Game Rating: E for everyone
Chosen One emerges April 21
Next installment in Midway's NBA Ballers arcade b-ball title landing on Xbox 360 and PS3 in two months.By Tom Magrino, GameSpot
Posted Feb 26, 2008 3:47 pm PT Donning his Superman cape earlier this month, Orlando Magic superstar and NBA Ballers: Chosen One cover athlete Dwight Howard captured league bragging rights as the winner of the NBA's 2008 Slam Dunk Contest.
Undoubtedly hoping to attain similar acclaim for
its latest arcade-style basketball game, Midway has announced that
Chosen One will arrive for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 21.
As with previous installments in Midway's Ballers series, Chosen
One lets gamers live the life of an aspiring NBA star as they seek
to gain status in one-on-one and two-on-two games of street ball.
The likenesses of more than 65 NBA stars are slated to appear in the
game, and Midway has implemented a variety of new features, including
a new globe-trotting Chosen One Tournament mode, the ability to learn
NBA stars' signature moves, and new camera angles that highlight the
cinematically stylized sequences in the game. For more on NBA Ballers:
Chosen One, check out GameSpot's previous coverage. Game Informer Review
This isn't just a game about basketball. It's about the NBA lifestyle and the pursuit of becoming rich and obnoxious. Through a mode dubbed Rags to Riches, gamers will make the journey from no-name street baller to the king of the NBA court.
The controls are silky smooth, the computer
opponents prove to be extremely skilled, and the moves that you can perform would make
a Globetrotter stare in amazement. Not only can you bounce the ball off of your
opponent's face (which gives you a split second to break for the hoop), you can use
their back as a springboard, and toss the ball to a friend stationed courtside to set
up an alley oop. From a technical standpoint, I absolutely love how the ball cursor
is used for rebounding. The realism that accompanies stealing is equally as handy.