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NBA Ballers: Chosen One
April 30, 2008 | 10:50 AM PST
Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
NBA Ballers: Chosen One can be basically summed up as what many people imagine the night lives of multimillion basketball stars are like: glitzy, glamorous/gaudy and over-the-top. Go 1 on 1, 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 on some improbable courts to settle who the meanest "baller" in the NBA is. Rules rarely apply and if you don't like them, then you can customize the game however you like.
What's Hot
Ballers is all about how flashy you can be. From your head to your toes, to your moves, it is all about being the best with as much attitude you can muster. Starting with a create-a-baller, you can concoct an outrageous player outfitted in all kinds of bling. The clothes selection is decent and even the advertisers of the game (including Sprite) have some neat clothes to try on. You then continue on and give your player a signature special move that break NBA rules as well as laws of physics. The music of the game is rather pleasing. All instrumental work but very well done. It gives a backbeat for tone of the game which, if you can't tell by now, is hip-hop.
A few gameplay mechanics add some depth to action. Since most matches will be 1 on 1, it is hard to pass to yourself. Instead, you can pass to someone standing courtside that will then pass back on your command. It is a small feature that adds quite a bit to the gameplay to keep the ball moving down the court. If action is what you are looking for, than Ballers should fit the bill. Individual games play more physically than would other basketball games, the focus is shifted from shooting baskets to making power dunks and blocks.
The developer took the theme of the game and ran with it. The most ridiculous moments are some of the best spots in the game. The exaggeration throughout this title makes the atmosphere a very cool place. Accumulating points based on how you play was a neat feature that forces you to step out of your comfort zone if you want to be a well rounded player.
What's Not
While the main gameplay options are fun, Ballers will fall apart quickly. The graphics, while looking next-gen, don't have that spark of life to make it believable. The result is semi-realistic mannequins running around without anything else than a forced personality. The modes that are there are akin to a bucket with a hole in it. Sure, it will hold water but there is that leak that will eventually leave you without anything. Initially, the game is fun and the rules that in place will make the basketball seem more extreme but that new car smell fades unless you take your game online.
There are some poor design choices. Like when performing a supermove, the gameplay breaks and you watch a short cinematic. It takes you out of the experience and puts you back in with jarring results. After every point that results in the ball being taken behind the line, the game "jumps" to that scene. The visual discombobulating of seeing your Ballers teleport shouldn't be here. While on the subject of points, it looks as if Chuck D, the game's announcer, doesn't know how to call a game with more than 2 people in it. Frequently in 1 on 1 on 1 games, he'll say the game is tied up but in reality, it is only tied for two of the three. Just as a note, these problems don't completely derail the game.
Ballers boils down to being very unpolished. Rough edges are at every corner and seam. Still, for the first hours when the game has the new car smell, the games are entertaining and the changes of rules are fresh. All of the problems listed are obvious fixes and could have been patched with more time.
Final Word
Ballers had everything going for it, a NBA license, some good-looking graphics, a great perspective on what basketball is like for non-NBA stars and some fun "streetball" gameplay concepts. Somewhere down the line, the free-throw was missed, and thus it flounders in being average mainly due to the online aspect being a saving grace. Ballers stays on track with a few fresh ideas but will largely be forgotten. Maybe some time on the bench and a fresh playbook will improve any future iteration of the series.
What the Game's About
NBA Ballers: Chosen One can be basically summed up as what many people imagine the night lives of multimillion basketball stars are like: glitzy, glamorous/gaudy and over-the-top. Go 1 on 1, 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 on some improbable courts to settle who the meanest "baller" in the NBA is. Rules rarely apply and if you don't like them, then you can customize the game however you like.
What's Hot
Ballers is all about how flashy you can be. From your head to your toes, to your moves, it is all about being the best with as much attitude you can muster. Starting with a create-a-baller, you can concoct an outrageous player outfitted in all kinds of bling. The clothes selection is decent and even the advertisers of the game (including Sprite) have some neat clothes to try on. You then continue on and give your player a signature special move that break NBA rules as well as laws of physics. The music of the game is rather pleasing. All instrumental work but very well done. It gives a backbeat for tone of the game which, if you can't tell by now, is hip-hop.
A few gameplay mechanics add some depth to action. Since most matches will be 1 on 1, it is hard to pass to yourself. Instead, you can pass to someone standing courtside that will then pass back on your command. It is a small feature that adds quite a bit to the gameplay to keep the ball moving down the court. If action is what you are looking for, than Ballers should fit the bill. Individual games play more physically than would other basketball games, the focus is shifted from shooting baskets to making power dunks and blocks.
The developer took the theme of the game and ran with it. The most ridiculous moments are some of the best spots in the game. The exaggeration throughout this title makes the atmosphere a very cool place. Accumulating points based on how you play was a neat feature that forces you to step out of your comfort zone if you want to be a well rounded player.
What's Not
While the main gameplay options are fun, Ballers will fall apart quickly. The graphics, while looking next-gen, don't have that spark of life to make it believable. The result is semi-realistic mannequins running around without anything else than a forced personality. The modes that are there are akin to a bucket with a hole in it. Sure, it will hold water but there is that leak that will eventually leave you without anything. Initially, the game is fun and the rules that in place will make the basketball seem more extreme but that new car smell fades unless you take your game online.
There are some poor design choices. Like when performing a supermove, the gameplay breaks and you watch a short cinematic. It takes you out of the experience and puts you back in with jarring results. After every point that results in the ball being taken behind the line, the game "jumps" to that scene. The visual discombobulating of seeing your Ballers teleport shouldn't be here. While on the subject of points, it looks as if Chuck D, the game's announcer, doesn't know how to call a game with more than 2 people in it. Frequently in 1 on 1 on 1 games, he'll say the game is tied up but in reality, it is only tied for two of the three. Just as a note, these problems don't completely derail the game.
Ballers boils down to being very unpolished. Rough edges are at every corner and seam. Still, for the first hours when the game has the new car smell, the games are entertaining and the changes of rules are fresh. All of the problems listed are obvious fixes and could have been patched with more time.
Final Word
Ballers had everything going for it, a NBA license, some good-looking graphics, a great perspective on what basketball is like for non-NBA stars and some fun "streetball" gameplay concepts. Somewhere down the line, the free-throw was missed, and thus it flounders in being average mainly due to the online aspect being a saving grace. Ballers stays on track with a few fresh ideas but will largely be forgotten. Maybe some time on the bench and a fresh playbook will improve any future iteration of the series.
November 20, 2009
