your own baller and selecting his crib, flossy gear, and athletic attributes, you enter into a competition to gain "props and respect" in street basketball tourneys and a chance to join the NBA. Amazingly you can also elect to become an entertainment mogul based on your on-court presence and rapping/DJ-ing abilities (yes, you read that right).Understandably, Phenom runs a rocky road in boldly trying to tie together so many different types of gameplay, and the final product feels expectedly half-baked. Even so, the actual streetball games are fairly enjoyable, with easy scoring and simple arcade moves that make for fast, high scoring matches. Don't expect any NBA action here, though, as the arcade approach abandons realistic gameplay in favor of wild moves and some amazing dunks.
Stick to the Court
Unfortunately, Ballers suffers from several shortcomings that keep it from being the ultimate hip-hop/hoops hybrid that it hoped to be. Graphically, it's well below current PS2 standards, with chunky characters, so-so animations, and bland cinemas that look decidedly Dreamcast-ish. Audio commentary and character voices are well done (with a few celebs like Ludacris), but the monotonous gangsta rap tracks and repetitious play-by-play quickly loose their appeal after a just a few matches.
The biggest problems come from the sloppy combination of disparate gameplay modes. Phenom mixes mediocre half-court basketball with unnecessary (and, at times, embarrassingly outdated) exploration segments that force you to roam the streets looking for matches and collecting ridiculous hidden items (a melon-sized diamond in a popcorn machine?). The extraneous exploration and T-Mobile 3 Way messaging nonsense act as a boring buffer between the hoops, while the superfluous story acts as a weak adhesive loosely holding everything together. The atrocious load times are inexcusably long, and offer plenty of time to ponder what exactly Midway was aiming for with this unwieldy amalgamation of gaming styles.
Can I Get a "What, What?"
But while the game might seem schizophrenic but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to play. The streetball games are short and sweet, and can be great for two-player matches. But with so many better looking and better playing b-ball games available, it's tough to recommend NBA Ballers: Phenom for anything beyond a kitschy weekend rental or a late night study break. Try it if you're curious, but players looking for a more serious streetballer or a true urban exploration game might not appreciate Phenom's odd approach.
