Gaming Target - Xbox: Street Hoops

Written by Leigh Culpin on September 06, 2002

Full Review: У╜ Man, ╜ AmazingФ - With a name like that, how can this guy NOT be in the NBA?

Street Hoops is a game about show Ц the moves are showy, the menus are showy, and the replays are showy. Because of this, the game has a good amount of replay and it's a lot of fun to watch and play. Though graphically not the most sophisticated game around, the sound is great and the game offers you the chance to play the greatest ball players you've never heard of Ц many of which who should be in the NBA but for some reason or other are sticking to their home courts.

Street Hoops doesn't have a lot of really useful extra features, as most of the features included enhance your character's looks. However, since the game really is about showmanship and basketball and not arcade-style extras, this makes some sense. The reason I say the game is all about show is, quite frankly, because that's what it is about Ц there are numerous dodge moves, loads of different slam-dunks, and some sweet fade-aways that you and the bots will perform, and quite often they'll be replayed for you in a slow-time rotating camera, ala The Matrix. This option can be turned off, but it actually does detract from the fun of the gameplay a bit.

The shops available let you purchase things like shoes and hairdos Ц the ultimate of which is the ever famous fro, and I must say that a court of these do's make for some pretty entertaining ball. Items such as these are what you'll spend most of your hard-earned cash on, cash that you'll earn by playing (and winning) games. There are a decent amount of playable modes, including 5 on 5's, 1 on 1's, and everything between, and you can even choose half- or full-court games. There's also УLord of the CourtФ and the World Tournament mode, and naturally your typical quick-start game. By playing the main tournament you earn your cash, and you can have a few pals help out your team with the multiplayer options.

There are a decent amount of game options and adjustable stats, accompanied by the create-a-player mode. You can modify the game options, rules, audio settings and controls easily from the various menus (as you would expect) and you'll certainly want to study the controls fairly well Ц they take a fair bit of getting used to. Each button has different functions for offense with the ball, offense without the ball and defense, and additionally there are a couple modifiers you can use to perform special moves and dunks. However, once you get used to the setup it should work pretty well for you, and in no time you'll be doing camera-friendly dunks and dodges like something you'd see at a Globe Trotters game.

The game actually gets pretty easy once you learn to manage the controls, but that really just adds to the fun of it and whether you're winning or losing, it's still enjoyable seeing players show-off like young kids with a new bikes on their birthdays Ц the replays and showy nature of the game give you a lot of replay value, since it's fun to watch all the players do what the NBA has only the very best doing.

Graphically, the game's decent, but nothing new or extraordinary, and it doesn't really utilize much of the X-Box's power. However, the audio (especially the in-menu sounds) is excellent, with great ball sounds, board hits, some decent voice-overs and a good soundtrack. Dolby sound enhances this even more, and the game's audio really makes the game that much more immersing.