NFL Street 2 is essentially the same game as Street 1. With a few additions, it's slightly different, but not by much.
User Rating: 7.4 | NFL Street 2 GC
A mere 11 months after the original, NFL Street 2 attempts to take you back to the streets with only a few new features, and a rather out of place host. Although NFL Street 2 is your run-of-the-mill EA Big game, it does have a few flaws here and there that make it feel like it came too soon. Gameplay wise, NFL Street 2 hasn't changed much. The basics are still there, and you still don't have a large library of plays. As with EA's "Street" series, the gamebreaker makes it's glorious return as one of the games best features. Although the biggest change is the "off the wall" feature which adds another dimension to gameplay and makes the game a whole lot easier. The new wall feature lets you run over defense, get style points, raise the probability of your catch, and dive into the endzone. This can make pass and running plays much easier, since running on and off the wall is a great way to remove yourself from your defenders. As well as running, you can also juke, and tackle using the wall. Juking is much like running on the wall, except much shorter and faster. Tackling on the wall is almost a sure way to knock your opponent down, although sometimes they can just push off of the wall and keep running. Along with wall moves you have the street exclusive gamebreakers, which essentially allow you to break through tackles easily, or make the opponent cough up the ball. This time around, you have gambreaker 2 which is essentially the same thing, but takes longer to get and you must watch a cutscene before you get to the play. This is the way to stop you and your friends from constantly using gamebreakers over and over again. Although, even with the gamebreaker 2, gamebreakers are pretty easy to earn, especially with the designated "hotspots" located all over the field. The fields of NFL Street are not exactly "street" caliber. Sure, you have the "cage" level, which consists of what looks like a rundown tennis court. The baseball diamond turned into a football field, and a skyscraper rooftop. These levels hardly feel "street" along with the rest of the game. Since you're playing in the streets, you must work your way up from the underground in a mode called "own the city" hosted by the man who gives off as much street vibe as possible; Xzibit. That's right; Pimp My Ride host X to the Z takes you through the first steps of the underground. He's the coverboy for this game, but surprisingly isn't involved in much. He's briefly in the tutorials and in your first game of "own the city" but after that, he's no longer around. Besides Xzibit, own the city plays a lot like the other game modes; long and boring. But it does add a couple fun minigames that you can play in the "street events". These minigames consist of schoolyard games of "tackle the guy with the ball" and "500" The "own the street" mode is sadly, the least of the modes Street 2 has to offer. You aren't playing with actual NFL players, but rather randomly generated characters, that look like they just came from their job at the circus. These characters are also made to feel very "street" because of their large amounts of jewelry and baggy clothes. Although, this is just another failed attempt at giving Street 2 that street vibe. Along with the clothes, certain style moves are given very off the wall type names, to make them sound cool, and in your face. Not to mention that the characters also try to be in your face, by yelling phrases such as "My Ball! Not yours!" or running up to the camera during a cutscene and yelling "Did you hear?! Sack!” Street 2 relies so much on style points, but yet fails in style itself. The create a character mode is rather deep, but lacks items you would find in create-a-modes in such games as Tony Hawks Underground or The Sims 2. It goes all out for that "hip-hop" look, but fails horribly. But, if you're looking to have a laugh riot, you can create rather out-there players, with, for say, green hair and blue mustaches. The store mode is not much to mention, as all you can do is buy Addidas brand gloves and shoes, or gold chains and medallions. You must earn credits in which to buy them, which can be made by winning games in own the city of legend mode. The remaining modes from the original street are still there, as well as the same. NFL Street 2 consists of gauntlet mode, in which you take on all the teams on the games roster. As well, you have the street events, which are just a compilation of minigames, which is one of the more interesting points of the game. The GameCube version of Street 2 lacks the online play featured in the PS2 and Xbox versions, making it the lesser of the three, since online play is one of the most attractive modes to the game. As far as the look of NFL Street 2, it stays with the rest of the game; the same. The character models are essentially the same, but a little brighter. Of course, there are some elements just thrown in there for good measure, such as the barrels lying by the endzones, and the fans in the stand at the end of the field. These are fun and all, but are thrown in with no good explanation. Although, the hits and tackles still look tough and the player models have a very exaggerated look to them, which overall looks nice, but not as good as the first. The soundtrack for Street 2 is a mix of hip-hop and rock, which definitely don't belong. The songs feel mixed, and have that "just thrown in there" feeling. Although the game boosts such artists as Sum 41 and Xzibit, the soundtrack is to be lesser noted. But the effects sound nice, such as cans being kicked over, and birds chirping. The voice acting isn't anything to note, as most of what the characters are saying are cheesy one-line taunts, which are neither funny nor fun to listen too. Overall, NFL Street 2 feels very much like a downgraded mix of Midways NFL Blitz and Madden. It's very much the game as NFL Street, with the exception of own the city and the wall moves. If you’re looking for a good sequel, Street 2 is not for you. But, if you are looking for a standalone football game, this could very well be a good candidate. 
