NBA Street Showdown

NBA Street for the Playstation Portable handheld system.

NBA Street is a street-rules, three-on-three basketball series. NBA Street Showdown is the first version of the series for the PSP handheld system. Developed in parallel with NBA Street Vol. 3, it contains elements of Vol. 2 and Vol. 3, as well as many unique features.

The primary game mode is King of the Courts. There are eleven courts, each owned by a boss character. The goal is to own and defend all of the courts in the game by defeating the boss character on each court and any challengers to your claim to the court.

The player first creates their own baller and team. Most courts are initially locked, and the player must compete in a tournament-style progression on each court to unlock others. Winning the final match against the boss character allows the player owns that court, unlocks new courts, and gives the player the opportunity to take a member of the defeated team.

There are two mini-games included as short distractions for moments when there is not enough time for a full game, or just for fun.

The goal of the Shot Blocker mini-game is essentially what the name suggests - you are a single player, facing a varying number of shooters, and it is your job to prevent their shots from hitting the net. Too many strikes in a row and it's game over. Points for blocking are greatest close to the shooters, and lowest near the basket, but it takes longer to get into position for a block the further you are from the basket. The more shots you block in a row, the faster your points accumulate. Occasionally there is a "money ball" thrown, giving additional points if you block it. If you do well enough, you continue on to a new level.

Arcade Shootout is much like an arcade basketball machine, where you need to sink as many baskets as possible before time runs out. If you meet the required number of baskets for a level, you will advance to the next level. Each level is different, with multiple baskets arranged in different patters, and each with a different bonus or point value. To mix things up, some of the baskets move back and forth, making them even harder to hit. Bonus points are awarded for making two or three baskets with the same ball.

Multiplayer modes consist of two-player network play via the PSP's built-in wireless network, and Party Play where players take turns on the same PSP competing for the highest score in the mini-games.

There are WiFi multi-play modes for standard three-on-three pickup games, as well as multiplayer modes for both Shot Blocker and Arcade Shootout. In Shot Blocker multiplayer, you compete head-to-head against the other player on the same court to block the same shots. For Arcade Shootout multiplayer, you are competing on the same machine to get more points than your opponent.