Not perfect, but a slam dunk compared to vol 1 and 2!

NBA Street Vol. 3 - the final game in the series on PS2, Gamecube and Xbox, and in my opinion, the last of the decent entries before the franchise branched off into some terrible spin-offs.

For years, I was convinced this wasn't better than the previous two titles. I think I unfairly judged it back then because this time around, there's no Michael Jordan. But playing it all these years later, it's clearly the best of the trilogy-and MJ can easily be created anyway.

The biggest flaw in Vol. 1 and 2 was the boring, highly predictable AI. It did the same thing every time, making single-player feel like Groundhog Day-repetitive and tiresome. By the time I finished the challenges in those games, I was bored to death, and the rewards weren't worth it.

Finally, that's been corrected here. I found playing over 150 games in the 10-week Challenge Mode genuinely fun-it didn't feel like a grind. A much-needed addition is the ability to choose game types instead of being forced to complete everything. You can now play games to 7, 11, or 21 points (30 if you count NBA scoring), and there's a variety of modes: dunks only, no Gamebreakers, trick points to a set amount, and more. This kept the momentum going, allowing for quick matches or deeper effort depending on your mood.

As usual, you create a baller, choose two teammates, and climb the reputation ladder until you start facing NBA stars, legends, street bosses, and so on.

My only gripe is that many legends you might want to face or recruit don't appear until much later in the 10 weeks. I never even saw Larry Bird or Wilt Chamberlain until the very last tournament-but I did eventually end up with a cool team of Shaq and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Annoyingly, after your final game against the legends, the game allows you to recruit a player from the last team you faced, but you can't continue your journey-so what's the point?

Another downside is the replay value after completion. Just like the previous volumes, there's nothing to do. Continuing to play exhibition games is a big thumbs down. Only those who play with or against friends-or joined the online mode, which I assume no longer works-would stay interested after 150+ games (unless you skipped them). There's just no reason to keep playing solo once you've completed your journey.

The good news is you can create multiple ballers this time. You can only use one during Challenge Mode, but at least in exhibition games, you can create whoever you want.

Once again, just like Vol. 1 and 2, I found the commentary irritating-so off it went for the third time.

It's great that dunks can be customized with a variety of choices, and that certain dunks are triggered from specific spots. The feeling of overly repetitive dunks is no longer an issue in this version.

Just about everything is improved from the previous volumes: sound, graphics, AI, and the choice of square or right analog for steals/tricks. Blocking and goaltending are still the same as Vol. 2-not as easy as in Vol. 1.

The custom court option could've used a lot more improvement. Both the backgrounds and the choice of backboards feel lacking-more professional-looking options would've been better than the tacky outdoor ones.

A decent new feature is that Gamebreaker dunks have been changed from a pre-made animation to a dynamic system based on which turbo buttons you hold and your right analog movements. You can even pull off alley-oops during them. It takes some getting used to, and even after 150+ games, I still have no idea how you're supposed to get a max score performing them.

This time around, there's a dunk contest. Some reviewers say they enjoy it, but I found it annoying and in need of serious improvement. It doesn't work quite the same as Gamebreaker dunks, and there's no tutorial to teach you the basics. It feels more like luck than skill. Maybe I didn't put enough time into it, but I really didn't enjoy that part of the game.

Overall, if you've never played one of these NBA Street games, this is the one I most recommend. I'd recommend Vol. 1 only to Michael Jordan fans who want three versions of him in a game-he's your team captain in the main mode. Vol. 2 also features Jordan, but only one version. In almost every way, this version may not feature His Airness, but he's easily creatable, and this is the best overall. It may not have the replay value of NBA Jam, but it's a lot of fun to complete-and if you've got some buddies to play with after completion, you'll have the most fun with this version.

I'm reviewing the PS2 version here. I haven't played the Xbox version, nor the GameCube version that apparently includes Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach as playable characters with their own court.

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Bring your game to the street in EA's third installment of the NBA Street franchise. NBA Street V3 includes a new trick stick control mechanic, in-depth single-player career mode, improved gameplay mechanics and online play. Watch today's biggest NBA stars go head to head in 3-on-3 match-ups against the legends of yesterday. Create your own character using the Create Baller feature and play in familiar venues such as The Cage and Rucker Park or create your own using the Court Creator. The main game modes include quick matches (Play Now), Street Challenge (the career mode), and Dunk Contest where you can win over the judges by performing gravity defying dunks combined with impossible mid-air tricks. The career mode adds new goals in this version, based on scoring only with 3-point baskets, dunks, or gamebreakers. You can build up your gamebreaker by performing a complicated series of jukes, passes, or dunks. DJ Bobbito provides the commentary along with a mix of new and old school hip-hop.

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