How strange...

[A Black Falcon]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/05/...15715.html

Mario to hoop it up in NBA Street V3
The GameCube version of EA's blacktop b-baller will feature an exclusive team of Nintendo all-stars as well as a Nintendo court.

Nintendo superstars Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach are no strangers to high-flying aerials and acrobatics across the fabled Mushroom Kingdom. But have you ever seen one of them throwing the roundball behind the back and off the backboard, then rocking the cradle and throwing the rock down for two? GameCube owners will get the chance to see these moves in action when NBA Street V3 is released on February 8.

Nintendo and Electronic Arts announced today that the GameCube version of EA's latest extreme blacktop baller will feature the trio as playable characters.

"Nintendo's characters have always proved they can compete on the world stage," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Now they'll show that they can compete on the streets as well."

As outlined in GameSpot's new preview of the game, the Nintendo characters will be able to take on the NBA's best, from the past and present, on streetball courts such as legendary Rucker Park and Venice Beach, in addition to an exclusive Nintendo-themed court. The plumbers and princess can also participate in the new slam dunk contest.

It's rare to see Nintendo characters frolicking outside of a Nintendo-produced game, but it has happened before. GameCube owners may recall that Namco was lent the likeness of Legend of Zelda lead protagonist Link for its fighter Soul Calibur II on Nintendo's console.

The NBA Street franchise mixes NBA stars with EA-created streetball characters in gravity-defying basketball action reminiscent of Midway's classic NBA Jam series. This third installment will also feature a new trick stick, deeper create-a-player options, and a new court creator.

For more information on the game, check out the NBA Street V3 gamespace, which includes a trailer that features Peach throwing one down in LeBron James' grill.

Very weird... but even stranger? The screenshots.












... :weird:

[Geno]

Looks fake. I hope it is.

[OB1]

No this was announced weeks ago.

What I want to know is, why is Peach so flat?

And she has the body of an old woman here:

[EdenMaster]

This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. I love seeing Nintendo characters outside of Nintendo gaems when they fit. Link in Soul Calibur II was an ingenoius addition and it made the game better. Mario and Luigi don't fit in a basketball game sharing the court with realistic player models. It looks looks like a silly and poor attempt at a marketing ploy.

If it's true though, then watch the Ninty fanboys line up.

[Great Rumbler]

:confused2

If it was Mario Basketball I'd probably have to get it. But this? No.

[Geno]

Yeah, I mean, Mario and the gang play sports all the time, but not with realistic characters. Mario sports games are supposed to be cartoony and contain traps such as Chomps in the sandtraps or what have you.

[A Black Falcon]

Yeah, Mario and Luigi look funny enough but at least they look right... Peach just looks bizarre. Somewhere between concept and execution that art went horribly wrong...

Would I get this? Probably not. It seems like a strange idea and mixing cartoonish characters with real ones doesn't work great... it also depends on the kind of basketball game it is. I mean, if it's a realistic game of basketball and has Nintendo characters looking like that it'd be even weirder... I don't know, but a street basketball game just doesn't seem like the kind of place you'd expect to see Nintendo characters. Especially when they're drawn cartoonish and mixed with realistic-looking people.

[Geno]

Yeah, this looks like it'll be messed up no matter how they do it.

[EdenMaster]

Even the height difference is enough to laugh at this. Mario comes up to one of the normal players waists! Come on, Nintendo. Are you just selling off your characters to anyone who wants to use them? What happened to your standards?

[Dark Jaguar]

Mario is SHORT remember? These are basketball players, of course they will tower over Mario. Luigi though...

Here's the thing. The way I see it, if you want a totally serious game, they will let you just ignore the Mario crew. They are added as a laugh for when you want something odd.

Now just one issue. Throwing Mario in an otherwise serious game is fine because the sheer contrast is pretty hilarious, plus the entire game is ABOUT another game so it's not like Mario being there is going to ruin some serious story, it just throws off the appearence. I mean, it's not like they wrote some story about the trials of the heart starring a boy who will eventually be lost and then returned to light and decided to toss Mickey Mouse in there. THAT would be silly :D. *Pauses Chain of Memories*

HOWEVER, is this game really any good? Adding in Nintendo characters to SC2 is great because the game is one of the best fighters ever made. Adding in Mario and company to a game that will likely be mediocre at best... I mean sheesh... I think Nintendo really is just out to make money with this deal. Oh well, I am just not enough of a Nintendo fan to buy this game just because Mario popped his fat head in there :D. *Bugs Bunny shows up* ....Oh yeah... this isn't a new thing...

Didn't someone once jokingly predict that Nintendo would be tossing Samus Aran into a new football game at some point?

[lazyfatbum]

The game is called "All Stars" and it's a basketball game where good jumping skills benifets the players. Peach... well, she just loves sports. And that Nintendo court is hilarious. I hope Toad and Yoshi are in there as well.

I think it's a great cross over and the game has my interest now. If I read a review of the game and it turns up as having solid gameplay and a good 4 player mode then i'll probably get it. Even if just to rent so I can play one on one Mario Vs. Luigi on the Nintendo court.

