I can’t tell you how long I’ve yearned for a new NBA Street. For years, that series was literally the bread and butter of arcade basketball, nailing fundamentals with just the right amount of technique. But then EA Sports crashed the party, opting to go here and there with simulations instead and leaving Street – as well as NBA Jam – in the dust. Now we get a spiritual successor with Play by Play Studios’ NBA The Run, and it’s as close to a new Street as we’re likely to get.
Fundamentally, The Run follows Street’s blueprint. It does away with sim rules in favor of good ol’ fashioned street ball, and mostly gets it right. The game feels natural in almost every aspect, and the included NBA legends feel like their natural selves. That’s right, I’m draining threes with Stephen Curry, what of it? And there’s plenty to do, though there’s a catch.
That’s because the game is only about online competition. There are some sweet variants here, and if you have “baller” friends to play along with, it handles very smoothly. But…that’s it. Considering the game’s price, it would’ve been nice to have some offline action, or at the very least a story mode where you can knock off NBA legends to rule “the street.”
Without that, NBA The Run feels like it’s missing something. It still has great attitude to spare and offers a fun slam-a-rama online, but its lack of features stop it just short of becoming street legend.
NBA The Run Is All About Shooting For the Stars
In NBA The Run, you control a squad of three players – including some NBA superstars – as they take part in some street ball. It’s a matter of knowing how to keep the ball from getting stolen and finding the right approach to the rim. Sometimes it’s mastering a three point shot from the outside. Other times, it’s about taking it in with a tremendous slam, showboating every step of the way.
The attitude of NBA The Run is just right. It feels like a vintage NBA Street affair, with just the right amount of attitude behind it. It’s good fun to play online, as your squad competes with others and you develop tactics. What’s more, you can get a team of three buddies together and mesh well against the competition – or lose because you can’t decide who gets to keep the ball. Make sure you coordinate, gang.
There are some neat rule variants that can change the game in an instant as well. This includes benefitting three pointers more, making dunks more meaningful, and what have you. The general nature of the game remains, but these add an interesting wrinkle to match-ups.
Online play worked really well, and if you’re solo, you can control all three members of your squad, or go up against bots to practice. But this introduces the game’s real problem – there’s not much to it.
See, the “baller” action is great. But it wears its limitations on its sleeve. The game is online only, and offers match-ups with other players or bots. That’s…it. There’s no offline local match-ups to be found, nor is there any kind of story mode that allows you to take on NBA legends for superiority. This is a sorely missed opportunity, as NBA Street greatly benefitted from having local players talk it out over a jamfest. I hope Play by Play considers adding this in the future.
How Does NBA The Run Benefit With Presentation?
I will admit, NBA The Run looks “butta.” The visuals may not be as refined as, say, NBA Street Homecourt, but they still look good. Player animations are handled nicely, the courts offer a great deal of “street” variety, and the camera angles are well suited. It does help to have several EA Sports developers on your team that know what they’re doing. There are occasional blemishes, but the overall performance is a good one.
As for sound, there’s “street” value aplenty with the soundtrack. Not that it’s fully licensed or anything, but there are some good beats here to slam the ball home to. And the sound effects are what you’d expect in a game like this, with just the right level of streetball spunk coming through your speakers. I would’ve liked a more in-depth commentary team, but this is an indie affair, so no big deal.
NBA The Run Comes Up Just Short of the Game Winner
I do admire what Play by Play attempted to do with NBA The Run, with its stylish gameplay and inspired presentation. Not to mention that it’s got some real online skills that some players will indulge in. But it comes up short because it doesn’t offer any sort of offline options. A story mode would’ve been excellent here, or, at the very least, something where you can play friends locally.
NBA The Run talks up a good game and delivers most of the time, but can’t quite connect with the rim. Maybe an update with some added features will allow it to score the winning basket. We’ll see.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Play by Play Studios for providing us with a review code! NBA The Run is available now for Xbox, PlayStationand PC/Steam!
Need more arcade dunking goodness? Check out our review of Basketball Classics!
