There are two types of sports games: simulation and arcade. Simulation games capture every single aspect of real life NFL football, from drafting your players to deciding how much to charge for hot dog. Arcade games are easy to play a quick game before going to work or school because they are really quick and in most cases feature “over the top” gameplay. EA Sports has cornered the market with the Simulation side since they have purchased the NFL license, which grants them the sole right to use anything related to NFL football. Not content with being the masters of NFL simulation games, they are trying to come up with the best arcade football game around. Last year they took a big step in the right direction with the release of NFL Street. Now that they have released a sequel and there are two questions that might be floating around in your mind: is NFL Street 2 one of the best arcade football games around, and is it worth your time to check it out? Read on to find out more!

There are several game modes in NFL Street 2 that will keep players entertained for hours on end. The modes are Quick Game, Pickup Game, NFL Gauntlet, Street Events, Own the City, NFL Challenge, and last but not least Online. Quick game is where players can choose any of the NFL or unlocked teams and play a quick seven-on-seven game. The Pickup Game mode is likened to a quick game, but players will alternatively pick their opponents from a pool of NFL players and legends. In the NFL Gauntlet, the players are against the entire NFL, and you will have to play and beat all of the current NFL teams, one by one. Street Events is a four-on-four showdown that is everyman for themselves. This mode really challenges how good you are at this game and its special moves.

Can he catch it?

The biggest two game modes that NFL Street 2 has to offer, and the ones that will keep you occupied for hours on end are Own the City and NFL Challenge. In Own the City mode, gamers will create their own player, customizing him to the fullest extent, and then put a team together from the players you meet on the streets. Gamers then must take on various challenges such as playing pick up games and other various games. Players must do their best to obtain valuable development points to boost up your player. As you compete and complete all of the challenges you will get to face Xzibit’s team and import your player into Madden 2006.

In NFL Challenge gamers will have 150 days to build a team that can complete against come of the NFL Legends, by playing through many different challenges. As players complete various challenges they will acquire development points, just like in Own the City mode, except these points go to all of the players and not just a single one. This mode will keep players coming for more because they will want to beat some of the best in the NFL on the street!

Running along a wall is always fun!

There are a couple new additions to NFL Street 2 that really improves the gameplay and the first one is the use of walls. Players can now use the walls to run across, use them as a spring board to avoid a tackle, or even run up a wall to catch a ball that would normally be too high for them. This is an addition and in many cases if used correctly it can mean the difference between winning and losing a game. Another new addition, or really it is an additional upgrade, is the Gamebreaker 2. In order to get this you will first have to obtain a Gamebreaker, which you get points for by performing special moves and other various things while playing a street game. After that is full you then start charging the second bar. When you finally get both bars filled you press the Gamebreaker button. When a Gamebreaker 2 is activated it is an almost guaranteed touchdown.

NFL Street was a very pretty game! Gamers are given plenty of eye candy throughout the entire gaming experience. All of the different playing fields that you will be getting your street football are very detailed and makes the players feel that they are really in the various places. The character models have a lot of detail going for them. For instance when you are creating your character in Own the City mode, you will be given a plethora of options, from different types of tattoos, skin tones, hair styles, clothes, and much more. All of the focus on details really gives life and personality to the players which make the game feel much more life like.

Good thing he can jump!

Just like in the last game, another huge component of NFL Street 2 is the player animations, which range from the different “style” moves just how the game plays overall. Since this game has such a smooth animation set for all of the characters it seems so realistic when players are performing such over the top moves such as using the wall as a springboard to get that all important touchdown.

The music featured here is a mix of rap and rock, which fits the very nature of this game perfectly. The soundtrack will keep players motivated to continue playing many hours as it really is good. All of the sound effects that players will hear throughout the entire game really fits perfectly, from hearing the special moves that you are performing to all of the fields environments. It adds a real surreal feeling to it and makes it much more enjoyable. Xzibit offers his voice talents to be the “narrator” of this game, by teaching players how to do all of the moves in the tutorial mode. Another very interesting fact is this game is THX certified and makes full use of Dolby Digital Pro Logic II, so if you have a setup that allow it, it is well worth it!

NFL Street is rated E for Everyone. It requires up to 316kb on your memory card and can play up to 1-4 players (via multitap). To play online you must have the Network card and broadband or dialup. It also is compatible with AOL Dial-Up.

Gameplay: 9.3
The gameplay is extremely tight, responsive, and overall well done in NFL Street 2! All of the new moves that are put in this game are extremely well incorporated, and once you play this game it will be hard if not impossible to load up NFL Street 1 again.

Graphics: 9.0
This game looks really good. The character models are really nice and heavily detailed, from the sneakers, accessories, and even tattoos that some of the players are known for having. The game adds a nice variety of details into each of the fields to make them feel unique and a blast to play in.

Sound: 9.1
There is plenty or trash talking that goes on during a real football game, and it is nice to hear that this was implemented into this game as well. Not only will you hear some trash talking but you will hear some nice sound effects that really compliment the location of the football fields. The music is nice and fits well within NFL Street 2’s atmosphere.

Difficulty: Medium
If you are a NFL Street veteran, then the game will have little to no adjustment time. For new players it will take a while to get adjusted to the game mechanics, but once you do you will find them second nature. The AI is a bit tougher then last years game, but that makes it all the better.

Concept: 9.1
Even though arcade football games are not new, I really like what EA has done with their NFL Street franchise, and I can not wait to see what they will put into the next version.

Multiplayer: 8.9
Even though this game is a blast to play in single player mode, this game is even better when you are playing with a friend. If you are short on friends and want to get your trash talking game on then all you have to do is head online and see if you have what it takes to beat everyone out there. Are you up to the challenge?

Overall: 9.1
NFL Street is one of my favorite arcade sports games, and with good reason. It had tight controls, over the top gameplay, and great looking graphics. NFL Street 2 takes everything that the first game had and expounds upon it making it better in many different aspects. While this game is not perfect, it is a blast to play, and something that will keep you busy for many months to come.