NBA Street V3

Did You Know?

• The game was later ported to the PlayStation Portable under the title NBA Street Showdown.
• Its developing team largely consisted of the same people who developed SSX 3 and NBA Street Vol. 2.
• The game was first unveiled in July 2004 and was intended to be a celebration of the culture and inventive style of street basketball.

Gameplay

NBA Street V3 focuses on streetball with an arcade-style approach, differing from the simulation style of EA Sports' NBA Live series. Games feature three players per team, no out of bounds, no fouls, and no game clock, though a shot clock is present. Play typically continues until a team scores 21 points, with a required two-point winning margin; if neither team leads by two, the game extends past 21. Short-range shots count as one point, and long-range shots (beyond the usual three-point line) count as two. Alternatively, NBA scoring rules can be used, where short-range shots are worth two points and long-range shots three. Exhibition games allow custom rule sets with either scoring system and a point limit up to 50. Gamebreakers return to their original unpocketable format from the first NBA Street. While airborne before a dunk, the player controlling the Gamebreaker can perform tricks with the right analog stick or pass to teammates. The quality of tricks and the number of passes (each player may hold the ball only once per Gamebreaker) determine the dunk's value, ranging from two to four points, while the opposing team loses one point, creating a three-to-five point swing. In NBA-scored games, the swing becomes five to seven points. Risks include missing the basket by overdoing tricks or allowing an opponent to capitalize on a failed Gamebreaker. The same controls apply in the Dunk Contest mode. The trick stick is also used on the ground for specific tricks, while the trick button performs a random trick.

Reception

The game received very positive reviews. GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions scores of 88% and 89 out of 100, respectively, and the GameCube version 88% and 88 out of 100. Detroit Free Press awarded the PS2 version four stars, describing it as deceptively deep and graphically sharp. USA Today gave the game three-and-a-half stars out of four, praising its style, authentic courts, and D.J. Bobbito Garcia's play-by-play. The Sydney Morning Herald gave it four stars out of five, noting enhanced options and customization for serious fans alongside pick-up-and-play access.