You want the car, the cash, the status. You want the crib, the hype, the endless praise. You want to be an NBA phenomenon. Like cover athlete Chauncey Billups, only 10 times better.

To those just about to enter the NBA: good luck! I hope you don't end up with the Lakers. To the rest of the world, video games can help fulfill your hopes and dreams. NBA Ballers: Phenom shoots for the stars with loads of NBA stars, a licensed soundtrack, Sprite sponsorship, and more tricks than that silly rabbit. (And these aren't just for kids.)

Everywhere you turn, Phenom is about style. Its story mode, Live the Dream, is about two stylin' ballers separated by greed. Both were good, but one wanted all the fame and fortune for himself. He took a sweet deal, made himself out to be the star, the only star, and ran for Hollywood. As if that weren't enough, he also stole the love of your life: Kimberly. His choice left you – the self-created baller – alone to shoot hoops by yourself. All those cool tricks you picked up along the way would go unseen... If you give up. But you don't give up, and that's where the game begins.

The core gameplay mechanics aren't that different from before. Side camera angle, one-on-one battles, combo-based evasions, etc. This being one of the few sports games that isn't from EA, Phenom doesn't have the usual array of trick stick moves. But you can juke with the right analog stick, or taunt your opponent by pressing it in conjunction with the left trigger. Shooting, passing, stealing, alley-oops, and blocks are executed with a button or two. The trick system goes deeper, but this is nothing like a simulation sports game. Anyone can pick it up at any time for some quick thrills.

Of course, the developers hope that you take the time to play through the story mode, which has a lot of thrills, a few odd moments, and some interesting developments leading up to your baller's victory.

Keeping up with today's gaming trends, Phenom lets you "explore" LA to find new challenges. You win challenges to increase your credits. Credits are your tourney currency. The more you have, the more tournaments you can enter. Thus, that's what this becomes a game of - winning to have the chance to score more wins.

For those who like this gameplay style, Phenom's many (uh...similar) objectives are hard to resist. And what's not to like? The controls are solid, as are the player animations. The combo system lets you rack up tons of points before merging your moves into one seamless dunk. The same can be done with shots. Perform three consecutive moves and immediately shoot for a three-hit combo. Combos increase the likelihood that you'll score, making them all the more desirable. Credits are also obtained by performing moves. They also accumulate whenever you miss a shot, growing till someone wins the match. The winner gets the pot.

While the difficulty is fair the AI starts with a lack of intelligence. I'm all for a game giving the player the chance to get used to the controls, the style, any new mechanics, etc. However, this is a sequel to a game that played a lot like NBA Street, which played similar to the game that started the arcade sports genre – NBA Jam. Though you can never be certain, it's likely that the majority of Phenom's players will be gamers who have played its predecessor and/or one of the games that inspired it.

But let's suppose I'm new to this gameplay style and I don't want the AI to be too extreme at first. I am, however, familiar with basketball and expect certain things from it. For example, when I attempt to steal the ball, I expect my opponent to block or evade. Phenom's opponents do that fairly well throughout the story mode. What they don't do is know what to do when they drop the ball. Sometimes they'll freeze, other times they'll start to run away ... then stop. This leaves no room for a struggle. Just grab the ball and take a shot.

Luckily the game redeems itself later on, when ballers become more proficient in their skills. They won't drop the ball as often, nor will they stand there like an idiot when they do. Not to say that the game is overwhelming, but players will have to up their skills and perform better than ever if they want to keep up.

Overall the Live the Dream mode is great, but it's the multiplayer gameplay that gives Phenom its longevity. Nothing beats the thrill of having NBA Jam-inspired gameplay in 3D, with new moves, in a more immersive environment, with four-player capabilities. Play 1 vs. 1 matches, 2 vs. 2, or 1. vs. 1. vs. 1. Whatever you choose, Phenom is a grand multiplayer addiction that can't be put down.

Gameplay: 8.0
All the b-ball you crave without any artificial flavorings. Exploring LA acts as a preservative, extending the life of the story mode, but it’s not drawn out to the point where it’ll turn you off. Since this is an arcade-style sports game, expect a considerable amount of repetition from the single-player matches. Despite this flaw, Phenom is an excellent game that’s worth your time, and your cash.

Graphics: 8.0
The player models look great – great textures, facial details, etc. Very well modeled, these players look a lot like their real-life counterparts. The environments aren’t perfect, but mostly look good and will impress those who want to build their own crib (or visit the cribs of their favorite athletes). There is a definite lack of emotion in the players’ faces, but that doesn’t detract as much from the visuals as it has in other sports games.

Sound: 4.9
Does an arcade-style sports game need commentary? Phenom’s announcer produces one of the most annoying, repetitious sounds in recent memory. He constantly recites the obvious: I have the ball. My opponent has the ball. Someone just stole the ball – and look, now someone’s in the lead. Guess what Mr. Announcer: I’m playing the game! I know what’s going on! To make matters worse, he wasn’t always accurate. He’d say I was in the lead when I wasn’t, or vice versa.

Furthermore, the rap / hip-hop-style music just doesn’t cut it for me. It might seem appropriate for a basketball game, but why not give us some variety? Why not throw in a few rock tunes for good measure? Are they assuming that only fans of rap music will play this game? That’s like assuming that only people who like rock music will play a baseball game. It’s a stupid assumption, and it couldn’t be further from the truth.

The voice-overs are alright, I do have to give Phenom some credit for that. But the story sequences can be skipped, and they’re tiny a fraction of the sounds you’ll hear – most of which will make you reach for the mute button.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.5
More of the same, expanded and partially improved. This is a good game, but it doesn’t stand out as much as the original. There have been a few copycats since, which tends to lessen the impact of a sequel that doesn’t shake things up as the original did.

Multiplayer: 8.3
Not since the first NBA Ballers has there been a multiplayer experience quite like this. Up to four players can jam together, online or offline. Whether you’ve got a complete game or only one opponent to thrash and talk trash to, Phenom is a very addictive sports game that’ll be hard for anyone – even gamers who don’t like sports – to put down.

Overall: 8.0
High stylin’ ballers with phat cribs. NBA Ballers: Phenom has just the right moves to help you get your groove on the court. The controls couldn’t be any easier to learn, making this one of the few pick-up-and-instantly-enjoy basketball games available. It isn’t as intense or as cinematic as NBA Street V3, but it’s just as competitive, and has its own cool moves you won’t find in EA’s hit baller.