Of course you all realize this is a total marketing ploy to grab younger game players in to new and otherwise niche style of game series that's usually reserved for an older market... which most companies believe Nintendo doesn't have... enter Mario. But even knowing that, I still think it's cool. Now if they're really smart over there at Nintendo cross-over marketing land they'll make Rogue Squadron 4 with Samus Aran's Gunship (controls like a humming bird), Capt. Olimar's Rocket (a foot in length and can be shot down by blowing on it but it fires SUPER LASERS!), and an Arwing (we all know how this handles) as unlockable ships.

[alien space marine]

:shake:

[Dark Jaguar]

Handles like a hummingbird? You mean like all those flying saucers where people say "there's NO WAY an object can just stop and go the opposite direction like that!" and you say "and you base this on your master's degree in engineering?" and they say "um.... no...". That would be cool!

Now don't get me wrong lazy, if I felt there was even the slightest chance this game would turn out awesome I'd want it too. But this is "V3", and though there's a chance that may be hoop slang for something, I think that means there were 2 games before this one, and I have never heard of them. It's rather likely that the game will suck and stain Mario's rep... Though.... I SUPPOSE I should at least play it. I won't pay money to do it mind you, but I know one of my friends is going to get this purely because Mario is in it.

[OB1]

You know you're at a Nintendo forum when people call NBA Street "mediocre at best". Silly kids, NBA Street is the best basketball series out there. I love it how DJ can call it that when she's probably never even heard of the series before.

This is precisely why Nintendo is doing this. Most Nintendo fans won't touch anything unless it stars Nintendo characters. Can you imagine how poorly SC2 would have sold on the GC if Link weren't in it? I shudder at the thought. And look at lazy, he's already interested in the game! The fact of the matter is that almost all third-party multiconsole games sell poorly on the GC, and that's because of the reasons I just mentioned. If this is going to make the fanboys play a series as fun as NBA Street then so be it!

[Great Rumbler]

I've never been a big fan of sports games, realistic sports games anyway. The Mario sports games are pretty fun, but this is basically this is NBA Street Volume 2 EXCEPT NOW IT HAS MARIO AND FRIENDS, YOU BIG FREAKS!!!

[OB1]

NBA Street is realistic? That's news to me!

[Great Rumbler]

As in more realistic than the Mario sports games, the gimmicky sports genre, if you will.

[OB1]

NBA Street is the new NBA Jam.

[Great Rumbler]

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!!

[A Black Falcon]

How realistic IS NBA Street? I won't be getting it (the whole style the game takes ... ick...), but if I was going to get a basketball game I'd want an unrealistic one. As in, I liked NBA Jam TE. :)

[OB1]

WHAT DID I JUST SAY!!

[A Black Falcon]

I hadn't seen that post yet... :)

As for NBA Jam, it's a pretty good game but they lie when they say it has no penalties! TE at least has goaltending, and it's really annoying... :D

[OB1]

"ABF... you're a dork."

[A Black Falcon]

I'm not into basketball so it's annoying that you can block while the ball is going up but not when it's going down...

[lazyfatbum]

Puppy shit.

*injects neurotoxins in to the base of Freddy Mercury's skull*

RISE, FREDDY MERCURY ZOMBIE!!!!!! RISE!!!!!!!!!!

Freddy Mercury Zombie: I want to ride my bicycle.

[alien space marine]

Puppy shit.

*injects neurotoxins in to the base of Freddy Mercury's skull*

RISE, FREDDY MERCURY ZOMBIE!!!!!! RISE!!!!!!!!!!

Freddy Mercury Zombie: I want to ride my bicycle.

I am almost got run over by a real bisycle as I was listening to that song , The women used her bell but I thought it was part of the song and didnt realize it was real untill a last split second.

[Geno]

So what'd you do, go to some website and rate the song with 0/5 stars like you did with Shrek 2?

[Great Rumbler]

*ZINGED!*

[Dark Jaguar]

Zing of the Daaaaay! *presses howl sound effect button*

You mailbox head!

[Dark Jaguar]

So then, I really wish this had turtle shells and stuff... In fact, get EA's guys out of there. The fact that they are sports stars, the sorts of people who do things like go on strike even though they are making millions, or say stuff like "this is IT, it ALL comes down to this, you either stay, or go home, that's IT" failing to realize "it's a frickin' GAME, I know you are into it, but try something that's ACTUALLY it, where you either go home, or you go home horizontally, before trying to say society is culminating in this very moment".

[OB1]

I am almost got run over by a real bisycle as I was listening to that song , The women used her bell but I thought it was part of the song and didnt realize it was real untill a last split second.

That's hilarious.

[A Black Falcon]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/25/...17026.html

Yet another one: Fight Night (EA's boxing game) will have Super Punch-Out in it and Little Mac as a playable character...

[OB1]

Welcome to last week!

:p

[A Black Falcon]

There are screenshots and stuff now, though...

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/25/...17026.html