This may surprise you, but my all-time favorite football franchise isn't what you'd expect. When all others cling to Madden like "something" on velcro, I followed a different path, NFL Blitz. I guess that's why I can't get enough of NFL Street 2, EA's newest installment to the Street collection. Intermixing a solid football engine with style and big hits, it has helped continue the success of innovative sports games. Now, I'm not overly excited with this game without noticing it's weaknesses and failures. But if you liked the original Street, you'll enjoy the new features this game has implemented.

Though there are multiple modes and options to choose, the main game focuses on the mode "Own the City" where you put a team together from the hood to compete against rival players to dominate the streets one field at a time. If you get good enough, you and your hand-picked line will eventually take on the "baddest" guys in the land, an all-star team of NFL players featuring our favorite MTV valet, X-to-the-Z Xzibit. Though I am getting tired of random cameo appearances from celebrities in EA titles, the line of current professionals and Legends available to unlock in game is quite impressive.

The brightest new features added to NFL Street 2 is the wall-move function. Over-dramatized in game commercials, these moves allow players to juke and jump off of adjacent walls to gain game breaker points and gain more yardage. I also found wall moves to bring more accurate passes and catches whenever used, so don't be afraid to straddle the line. There are certain wall locations called hotspots where you can earn more game-breaker points when you tap them.

For those of you who don't know, game breakers were introduced by NFL Street as an extra bonus for performing tricks when in play. When game breaker is on, you become an unstoppable tackling/running machine capable of easy turnovers and touchdowns. But EA has added another game-breaker bar for twice the advantage and show. I say "show" in that anytime you unleash a GB2, a cutscene will play an expected down (For example, on defense a lineman bends down as a teammate launches off his back to knock a thrown ball off its course and into the heads of another teammate from behind who goes for a touchdown).

Cool, yes ... but a downside and major problem in NFL Street is the balance issues. Rewarding good players with the power to crush inexperienced gamers like game breakers breaks the cardinal rule of multi- and online-play, at any given point in the game, the losing side should feel it has a chance to pull through with a win. However, if you should play online, you will notice an increasingly popular gameplay element that ranks your football skills and pits you up against similar players. This constant equality of experience in online play will ensure continued popularity on XBOX Live.

Besides the main mode, others like Pick Up Games and NFL Challenge add another kind of spice to the mix. I really like the new "Street Events" that feature fun mini games like the popular playground hit, aptly named a more appropriate "Crush the Carrier." It must be said that the interface of the menus are a little confusing and it will take a bit of time to decipher the kind of game you are looking for.

Graphically, there have been only minor improvements to how the game looks. The player customization is fairly simple and doesn't offer enough adjustment to the body build. The fields fit their external environments (from the well-cut grasses of massive stadiums to the rugged back yards of the hood). It doesn't compare to the likes of Madden, but I'm sure that's not why you intended to buy this game. The audio department is a mixed bag of bouncy tunes, laughably bad one-liners, and sound effects straight from the huddle. EA loves its jukebox option and features dozens of songs from current hip hop and rock stars, some of which I liked and others I consider to be screaming nonsensical phrases in a microphone.

To put it simply, this game is just another addition to the first NFL Street. No major changes have been implemented but if you enjoyed the rowdiness of the Street franchise in the past, buy this game now. If you bleed for Madden Football, understand this game is more for fun than serious competition. Rent it to be safe.

Gameplay: 8.9
Though there are only scant few improvements, the gameplay is still solid and a blast!

Graphics: 8.5
Simple and clean with not much detail as compared to the other heavy-hitting football titles

Sound: 8.7
Can be annoying at times but it fits the gameplay perfectly.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.6
I loved Blitz and NFL Street 2 has filled the void perfectly.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Playing with computers gets old after a while, so multiplayer and online games are a great addition.

Overall: 8.9
Though its in a whole different ball game compared to ESPN and Madden, NFL Street 2 is hard not to like. Now that I’m done writing, please excuse me while I get back in the game!