Street Hoops for PlayStation 2

Street Hoops for PlayStation 2 Reviews

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Street Hoops for PlayStation 2 Feature

• Platform: PlayStation 2
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Genre: Sports

Street Hoops is like the kid who shows up on the first day of school decked out in brand-new, brand-name duds, trying really hard to be cool and laid-back, while his rival (in this case, NBA Street) effortlessly oozes hip, relaxed charm. It's not that it's a bad game--it's that it could be so much more, if only it wasn't trying so hard, and in the most shallow ways.

Everything about Hoops is overly complicated, with no real payoff. The players can be personalized and stylized--you get to pick haircuts, jewelry, tattoos, and clothing. But instead of being a cherry on top of an otherwise great game, this decoration is in some ways more interesting than the actual court time. This issue of mixed-up priorities really takes root in the mechanics of the game. Considering there's no tutorial, the overly designed controller configuration gets in the way of just starting up and playing the game for the fun of it. In another example, unless you assign controllers to teams in the opening menu, the game mysteriously starts playing itself.

The music is great, with songs by mainstream hip-hop artists. But the abundance of tie-in deals seems like overcompensation for poor play. Hoops sometimes feels like a catalog, heavy with ads for clothing, sneakers, and sunglasses. In a spectacular example of the obtrusiveness of this co-branding, gamers can get cheats by buying real-world Sprite (vending machines for the soda are also littered throughout the game maps). Still, there's a fair amount to recommend Hoops--mainly the presence of real-life street ballers. The opening cinematic of inspired tricking makes you want to invest the time to make this game pay off. Anyone who just wants to play a little ball with their friends--a pickup game instead of a tournament--would be better off looking to the unmatched NBA Street. --Jennifer Hauseman

Pros:

• Options like taunt and intentional foul evoke true baller bravado
• Hip-hop soundtrack includes "Da Rockwilder" (Method Man and Redman), "Who We Be" (DMX), "Make Em Say Ugh" (Master P), and "Rollout" (Ludacris)

Cons:

• More development time was spent on partnership deals than gameplay

Street Hoops is an"in your face" street-style basketball game that captures the aggressive energy and attitude of blacktop competition. The game lets you compete in a nationwide tournament representing your hometown on the most notorious street courts in the nation. Choose from a roster of athletes and performers, including key players that were featured in the And 1 Mix Tapes and Nike's"Freestyle" commercial series. The game features real world locations where you can compete on 10 of the most revered street courts in America, including NYC's West 4th Street, a.k.a."The Cage", L.A.'s Venice Beach Courts, Oakland's Mosswood Playground, Philadelphia's Lombard Court, Chicago's Jackson Park, NYC's Rucker Park, Atlanta's Run n' Shoot and New Orleans' Shakespeare Park. You get ultra-realistic courts; designers ensured that each court is an exact replica of the real blacktop basketball court right down to the graffiti, quality of the court and culture of the neighborhood. Choose from three awesome modes of play; defend your home turf in King of the Court, take it to the road inWorld Tournament or hone their skills with Pick-Up Game. The multiplayer exhibition-style pick-up game can be played on a full court or a half court, with gamers playing head-to-head or on the same team. You can initially choose from 9 different teams or they can build their own unique, customized"ballers." In addition, you can play one-on-one to five-on-five and anything in between.

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Apr 24, 2011 00:11:04