FreeStyle Street Basketball

Overall, Freestyle Street Basketball has the potential to be a neat game. The idea is solid, the graphics and overall style are neat and the gameplay is pretty fun. However, the horrible players you have to get through to eventually play with the decent ones will turn people away and the lag will push even more away.

Free mode is definitely worth trying, but don't go out and buy the store copy unless you're comfortable spending extra cash for in-game items. [Sept 2007, p.60]

Despite its technical issues Freestyle Street Basketball is a charming, fun street-style basketball MMO with a great value proposition. With its five-minute play time and free low-level game, it can be enjoyed by those looking for a quick game on an afternoon lunch break.

So even though I can't give this title a really high score, you don't have anything to lose by checking out FreeStyle for yourself. You won't get much customization without spending a little dough, but the core game mechanics are fun on their own.

Yes, the graphics are bland. Yes, the controls are limiting. Yes, the action is slow-paced. Yes, there’s a bit of price-gouging with the “bills” system, especially if you want to get to the higher levels in the game. However, for fans of pick-up basketball, there's no denying that Freestyle Street Basketball is a fun outlet--and that’s the whole point, right?

Freestyle has a lot heart and, just like a real game of basketball, it takes heart to be any good. This, of course, does not say that it is not without faults, but for $20 how can you turn down a game that could shape the outcome of a new massive multiplayer online genre?

Freestyle Street Basketball isn't as big as it claims, but for the price, the hyperbole is forgivable.