Street Hoops | Sony PlayStation 2

Street Hoops | Sony PlayStation 2 | PS2

Move over Michael. Take a seat Shaq.

Hit the hard court with street legends like Booger, The Future and Half-Man/Half-Amazing in Activision's Street Hoops.

Fewer Rules, More Fun

Eschewing any pretense of an NBA simulation, Street Hoops brings together eight of the greatest ballers you've probably never heard of unless you watch plenty of ESPN2. Gone are the shot clocks, backcourt violations and personal fouls that only serve to slow down professional basketball.

In their place are fancy no-look passes, crazy crossover moves and alley oops from downtown. Don't expect to see any glossy parquet floors or wood tiling. These games are played on the playgrounds of Oakland, LA, New York City and more.

Anywhere, Anytime

You can get your game on in World Tournament, Lord of the Court and Full and Half Court Pick Up games. Pick Up games are fairly informal, allowing from three to five players per team. Lord of the Court and World Tournament modes each require regulation sides of five.

Basketball 101: The Basics

Regardless of which mode you enter, you must prove your skills on the blacktop in true street ball fashion. All the basketball prerequisites have been included: shoot, pass, steal, defend, block and dribble.

Passing, in particular, remains an integral aspect of a solid basketball offense. With the press of a button, each of your fellow teammates is highlighted by a Controller button. Simply press the corresponding button to pass to the desired player. Developer Black Ops has added C-Stick directional passing for run-and-shoot plays.

Basketball 201: Advanced Basketball Techniques

Unique to Street Hoops is the Mad Skillz mode. While activating Mad Skillz during play, an entirely new set of control options becomes available to the ball handler. Players will then be able to shimmy, shake, roll, fake and glide past defenders like oil over water.

You can further your offensive options by using head fakes, jump passes, alley oops and picks. Defense plays a somewhat reserved part in the spectacle of Street Hoops, but is still important in establishing courtside dominance.

Players can hand-check, steal and block without fear of a referee whistle (there are none). As in real life, street players follow an unspoken code of honor, so that none of the contact ever gets out of hand.

Player Represent

While not exchanging jukes on the hard court, players can add a little "bling" to their aesthetics. By earning cash in tournament play, players can purchase outrageous hairdos, tattoos (including expensive laser removal procedures), athletic wear and jewelry. Top athletic sponsors like Fila, Enyce and Snoop Dogg Clothing Co. add to the authenticity.

If you're running low on scratch, you can always drop by the in-game Check Cashing store to wager money on pretty much any aspect of the game's outcome. No one ever said that life on the streets would come cheap.

Activision completes the audio package by including street-worthy tracks from popular R&B talents like DMX and Redman. There are even a couple of music videos from rap sensation Master P and Cypress Hill.

Street Hoops comes as real as the game it portrays. It has plenty of flash with just enough substance to earn the respect of ballers worldwide.