Arcade basketball had enough of its roots covered as it is. Whatever Midway didn't manage to dominate their old days of NBA Jam domination, EA Sports Big certainly made up for with their classy NBA Street legacy, complete with last year's edition, V3, jam-packed with so much stuff that some people are still uncovering it a year later. But somehow, Midway's NBA Ballers managed to fit into the equation, bringing a unique one-on-one flavor of b-ball to the table, along with customization features that let you build your own mountain of bling behind your player's strengths.

So, of course, an inevitable sequel was due somewhere down the line, and through the lucrative deal reached with the NBA, they've brought it with NBA Ballers: Phenom. However, those expecting a true sequel with growth out the ying-yang might be a little disappointed. The game has enough new stuff brought to the table to warrant a look, but it fails to really push ahead in sequel-dom, kinda like NBA 2K has with its latest edition.

Not to draw comparisons, as Ballers falls into a league of its own. The game truly works on an arcade-style level, like Jam before it, where you can challenge a number of NBA superstars to contests that involve shooting from the 3-point line, or getting up close and personal with some thunderous, customized dunks. The interesting aspect that moves things along here is the addition of a second player on each team, leading to 2-on-2 b-ball action. This'll remind people of the glory days of Jam, although there are no 90-foot mid-air dunks and so sign of "Boomshakalaka" ramblings...at least, none that I've found yet.

Another great addition to Phenom is the story mode. Here, you actually get to control your baller's destiny as he roams around Los Angeles during the week of the NBA finals, completing a series of mini games and working out a number of side missions and deals. One minute, your baller will be working with NBA cheerleaders in a charity car wash (of course, they do all the work...heh), the next, he's scoring a record deal along the likes of Allen Iverson. There really is a lot to do in this mode, and it's formatted sort of like a quest, almost like an RPG- but without the constant barrage of quick battles and ridiculous spell attacks. Players will appreciate this mode.

Like the previous edition, gamers will be able to build their own baller from scratch, right down to the simplest of features to make their faces look a little bit more lifelike. You can go all out with goofy looks, however, and gain access to new items once you complete a series of challenges in the game. You can also create your own customized crib and basketball court, and this will be a dream option for some, as you can really set it up with outlandish items that spell something right out of your own personality. But, again, most of this was in the first game.

And that's a real problem with Phenom. As much as its new features manage to push the game, it hasn't really evolved any in terms of its own gameplay and looks. A lot of it seems borrowed from last year's edition. I can understand the formula of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but the gameplay should've seen a push, especially with the addition of a second player. Instead, it feels a little short-handed.

The presentation is kind of a mixed bag. I love the hip-hop soundtrack thrown into the game, as it manages to keep the "bling" flow going with your baller as he works his way up the ranks. The graphics, however, could've used touching-up. The player models look fantastic and pack some realistic animation that looks stellar (and was probably modeled after Chauncey Billups and Stephen Marbury, the stars of the series), but the environments themselves look slightly bland and fuzzy at times. A little more touching-up to make L.A. look more like L.A. would've been nice...or maybe it's all done in by some fog...?

NBA Ballers: Phenom probably won't be remembered alongside NBA Street V3 and NBA Jam as the next big thing. Its own flair to do something different is in fact its downfall, as it seems a bit limited when it should be soaring through the sky like ol' Michael Jordan did. However, fans who ate up the first game will be stuffed full with the offerings here, including online features, 2-on-2, and story mode. I guess it's just a matter of whether or not you're really a fan of ballin' by yourself.

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