![]() For those new to the PSP, "Ad Hoc" is a fancy way of saying that two PSP's have to be in the same room in order to play each other. NBA Street Showdown has "Ad Hoc" play available. A quick arcade game like NBA Street Showdown has to have rock-solid controls to be truly special, and this title comes up a little bit short in this regard. This problem is overcome easily enough with time as you one gets accustomed to it, but it's still unfortunate that it's there. There's also what appear to be a delay from the button press, especially on jump shots - the player doesn't seem to release the ball at quite the right time. Controlling your player with the analog nub can be problematic as it's difficult to execute the quick cuts that are often necessary, but the D-Pad doesn't feel as smooth. While you can choose to add new tricks into your repertoire, it still doesn't feel fresh, and simply timing a press of the square button removes what was an essential game play element. It's not as intuitively fun or challenging, and it gets old after a while. Now, the square button calls for a trick, while the two shoulder buttons modify it. Of course, the PSP has no right analog stickā¦ so needless to say, things have changed - and unfortunately, not for the better. NBA Street v3 was all about the "Trick Stick" - the right analog stick and it's ability to make your player into a whirling dervish of roundball trickery. NBA Street Showdown has a robust feature set for a handheld game, and that should endear it to any hoops fan. Party Play lets up to four players pass the PSP around and compete for the high score. Basically a version of multi-basket Pop-a-Shot, the mini-game's a decent time-killer. Arcade Shootout isn't as entertaining, but it's simple fun. ![]() It's surprisingly addictive and a good addition for the on-the-go gamer. You'll try to block a myriad of different shots, and the farther out you block it, the more points you'll earn. Shot Blocker is unique due to it's focus on defense, and provides for a fun diversion. There are two new mini-games unique to the PSP version of the game: Shot Blocker and Arcade Shootout. It's fun, and since you can tackle one match at a time, it works well on the go. ![]() As you progress, you'll be able to unlock new items, including shoes and throwback jerseys to further customize to player. There, you'll challenge both NBA and fictional players in different contest in an effort to "own" their court. You'll create a player with a look all his own, deck him out in the gear of your choice and take him to the streets. Our own Clay Shaver detailed this mode in his Xbox review of NBA Street v3, so I'll simply touch upon it here. Quick Play will let you match up any two NBA squads and go at it, while King of the Court is much more encompassing. If you're familiar with NBA Street, then you'll have a good idea what to expect in NBA Street Showdown. I have no idea why EA continues to push it's Trax so hard, or in such odd manners, but they're obviously intent on it, and it's available here for those rare individuals who wish to use it. With it, you can watch a visualization playing in the background while listening to the game's playlist. The excellent but limited soundtrack makes it over to the PSP, as well it fits the game well and sounds very good indeed on the PSP - especially if you're using headphones. The game sounds are solid and the ambient noises surrounding each court sound just fine. It's nothing spectacular, but then again, it doesn't really have to be. NBA Street Showdown's audio package does the job. All in all, it's a very nice looking game - especially for a handheld. The player models themselves are a bit blockier, and have less detail than one might expect, but that's a minor issue and an understandable concession to the platform's limitations. The colors are bold and bright, and the animations are still eye-catching. While you shouldn't expect the same flash from the PSP version that you'd see from the PS2 or Xbox versions of the game, NBA Street Showdown still looks quite nice on the PSP's smaller screen. Does the game lose anything in translation, or is it still the king of the arcade court? Take your game to the street - literally! The venerable NBA Street series makes it's debut on the PSP platform, so now you can hoop it up anywhere.
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