NBA Ballers - PS2

As the world of computer games continues to struggle for creative content and innovation, there are at least those to try to put a new slant on an old genre. In this case, we're talking about basketball. In all honesty, there's very little you can do to a genre with such clear-cut, defined rules, but when we took a look at NBA Ballers, we had to commend Midway for its more mainstream approach to its latest offering of America's tallest sport.

Focused just as much on the lifestyle of an NBA Superstar as on basketball itself, NBA Ballers takes the player away from realms of leagues and tournaments to bring gamers a more up close and personal look at basketball and all that comes with it.

Living the life of an NBA player in Rags-to-Riches mode, NBA Ballers pits players in one-on-one matches against fellow NBA team-mates and rivals on a series of privately owned basketball courts. As you become a sharper shooter and play your way into the upper ranks of basketball stardom, you'll be treated with an in-depth look at how money and fame affects a player's attitude and lifestyle.

On the court, things are much like they are in any other basketball sim, but the one-on-one play mechanic makes the whole process much simpler and easy to grasp. Play is fluid, competitive, and the physics are suitably accurate.

On the whole, NBA Ballers is a good-looking game that's easy-to-play and that offers something a little different from the norm. more