NBA Street Homecourt Review (X-Box 360)
NBA Street Homecourt is the fourth iteration in the NBA Street series, but the first on the "next gen" (now current gen) systems. The first three Street games were known for over-the-top fun, a customizable experience, along with an overall "street" feel. How does their successor stack up?
Gameplay
Before I get into the actual gameplay elements of the title, let's
first take a look at the gameplay modes available from the start.
You've got Homecourt Challenge, the main single player career mode, which
we'll talk about more in depth later on. In
addition are the following modes: Gamebreaker Battle, Trick Battles, and Back To
Basics. Basically these modes feel
like tack-ons, and if you're similar to me, you'll likely never think about
playing them.
So how has the gameplay changed this time around?
Homecourt took some elements of the previous games, along with new
features and has blended them all together.
The trick system is different this time around, with the X button being
used for crossovers. How quickly or
slowly you tap X with determine how quickly the player crosses over, ranging
from slow, drawn out, to quick and rapid in succession.
I really like this addition. The
"trick modifiers" have been assigned to the right and left bumpers.
Holding down one or the other or both will change the trick being
performed. With the crossovers,
you'll change from the standard crossover to behind the bank and through the
legs. Very cool.
The Y and X buttons are used for the bigger tricks, and the "trick
modifiers" can be used in combination with these as well.
Tricks will be different depending on where defenders are located.
At a distance, you might set the ball down, give it a slight kick and
dribble it back to normal. In front
of a defender you'll go for an "Off The Heezy", throwing the ball off
your poor defender's face. It
should be noted that all of the animations for tricks are very well done and
they all look great. Assigning one
button to crossovers was a good idea, and only having two main trick buttons
(that can be modified with the right and left bumpers) streamlines the trick
system for the better. My only
complaint is the lack of customization. I
believe in NBA Street 2 you were able to assign your favorite trick moves to
your character.
Dunking. What would an NBA Street game be without it? Personally the dunks are where this iteration shines. If you've seen the commercial, you may have seen the jaw-dropping double-dunk. Maybe you're thinking it's limited to gamebreaker use? Think again. The only thing necessary to pull off a double-dunk is some good timing. Hold down the dunk button right until you get to the rim and you'll pull off a double dunk. A handy meter appears on easier difficulties to help you with your timing. Ally-oops are still here, along with the self-ally-oop, where you pass the ball and maintain control of your ball-less (ouch) player. Another new dunk-related addition is the "boost" dunk. You'll find your teammate bending down near the three point arc. Run up, hit B, and you'll get a super boost to the rim. You can perform a double dunk off of these as well. Basically these double dunks will never fail to surprise and amaze you. I still find myself laughing at how awesome some of these dunking animations are. Delve into the game a bit and you'll find the ridiculous triple-dunks as well. My favorite. Needless to say the development team is very creative. Now for the negatives. Once again, there is no way to customize your dunks. In previous games you could assign your favorite dunks to your character, unlocking new dunks as you progressed through the game. Also, double dunks are all worth two-points, thus negating the three-point shot (worth two on the street). Since blocks are easy to pull off, there is really no reason shoot anymore. Dunks have clearly taken the priority in this iteration of the game, and in-turn tend to be over-used.
Don't worry. He's gonna grab the rim on the way down.
Let's talk a bit about Homecourt Challenge, the focus of
NBA Street Homecourt, and really the only area where some of the weaknesses of
the game become evident. In a
nutshell, you start out as some random hometown boy, having a poor reputation on
your homecourt for being a chump. It's
your job to start showing everyone you have skills.
You start off by creating your character, but this time it's done a
little differently. Rather than
picking a nose, eyes, mouth, etc, you'll be blending the features of two NBA
stars together. Personally I found
this to be a little odd, and I didn't really have the patience to sit there and
think about what two NBA players would make someone who looked like me.
Yikes. After choosing two
hometown teammates, you begin taking on challenges at your local court, leveling
up stats as you go. Homecourt uses
an RPG type system with experience points that allow you to level up from level
1 to level 20. I don't really
understand why the levels are necessary, as your stats increase separately but
in parallel, but I really think that your "level" is a trigger for
in-game events and tournament invites. You'll work your way through numerous challenges, opening up
new outfits and shoes along the way. You
also will be able to recruit players from defeated squads to play on your team,
thus making you an unstoppable force. Team dynamics are another aspect, and if you favor one player
on the court, the other will get upset. Find
a nice balance and have a happy team. After completing enough challenges, you'll open up
"Court Access" challenges in which you'll travel to a new court.
