High on gameplay and looks, but low on content, Homecourt is the choice for anyone looking for a great game of B-Ball.
The premise of this game is the same as any other NBA Street game before it. Just glancing at the box brings to your mind; “another street ball game” and you would be correct… to a certain extent. Yes, this game has some of the most famous NBA players playing basketball, with street rules applying, but that’s not all to it. This game boasts the most over-the-top, jaw-dropping, and incredibly ridiculous dunks of any basketball game ranging from front flips, to helicopter spins, to double and triple dunks, all ending in one tear-jerking, and satisfying slam through the rim. On top of that, you can perform great tricks to trip up your opponents and remove any heavy defense. You also have your trusty Gamebreaker meter which you can fill up by performing tricks and dunks. In the end, using your game breaker will deduct one point from your opponent’s team, and allow you to perform tricks fill up your points meter a second time and add multipliers that, upon making the shot, can add up to six points to your overall score.
Along with the awesome slams and tricks, you are given the opportunity build a custom “Baller”, put your homecourt on the map, and boost up skills, all through the games story mode AKA Homecourt Challenge. Although this mode allows you to create an unstoppable player and homecourt team to wipe the floor with the competition, you are limited to what you can do in terms of physical customization, so don’t expect to have as much in-depth character customization as you would find in such games as Oblivion, or Saints Row. The matches throughout the main story mode are very repetitive, and offer nothing more than the same old matches over and over again, with varying goals. For instance, there may be a match where your goal will be to reach 21 points, but it may be a shots only game, or a Gamebreaker points only match. A bit more depth could have been added to Homecourt Challenge, simply because of the fact that all of those modes can be found in the main menu by going to the game mode selection screen. It looks like the Homecourt Challenge is just a useless ploy to customize your baller’s skills, simply because of the fact that everything that can be done in that mode is accessible from the beginning, leaving behind any need for anyone to unlock extra content with the exception of superficial add-ons for your create-a-baller mode, already lacking any in-depth customization. Many of these negative factors lead to a game losing its luster; still, the game retains some of its value for a lot longer than it should.
Ultimately, this stems from the game’s look, feel, and sound (where the strong points are). The graphics are fantastic. The player models are very detailed and lifelike. Surprisingly, the movements and transitions while playing are very smooth, with little to no clipping. I have yet to see an NBA game as fluid as this one. The controls seem complex but are extremely simple. While performing one of your players spectacular dunks, you can mix it up a bit by doing different variations and moves altogether all just by holding either the left or right bumper one at time, or simultaneously. When your player isn’t about 20 feet in the air trying to nail a “Stocking Stuffer”, or trying to hit an alley oop, you can perform some good looking tricks to try a loosen up any defense ganging up on you. Be warned though, as easy as these moves can be done against your opponents, the same can be said about your opponent doing the same to you. However, you can counter these tricks by either pressing the Y or X button at the right moment when an indicator pops up over your players head. This add-on makes the game feel too easy at times and, when playing with a friend, can cause the typical 5-10 minute round to turn into a 25-30 minute yawn-fest. The rest of the controls are standard to any basketball game, with the exception of the Y button, which is used to shove your opponent and have them lose their balance.
Most if not all basketball games containing in-game music have forced me to turn the music off completely. It was all different in this game, although some of the music was a bit loud and annoying when using the main menu, playing an actual round has the music blending incredibly well to the gameplay. The speech in the game is spot on adding realism to the overall experience, with fluent and funny dialogue. The game also has local multiplayer, and Xbox Live multiplayer capabilities. Playing with someone is very challenging, and is always fun. There always seems to be one Joe out there looking to be the craziest and most creative of the bunch, and the game is extremely easy to jump into, so don’t expect anyone to be a pushover, as even a beginner can show a veteran who’s boss. Hours and hours will be spent on playing multiplayer with your friends…guaranteed!
Homecourt is a great game. There is just not enough to this game to call it a superb or perfect one. With extra content, a bit of tweaking on the multiplayer, and a better create-a-baller mode, like those found in previous versions, the game could have been so much better. However, the solid gameplay, controls, multiplayer, and graphics save this game from a more dreary demise. High on gameplay, and looks, but low on content, NBA Street: Homecourt is the choice for anyone looking to enjoy an over-the-top game of b-ball. --FatedHayabusaX