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Intro
Ah, the lonely world of basketball street teams. The players have more spunk,
better moves, and play with more heart than most of their pro counterparts could
ever dream of, and yet they remain virtually unknown outside of that mini-culture.
Taking this no-holds-barred game of hoops to the virtual word seemed as natural
as four controller ports on a new console, yet it's just now coming out. Sure,
there has been NBA Jam and NBA Street, but Hoops goes for
an authentic feel with real teams and real players. With such a surefire subject,
how could anything go wrong?
Gameplay:
5.5/10
Boy, anyone else feel like downing a Sprite while staring at a medallion
and necklace at a cheap jeweler in a little booth in the middle of a mall hallway
with one pant leg up and 'keeping it real'? Well, no, I normally don't either,
but after doing these exact things within the gritty walls of Street Hoops and
basking in the lifestyle that is a 'street baller', I feel I have come to appreciate
the finer things in life.
Well, you see where I'm going with this. Street
Hoops isn't just a stripped-down basketball title; it's one that revels in
the fact that a player's name can be D Assassin and wants nothing more than to
bet on the next game so he can get a fly new tat.
All of the above really
points as to why I didn't particularly enjoy Street Hoops; in short, the
game seems to focus far more on the lifestyle aspects of the players, as opposed
to the actual game. The gamer can buy clothes from the AND1 line; get tattoos;
get new haircuts; bet on their games by choosing most three-pointers, who will
win, etc.; and also head down to Ye Olde Local Pawnshop for some gaudy jewelry
(peep the screenshot to see what I mean).
It's a shame that with all
of this to do off the court, there isn't much to do on the court. While I certainly
have no problem with eccentric players and having the ability to "lace them
up" (as the box puts it), I do have a problem when the game seems to be trying
to sell itself as some hard-edged title, when there is little substance to back
it up. Driving past a player is as simple as pressing the button to perform a
juke move a few times until the opponent falls off-balance, leaving you to drive
right past them. Sure, there are times when that won't work and you'll need to
pass the ball off, but these cases are surprisingly rare. I also found my players
passing the ball all the way down to court to absolutely no one, players reacting
late to situations, and also not switching over to the appropriate player once
they had the ball. The computer was equally inconsistent by standing still while
my team swooped in like vultures, and continuing to do so until the ball was taken.
Three-pointers were also sad as it seemed that, on the whole, only one person
could make them and that is when the stars and planets were properly aligned,
while the computer had no problem with them when and if they took them.
There's no doubt that Street Hoops has charm, especially if you're a fan
of one of the featured teams and enjoy seeing a digitized version of your favorite
player. Additionally, there's no shortage of modes: there's the create-a-player
mode, a World Tournament that will have your team crossing the U.S., a Lord of
the Court mode that has you defending your court against an away team, and a pick-up
game with either going half court or full court. Winning will mean cash, and getting
the earnings from the World Tournament will allow the unlocking of features and
courts in other options, like the previously mentioned pick-up mode. There are
also the prerequisite extravagant moves and additional fun with a friend, as this
is certainly an easy game to pick up and play with a pal.
By the end
of a long stint with Street Hoops, a feeling of dissatisfaction set in.
The whole game seemed like a billboard for FootAction and AND1, while the off-court
options, all-star rap soundtrack, and authentic players seemed to try to give
a shallow game some kind of credibility. It all just oozes of a feeling of trying
too hard: I've never seen so many intentional misspellings just so it would come
off as someone talking in slang, but I'm sorry to say that slang just doesn't
work when typed out. Overall, there just wasn't enough here to keep coming back
for. Sure, it's moderately entertaining as a quick pick-up-and-play title, but
it gets very old over extended play periods and it is only enjoyable for so long
with a friend. It's a basic basketball game, fluffed up with a lot of extras,
though it's hardly worthwhile.
Graphics: 6/10
Decent character models are backed up with some entertaining,
if limited, animations. The jive moves can be downright impressive, especially
when combined with a nice follow-up dunk or a smooth jumper, and although the
ball doesn't seem to match up with the suave moves, this can be overlooked as
some of the techniques are fairly intricate. One consistent problem was the ball
having a thin layer of invisibility so that it looks like it's floating instead
of being held. The courts can range from average to detailed with courts in the
middle of cities, near beaches, and even an outside court complete with windmill
and mini-forest helping to decorate the surroundings. Sound:
6.5/10
If you dig rap, then you'll find Street Hoops to have one of
the best soundtracks in gaming. If you don't, or have a certain disliking of edited
music, then it'll be wise for you to turn down the volume. In fact, you might
as well just mute your television, as not only are the player sounds unimpressive,
but Big Boi, radio DJ turned gaming announcer, is beyond annoying as he regurgitates
the same lines over and over. I guess the latter doesn't matter if you're into
hot hip-hop artists like DMX or has-beens like Master P; at least the developers
have found the perfect way to generalize street ball in all aspects.
Control: 6/10
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap…voila, I just blew past a player who would have normally
stolen the ball and dunked it on my face, all thanks to the incredible juke button.
Aside from some moments of slight lag and the times that control wouldn't switch
to the chosen player, everything else was fairly smooth. Menu navigation and all
the various features were easy to take advantage of and the different moves and
special moves were handled well, aside from the slight problem mention above.
Pretty standard fare here really; nothing out of the ordinary and not too sloppy.
Overall: 5/10
Street Hoops
is a wonky basketball engine wrapped up in a nice, big blanket of generalized
stereotypes ("Would you like that fro and gold necklace now, sir?").
Its one saving grace is also its downfall, as the sheer simplicity will attract
some players and will make quick multiplayer games enjoyable, but with more content
off the court than on, most gamers will be left wanting more. Given, there a solid
number of courts, players, and features, and if this is your thing, you'll be
in heaven; everyone else - about 99% of the gaming public, I suspect - would be
better off waiting for something else. [
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