NFL STREET 3 – PSP – Review

The PSP
version of NFL Street was the first handheld sports game that played just as
good as its console counterpart. Nearly every aspect was the same – the 3D
gameplay was fully intact. The controls, passing, tackling and intercepting
elements mirrored the PS2 version. It was an amazing feat, and an amazing
experience for anyone who played it.

NFL Street 3
is the long-awaited sequel, marking the second time the series has graced
Sony’s handheld unit. If you’ve played the PS2 version or have

read my review, then there aren’t many surprises left to reveal. This is
the pocket version of the PS2 game, featuring most of the same great gameplay
elements. Most notably you get the Respect the Street mode, as well as the new
real-time, strategy-enhancing Gamebreaker moves.

Everyone
dreams of immortality … in a game world. NFL Street 3 does not allow you to
become all-powerful. Gone are days of invincible runs and automatic
touchdowns. The auto-steals of NFL Street 2’s Gamebreakers and other one-sided
gameplay elements have been replaced by several all-new action moves. These
moves are still referred to as "Gamebreakers," but they aren’t breakers as
much as they are brief enhancements to your situation.

Imagine, if
you will, a small receiver struggling to catch the ball. He’s out there on the
field, running a course that’s been determined by the play you’ve selected.
With opposing forces getting much too close, you don’t have anywhere to go
except back into your own goal. You’re inches away from being tackled. You’re
moments away from losing the ball.

With all
your receivers blocked, any pass could lead to an interception. Run the play
and you’ll be sacked.

But you
stand your ground. You run back further, opening the door for a safety. You
give your opponents the edge, or at least that’s what it appears to be. Then,
at the very last second, the ball is hurled down the field with unprecedented
intensity. A streak of smoke is left behind as it heads toward its
destination; the ball is on fire, showcasing the magic of what the quarterback
has just unleashed.

The ball,
moving much too fast for an interception, lands in the hands of your chosen
receiver. He may be a strong street athlete, but that didn’t keep him from
falling over upon catching the missile-like pass. A small blast surrounds him,
warding off nearby opponents while sending the message: "Get away from me!"

Of course,
he’ll be vulnerable the second the blast fades. Clever opponents could stand
outside the blast radius and bum rush him immediately afterwards.

To avoid a
painful takedown, make sure you have another Gamebreaker. Now apply its power
– by holding both shoulder buttons – before pressing the square button. This
weak, tackle-avoiding move is turned into a powerful, opponent-crushing
defense that gives you a chance to escape.

Gamebreakers
can be applied to nearly every player action. On defense it makes the players
much faster and stronger, but only for one specific move at a time.

The game
already felt faster than the PS2 version, perhaps due to the camera angle,
which is slightly closer to the players. These bonuses – acquired by passing,
stealing, running, and jumping with style – give bursts of intense speed that
seemingly come out of nowhere. You could be a couple of yards away from a
touchdown and have a strong lead against your opponents, only to have the play
abolished as a Gamebreaker-infused tackler comes charging through. The
opposite is also true. No side is ever safe, which is where this series has
drawn most of its strength. When I’m playing against another avid NFL Street
player, I don’t want to know what’s coming next.

The
unpredictable battles of the third installment – and the fact that it’s still
the most polished football game available for PSP – guarantee that you will do
as I am and encourage all your friends to get the game immediately. True, you
could just pile in front of a single TV screen with a single PS2 and play that
version together. But there’s something fun and unmistakably cool about
playing the game on PSP. The hardcore fans will want to own both versions.

If there’s
anything I don’t like about the new Gamebreaker system it’s the PSP’s button
layout. PlayStation fans and developers have been used to having eight buttons
to work with (10 if you count L3 and R3). Most PSP games do fine with the six
buttons it offers. In NFL Street, however, I like to hold the turbo and style
buttons to run and perform trick moves at the same time.

The PS2
version is without flaw in this area because each action (turbo, style, and
Gamebreaker) is applied to a different button. On PSP you have to hold both
shoulder buttons to activate a Gamebreaker. Thus, you can’t hold turbo and
perform a style move without risk. If you earn a Gamebreaker and press a
button while holding L and R, a Gamebreaker will be executed. You can’t tell
the game, “Hey, that’s not what I wanted to happen!” It doesn’t know any
better.

NFL Street 3
doesn’t have the kind of game options that are presented in most EA releases.
Respect the Street is the single new mode. Like the title states, the idea is
that you respect the street, and you do that by playing by the "street’s"
rules. Time attack games limit how long you can hold onto the ball. When
trying to score style points, you may have to wait until you’ve scored a
touchdown to reap their benefits. Win respect points by defeating each team;
lose points by failing. This isn’t a new concept, nor is it going to be a
driving force for sales. But it’s better than a standard season mode would
have been.

Review Scoring Details for NFL Street 3

Gameplay: 8.0
NFL Street 2 plus
a new Gamebreaker system. You know what’s coming if you played the last game –
mostly. The new Gamebreakers are pretty awesome, changing the dynamics in a
way you wouldn’t expect from such a small revision. This is the fastest
version available, and the controls – though slightly tarnished by the PSP’s
button layout (six as opposed to be PS2’s eight) – are close to putting an
arcade machine in the palm of your hands.

Graphics: 7.5
NFL Street 3 is a
very attractive game, but its engine appears to be the same as the last
version.

Sound: 4.0
In addition to
the horrendous soundtrack from the PS2 version (rap and whiny metal), the PSP
adaption also includes a few quirky (bad quirky) and completely
unnecessary sound effects.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Not a great
challenge to those who know the series. That’s to be expected, given how
little NFL Street has changed this year.

Concept: 7.0
More of the same
and a revised Gamebreaker system that saves the day.

Multiplayer: 8.3
Unbeatable
multiplayer entertainment – as long as each player has a copy of the game. Few
PSP titles offer single-disc multiplayer, so I wasn’t expecting NFL Street 3
to differ from the norm.

Overall: 8.0
Like its PS2
sibling, NFL Street 3 is a rehash but still a must-buy for its intense
and addictive Gamebreakers. You’ll need friends with a PSP and their own
copies of the game to access the ad hoc multiplayer. If that’s not an option,
this is still a great title for single-player thrills. Exhibition games never
fail to entertain.