Hoop Dreams

NBA Ballers: Phenom
Midway; PS2, Xbox


The NBA ballers franchise blends the trappings of post-free-agency lifestyle with a scrappy, rags-to-riches story — 2004’s original introduced the concept to much fanfare, and the sequel dramatically ups the ante.

Phenom may focus on lavish lifestyles, rewarding performance with access to posh pads and high-tech toys, but just as in real life, even the biggest NBA stars are forced to obey the stick-in-the-ass league uniform codes. Fortunately, these rules don’t apply to the create-a-character mode, with which gamers can load up on shoes, jewelry, headgear and all the other fashion currently on David Stern’s shit list.

Custom-created characters are assigned a position and develop skills through an in-depth Story mode. After creating a player, hook up with Detroit’s Chauncey Billups and Ludacris to claw your way to the top in an epic struggle that encompasses everything from tournaments to Dance Dance Revolution–style rhythm games. It’s great hardwood fun, even if it’s sure to make purists cringe.

Virtual ballers can now double up with Shaq, Kobe and other bigshots in two-on-two or one-on-one-on-one games. New “act a fool” moves spice up the action, stealing tricks straight out of the Harlem Globetrotters playbook — players can even shoot to score by bouncing a ball off an opponent’s head. Although the off-court bells and whistles do threaten to overwhelm the actual gameplay, the simple arcade-style controls make the game easy to pick up, even for the most un-athletically inclined.

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NBA Ballers: Phenom