Each court is introduced by a cutscene and will contain new challenges
and players to recruit. Keep in mind you can only have a maximum of three members on
your squad. You'll play through
Homecourt Challenge mode until you are invited to two or three tournaments, and
after winning, you'll be a Street Legend and your path to stardom will be
complete.
Now, let's talk about some of the downsides of Homecourt
Challenge. There are no street
legends this time around, so there's no king of the court you're aiming to take
down. Plus, you have no choice over
which court you move onto next. It
seems rather random, and really, I don't think it matters much. This is where the Homecourt Challenge mode can begin to get
repetitive. With no street legends
and no control over which courts you travel to, it almost lacks purpose.
They could've at least included some incentives, such as "Defeat so
and so to be invited to the next tournament."
A lack of customization in regards to your created baller is also a
surprising step backwards for the series. I
want to be able to customize which dunks I can do, my tricks, as well as my
gear. You are limited to the preset
Jordan shoes and outfits that you unlock as you progress through the game.
The inclusion of some NBA legends would've been nice as well.
Since I don't think another NBA Street game will be released anytime
soon, the ability to Edit Rosters would have been nice as well.
In a game with superb gameplay, these are minor issues, but are
noticeable, especially when you've played earlier games in the series.
Multiplayer / Online
One of the shining aspects of NBA Street has always been the easy to
pick-up gameplay, which has made it the perfect choice for some quick
multiplayer sessions. Nothing has
changed with Homecourt, and it still stands out as a great game to play with
friends. It includes the standard
four-player local play, and is also available to play online.
Unfortunately, there aren't many people still playing this game online,
so I really haven't been able to take advantage of this feature.
If a friend has a copy however, I would assume that playing over Live
works fine.
Ugh. This doesn't even do the game justice. Trust me. It
looks amazing.
Graphics
This is a standout area of the game.
In addition to the explosive double dunks, the graphical upgrade is the
most noticeable improvement over the previous Street games.
Everything looks amazing here, from the court designs, players, cutscenes,
and of course the animations. All
of the double and triple dunks look amazing, as well as the tricks.
There is still some clipping here and there, but with all the flipping,
jumping, and dunking going on, it's hardly noticeable and is easily overlooked.
Even the cutscenes are very well done, all shot in widescreen and what
appears to be HD. I did notice a
strange color filter when you have a gamebreaker available, but it's only
temporary, and is a decent way to indicate the GB is ready to use.
As soon as you activate the GB however, red and blue colors fill the
screen, letting you know it's time to throw down all of your best tricks to fill
up your points meter. When you land that huge dunk at the end of your Gamebreaker,
you're treated to a slow down of your dunk and your "hometown" is
displayed. Very nice touch.
Bright and vivid colors of the graphics make this game eye-candy, and if
you are a big fan of the NBA Street series, the graphical upgrade alone is
almost a good enough reason to pick this one up.
Sound
The soundtrack of Homecourt really is great and fits the theme and
feel of the game. A good balance of
hip-hop laced tracks pumps out in Surround Sound and really adds to the
atmosphere of the game. There's
nothing especially hard hitting here, but the more relaxed, flowing hip-hop
sounds better here than anything else. The
sound effects are also on point and are very crisp and clear.
From the ball hitting the pavement, to blocks, to hearing the rim get
punished on dunks, everything sounds great.
Even when your player finds him or herself flipping off of the backboard,
the bending of hoop's poll sounds as you can imagine it might sound if such an
event happened in real life. Superb.
The narrator's voice is smooth and the dialogue when introducing new
courts is well done. Numerous NBA
players talk about their home courts throughout the Homecourt Challenge mode,
and their voice acting is also done well.
Overall
At a price point of around $20, if you are a sports fan, basketball
fan, a fan of the NBA Street series, or just looking for a solid title to play
with friends, you can’t go wrong with NBA Street Homecourt.
There’s nothing like giving your buddy a boost and watching him
backflip his way to a double dunk. If
you can overlook the lack of Street Legends and customization seen in past NBA
Street efforts, this game has a fun factor that cannot be denied.
Overall Score: 8.7 (out of 10)
