Following hot on the heels of PS2 launch hit SSX, NBA Street is the second title released under the newly-formed EA Big brand. Their initial offering wowed audiences with innovative and fun gameplay that brought new life to the snowboarding genre. EA Big looks to do the same to the nearly defunct arcade basketball arena. Not just a mere rehash of NBA Jam or an NFL Blitz-style melee, NBA Street is a finely-tuned game of streetball, filled with style and skill on both sides of the ball. This game is a pleasant surprise and is not only the best arcade basketball game around, it's also one of the best basketball games period.

Using NBA licensed players, NBA Street lets you play a 3-on-3 game of streetball in various real-life courts around the world. Games are played up to 21 points (win by 2), with single baskets counting for 1 and long-range buckets giving you 2 points. Where this game stands out is the Trick Boost meter, very similar to that found in SSX. The 4 shoulder buttons, when used in combination with the square button, allow you to pull off a variety of basketball tricks, from crossovers, to fake-outs, to high-flying dunks. Like SSX, you must use a variety of moves, as pulling the same trick repeatedly will result in less points and less boost. The in-depth trick system rewards you with extra points for stringing moves together into combos. The more tricks in the combo, the higher the combined score, so pulling a Pick + Reel2Reel + Alley Opp will net you a large amount of trick points.

You'll need to do this often, as successfully pulling off tricks gives you trick points and raises your boost meter. When the meter is full, you're able to shoot a Gamebreaker, an almost unblockable shot that adds to your score and subtracts from your opponents' total. Thus there is an incentive to score buckets, but also a huge incentive to do it in style. Trick points are awarded for just about every type of move, even on defense. This aspect gives the game a great amount of depth, as you're rewarded for playing tough defense as well as flashy offense. Blocked shots are a necessary component of your game, and a shot clock violation will drain your boost meter. Blocking several shots in succession will create defensive combos and boost your trick points substantially. Despite being an arcade style game, there is great play balance and as a result the game is a ton of fun to play.

There are three main modes of play featured in NBA Street. In City Circuit, you'll fight your way up the ladder, playing all the NBA teams in courts around the country. When you win a match, you can add a player from the opposing team to your roster, or opt to add development points to your pool. After clearing a region, you'll play a single game against one of the Street Legends, hardcore ballers created specifically for this game. Once you beat them, they'll join your squad and you can use them in future games. Hold the Court is similar to the survival mode from the top fighting games, in that you play game after game against a friend or the CPU until you lose. And you can always go head-to-head with a friend for bragging rights. Sadly, the game doesn't support the PS2 multi-tap, so you're limited to two-player action.

All of your accomplishments are saved to your memory card, so you can see your legend grow as you clear out the City Circuit and Hold the Court modes. Every statistic is recorded, from dunks to busted rims, to the total number of accumulated trick points and Gamebreakers. The game features a detailed create-a-player feature, so you can add a funked-up version of yourself to your squad of NBA all-stars. Tons of different clothing and body options are available, with more being unlocked as you progress through the game. You're limited to a handful of nicknames, but most of them are cool, and it's a nice touch to hear the announcer call you out by name during play.

Speaking of which, the game features some cool voiceover, provided by Joe "The Show". This street-savvy showman guides you through the menu screens and injects colorful commentary during games. He'll rip on you when you mess up, and he'll even give you an earful for playing on Easy too long. Michael Jordan provides some commentary as well, as he's an unlockable character in the game. Music is limited to a few funky hip-hop style tracks, punctuated by a solid set of sound effects.

Graphically the game is solid, if not entirely spectacular. Fewer player models means more detail, as the characters are well-modeled, well-textured and animate pretty well. Transition animations are a bit awkward, so there are occasionally "pops" in the motion. The motion-captured moves look great though, and bring a sense of realism to the arcade action. Player faces resemble their real-life counterparts for the most part, though the bodies are a bit too muscular much of the time. For instance, Dikembe Mutumbo looks more like Shaq than his usual stick-thin self. The courts look great for the most part, with some nice lighting and texturing. A few look a little spartan and cartoony, like Fort Point for instance, but ghetto courts like Broad Street in Philly are a perfect setting for a game of streetball.

Overall, NBA Street is a fantastic game that completely revitalizes the arcade basketball genre. Full of fresh gameplay on offense and defense, an innovative trick system, real NBA players and a funky street sensibility, NBA Street is fun single or multi-player action that will have you coming back for more. This is one of the best arcade sports games ever made, and more than holds its own against the myriad of basketball simulations out there. NBA Street deserves a spot in the rotation of every PS2 gamer.