In many ways, EA has gone back to the proverbial drawing board to present NBA Street V3 in an entirely new light. Moving away from the mile high afros and graffiti style courts, this series is heading in an all new direction. The courts are teeming with animated fans, leaves fall off trees, and breathtaking lighting effects provide the best in realism.

The most significant changes to this year’s edition of NBA Street stem from the game play. Focusing on the most important aspect of the game, the dunks reign supreme in this game. Above and beyond the assortment of jams that you’ll be able to perform throughout the game, players can now customize their slams when activating a game breaker.

When your character flies through the air, tapping the right analog stick in different directions will make your character perform different moves such as windmills, double pumps, and an array of remarkable feats. More impressive than that, you can now toss the ball to an airborne teammate before you land to create a two or three man combo that will completely destroy your opponent.

To ensure that players fly through the air at any given time, EA has created an insanely deep Dunk Contest mode. You can bounce the ball behind your back, leap to grab it, and then spin as you bring the backboard shattering to the ground. Within this contest, there is so much you can do that you’ll merely spend hours just exploring.

Taking notice to the battle for position on the court, EA has removed the trick buttons in favor of mapping moves to the right analog stick. Each 45 degree angle will perform a different move. Apply the modifier buttons to the equation and you’ll have an expansive arsenal at your fingertips. This new format is much easier to figure out and be successful with. Much like dunking, a combo meter will track how many moves you can chain together and create a higher multiplier for that upcoming shot or dunk.

Be a Legend mode has now been replaced by the similar designed and equally amusing street challenge. You build a ball player from the ground up, then create your own shoes and start playing the game. As you gain more reputation you’ll be asked to join an NBA team for league play. At that point, you’ll also have the opportunity to build your own court.

On occasion, the AI opponents will make some silly mistakes during play. Other than that, the AI is pretty impressive. Rather than go in the direction of other sports games, NBA Street V3 takes things in an entirely new direction and is more desirable now than it has ever been in the past.

- TopXboxGames.com