Street Hoops - Xbox

Giving a 'boys 'n the hood'-style kick up the backside to your typical NBA basketball game, Street Hoops offers an in your face, street-style slant on the sport. Capturing the aggressive energy and attitude of blacktop competition, the game allows players to compete in a nationwide tournament, representing their hometown on the most notorious street courts in the nation.

Authenticity of the locales is assured, as the designers have created exact replicas of each of the featured real blacktop basketball courts, right down to the graffiti, quality of the court and culture of the neighbourhood. Players can compete on a total of ten, some of the more famous being such courts as The Cage, on NYC's West 4th Street, LA's Venice Beach, and the Mosswood Playground in Oakland.

Play itself features three game modes, the main one being World Tournament. In this, players travel across the USA, taking on the best team in each area. Successful play subsequently unlocks new characters and gains access to more courts.

Lord of the Court mode involves a similar idea but on home turf. Playing as the home team, players defend different courts as other teams visit, offering challenges. Bonus movies and the odd secret character can be unlocked here.

Finally, Pick-Up Game offers a single game mode, allowing players to compete with whatever teams on whatever courts have been previously unlocked in World Tournament.

There are no referees and the rules are simple: no blood, no foul. So it's time to get tough. No more mincing around on the squeaky-clean college courts, this is down-and-dirty street ball.

What you lookin' at, boyeee!? more