The new look to the NBA Street series is gorgeous. It is obvious that the developers took notice to Midway's very pretty NBA Ballers title, and decided to one up it in the visuals department. You get accurately detailed player models that move and look spectacular. Knowing that the series is not the most accurate representation of true-life NBA games, it should be no surprise that the game does have its off the wall characteristics. What is most impressive is the game’s overall presentation. You will get dramatic lighting, intriguing replays, and specialty dunks that will make you holler with delight. One example is a dunk I did with Kobe Bryant. After I activated my Game Breaker, I took the ball to the hole, the lights went dim, and a flare wrote Kobe in shimmering lights. This is just one example of some of the dazzle that NBA Street V 3 has brought to gamers. Even with all the technical flare, the game still moves at a breakneck speed and holds a consistent frame rate.

Audio is Street 3's only flaw. It is just underwhelming, especially when considering the graphical and other additions the development team made. The music is okay, but the list of choices is too small, so you will be hearing much of the same songs after a couple of games. The commentary is more than weak, it is annoying. Spouting off repetitive slang and phrases, it will be no time at all before you turn the commentary down or off all together. The sound effects do a decent job, but with 2 out of 3 in your sound category that is tolerable for an entire season, you got to wonder what the testers were thinking when they approved such a limited soundtrack. Heck there isn’t even a custom soundtrack option for Xbox owners. I will bet they had the volume down and a CD playing... but that is just a guess.

The game play in Street Volume 3 is off the chain. No matter which version of the game you play, pulling off specials, game breakers, and face clinching dunks will be mastered in no time. Granted, the PS2 version still plays best due to the four shoulder buttons, but that is not to say that pulling off the big game breakers on the Xbox or Cube is difficult. Speaking of Game Breakers, the entire system has been reworked, so you not only have to build a decent Game Breaker meter, but work a unique combo system to score points. The better combo link you perform, the higher the point total, the quicker you reach Game Breaker status. The A.I. has also been beefed up, allowing players to really think about how they want to move up the court, or choose which shot they want to attempt. To add more points to gather that jaw dropping Game Breaker, you can use EA’s new trick stick feature that allows you to perform crazy dribble tricks just by tapping the right analog in various directions. The rest of the game play is pure street, and fans will be happy to know that the additions are just that...additions to the already great game play the series is known for.

You want options; NBA Street V 3 gives you everything you would want from the third game in a series. You get your career mode that gives you the single player action to hone your skills for on comers. Multiplayer games can be played on one console, or throw down online with the Xbox or PS2. The game offers tons of customization including creating your own baller, court, shoes, and more. Each area has plenty of detail to make the game your own. Lastly, EA has added a Dunk Contest mode that puts what Live 2005 brought to the table to shame. This time it is easy and fun to pull off crazy dunks, which you can even do over obstacles. Honestly, this dunk contest is the most fun I have had with this style mode since Jordan vs. Bird.

So what are you waiting for hoops fans, this is the definitive NBA Street title. Except no substitutes, NBA Street Volume 3 is the real deal.