Passes ricocheting off an opponent’s bald head, ankle-breaking dribble moves, gravity defying dipsy-doo dunkaroos— Electronic Arts’ NBA Street franchise hasn’t just redefined the art of arcade-style basketball, the 3-on-3 hoopster has shattered the genre’s glass backboard. The series heads back to the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube courts next spring, and while you patiently wait for NBA Street 3 (working title) to finish lacing up its Air Jordans, check out our exclusive sneak peek at EA’s latest baller.

NBA Street’s Frontcourt Mates

Before you hoop it up on NBA Street 3’s courts, EA Sports will bring you two simulation ballers: NBA Live 2005 (above) and NCAA March Madness 2005 (below). Aside from the pro game’s much-needed visual touch-ups, what really has us pumped for Live (coming your way this October for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube) is the all-new Slam Dunk contest, featuring more than 15,000 different ways to soar above the rim. The university hoopster (arriving on PS2 and Xbox this November) also receives a graphical boost, plus a new play-calling system and crowd noise effects like in EA’s college gridiron title.

The Look

Visually, NBA Street 3 won’t completely mimic its predecessor. “Vol. 2’s bold look had a heavy influence from graffiti,” says Senior Producer Wil Mozell. “Going forward, the most important thing is to celebrate the athleticism of these players and hype that up. I want the visuals to be almost hyperreal.” This translates into player models that are more photo-realistic and sport animated jerseys and shorts, plus environmental effects like leaves falling onto the court during a windy day.

The Players

Vol. 2 brought playable NBA legends like Boston Celtics three-point artist Larry Bird and Philadelphia 76ers slam-dunk physician Julius Erving into the arcadey roundball series. Expect these all-time greats to have an even bigger role in NBA Street 3. “We want to bring out the actual history of star players like Wilt Chamberlain,” explains Mozell. “We want those [legends] to be at the forefront, and they’ll be supported by some cool cats that we’ve created.” Sadly, exactly how the development team plans on doing this is still being kept under wraps.

The Courts

Where you’ll play these pickup games also differs from past NBA Street titles. This one will feature all authentic courts, including hot spots such as New York City’s Rucker Park and The Cage, as well as the oceanside playgrounds of Venice Beach. Associate Producer Shyang Kong says that NBA Street 3 will also have “courts that some people have never seen before. These are the up-and-comers, the next-generation of Ruckers.”

The Tricks

The ability to shake and bake with the basketball and fake your opponents right out of their Nikes is what differentiates the NBA Street series from the rest of the b-ball pack. Mozell tells us that next year’s game will come to the playground with several new SportsCenter-worthy moves, and linking them together for high-scoring combos will be more important to gameplay than ever before.

The Modes

NBA Street 3’s solo experience hopes to build upon what was started in Vol. 2. “The coolest thing about the single-player mode in Vol. 2 was that after you played 10 or so games, the computer recognized you and gave you a nickname,” explains Mozell. “NBA Street 3 is gonna do a lot more things like that. It’s really gonna pay attention to how and where you play.”

The game will also be playable online—a series first (most likely only for PlayStation 2 and Xbox). But as for online specifics, all Kong will say right now is “be on the lookout for something very cool that hasn’t been done with sports games.”

Conference

The submission deadline for the competition is September 4, 2004, and for the student showcase, November 14. Check out www.igf.com for more details.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.