NBA Street V3

Play Magazine

For V3, the player models have photorealistic heads and faces - you can actually see facial details and markings. The development team even incorporated cloth animations. [Feb 2005, p.75]

GameSpy

From the new Trick Stick system to the amazingly deep career mode, nearly everything added to NBA Street V3 works perfectly... [T]his may very well be the greatest basketball game ever made, arcade or otherwise.

Detroit Free Press

Deceptively deep, graphically sharp and a beauty to behold in the hands of two skilled players.

Game Over Online

Easily one of the best sports titles that have come along recently. The expansive and highly replayable Street Challenge mode can absorb gamers for months, and the level of customization is truly massive.

PGNx Media

One of the most fun games you’ll find for current-generation consoles.

PSM Magazine

The game's greatest depth comes from online play... What's most exciting, however, is that you can bring your own created players, gear and courts into online matches. You can take on anyone online - on your own home court. [March 2005, p.62]

IGN

The best of the series by far, I would be surprised if there's a better arcade sports game released in 2005.

BonusStage

The new gameplay tweaks work better than imagined, and the extensive serving of play modes and creative toolsets make this game a slam-dunk purchase for any and every basketball fan alive.

Gaming Age

Honestly, this dunk contest is the most fun I have had with this style mode since "Jordan vs. Bird."

GameSpot

The addition of online play (on the PS2 and Xbox) and a compelling single-player career mode, as well as improvements to the basic game mechanics, make NBA Street V3 the new gold standard of arcade-style basketball games.

VGPub

With tons and tons of unlockable items and a new online multiplayer addition, the reply value of this title is off the charts.

GameZone

It’s got all the goods of the original, more refinement than the sequel, and more replay value than both predecessors.

Game Revolution

Fun and accessibility are the most important factors for a game of this class, and the solid implementation of the new Trick Stick makes NBA Street V3 one of the most entertaining, broadly playable basketball games ever made.

Worth Playing

With its Street Challenge mode, six-player ability, online play, and improved graphics, NBA Street V3 is a great package and worth every penny you spend on it.

3DAvenue

EA has really created the best balling game thus far with a better storyline than NBA Ballers and better gameplay than "NBA Jam."

Boomtown

Quite possibly the best basketball game you can get right now on the PS2 and dare I say it, on any platform.

AceGamez

A truly remarkable game - not just the best basketball game ever, but also one of the best games around at the moment full stop.

Game Informer

On occasion, your CPU opponents will make some silly mistakes along the lines of using a GameBreaker to shoot a three-pointer during a dunk-only contest, but the AI is still mighty impressive. [March 2005, p.114]

Stuff

Playing this hyperactive hoops sim is like fast-forwarding your way through a Spike Lee–directed Nike commercial while beer-bonging a liter of Jolt cola.

TotalPlayStation

The series' gameplay has been refined and honed to a keen sharpness that few games can match in terms of overall quality, slick presentation and tight, responsive controls. This is a sports game for people who hate sports games.

Cheat Code Central

The load times suck but the graphics are actually pretty darn close to the Xbox and Cube, which surpised me. Online play is pretty good, but I found it to be more laggy than XBL. As mentioned though, you've got the controller that makes this game a breeze to play.

Inside Gamer Online

This game not only has an incredible control scheme, but it has so many extras that you probably won’t even have to update until V5. Whichever way you look at it, NBA Street V3 is the new pinnacle of the NBA games and is much more fun than any other basketball game in existence--including "NBA Jam."

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Yes, other games have stuff you can unlock, whether it's extra clothing or modes, but NBA Street V3 integrates it all so well and has such a high level of polish that you'll find yourself drawn into it as if it were some epic RPG.

1UP

The PS2 version has the most ideal control scheme, offering the best palette of buttons and shoulder buttons to perform ballhandling tricks with. On the flipside, the PS2 version also suffers from the most irritating load times.

Next Level Gaming

The right stick controls also take a lot of the learning curve out of Street that made the first ones so hard to learn.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

It's playing solo that puts this one over the top. Creating a custom hoopster and earning respect never feels repetitive. [March 2005, p.116]

Sports Gaming Network

Certain flaws in NBA Street V3 held it back from getting a better score, such as the gameplay feeling awkward at times and the annoying announcer.

DailyGame

Easily the best arcade basketball game I’ve played in years, but the requisite 14 fingers needed to play it is a bit ridiculous.

Pelit (Finland)

A good arcade basketball game - smooth, entertaining and great to watch. [Mar. 05]

Sydney Morning Herald

But where this latest instalment excels is in enhanced options and customisation for serious fans, while still offering pick-up-and-play access for those after a quick sporting fix.

Armchair Empire

It's everything good to be expected from a basketball game, plus loads of customization.

G4 TV

Of all the enhancements made in NBA Street V3, it would be remiss of us not to mention the visuals, which have moved away from exaggerated, cartoon-like players to a grittier, realistic look that better suits the game’s urban theme.

Computer and Video Games

While it's still a great game, the basic flaws of last year's V2 version haven't really been addressed and the new menu system is laborious and unfriendly. [PSW]

GamePro

Putting on a three-man aerial show is about as tough as it sounds, but making the Gamebreakers controllable definitely improves the strategic aspects of the game. [March 2005, p.84]

Yahoo! Games

With all the attention given over to the performance and presentation, it's a shame that V3 features such lame audio.

netjak

It seems like every EA Big sequel nowadays is just the previous version of the game with more ads, different licensed music/MCs, and a new "skin" slapped onto the game. This is getting really, really, really OLD.