Forget about sissy NBA rules. In Electronic Arts' NBA Street Homecourt, referees don't blow their whistles when someone gets shoved to the blacktop. In these games, players swat the ball before it hits the rim and use their teammates as props. Out here, at Venice Beach, Franklin Park and Cloverdale, players earn respect by pulling off flashy crossovers and double dunks, because no matter the situation, one must always defend their Homecourt. Bottom line, the game offers wannabe legends more fun than a Detroit Piston's brawl.

Don't expect funky music or the annoying D.J. Cucumberslice, the irksome narrator from the previous NBA Street games. This year's game focuses on NBA players and their humble beginnings. Sure, Denver Nuggets superstar Carmelo Anthony continues to wow fans with his impressive moves, but before he rocketed to the NBA he was just a kid on the courts of Cloverdale, jockeying for position and etching his name into the minds of all who opposed him. EA nails the presentation, providing gamers with a relaxed, heartfelt tribute to these athletes and the courts that they made famous.

How the game plays matters most and the developers did a masterful job in not only enhancing the arcade style play but also making it more accessible. Unlike previous entries that forced players to memorize buttons to pull off fancy tricks, Homecourt lets them dazzle audiences with just a few presses.

It all starts with the Trick Remixers (X and Y on Xbox 360, Square and Triangle on PS3). Pressing one of these buttons causes players to perform a quick crossover, stunning opponents and creating an open path to the basket. At the same time, pressing and holding these buttons produces more maneuvers, transforming a simple crossover into a hesitation dribble. Combined with the modifiers (LB and RB on Xbox 360, L1 and R1 on PS3), characters bust out soccer moves, spin around, flip the ball over their heads and sometimes around their opponents. Embarrassment (by the defender) ensues, coupled with plenty of trash talking.

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