NBA 10 The Inside Sony PSP Review

NBA 10 The Inside

Sony PSP Review
Developer: SCEA
Publisher: SCEA
Released: October 2009

SCEA made a bold move this year, opting to not release their NBA franchise, NBA 10 The Inside, on the PS3, but instead keep it as an exclusive release on the Sony PSP. Did this move pay off, it appears so!

SCEA realized this year I think that their NBA franchise was never going to be able to compete with the big guns, NBA 2K10 and NBA Live 2010. So instead of trying to compete with them on the PS3, they took their NBA 10 The Inside, made it a PSP exclusive, and made it as good as they could have been.

This was a smart move, as what we are left with is a game from the franchise that finally has an identity. This is a fast-paced, arcade-style basketball game that is perfect for the PSP handheld, and is really a lot of fun to play.

The game does a fantastic job of really combining great basketball, and bringing forth more casual elements to it with its min-games and such.

The gameplay is pretty similar to the way it was a year ago, very fast-paced and a lot of fun. The game works well as there really is not a lot of strategy going on as you move up the floor. Can you call plays and try to play it like a sim, yes. But will you want to once you start flying up and down the court, probably not.

The audio and graphics have also been tweaked this year with improved animations, character models, etc. This is a great looking basketball game on the PSP that has a solid flow to it, with constant action and audio presentation that keeps up with it.

The main game mode here is known as Conquest, where you will set out to try to take over every city in the U.S. that has an NBA team.

The way in which this works is a lot of fun as you can complete Conquest through mini-games such as Dodgeball, or just through regular exhibition games.

The mini-games are a blast to play this year, with not only Dodgeball being added in, but also several more such as bowling games, puzzle games, etc. This all adds a lot of variety to the experience as this is a basketball game for the masses, not just the purists out there who want a full-out simulation.

Beyond the Conquest mode, there is also your typical franchise modes, playoff mode, an All-Star Weekend game mode, and much more.

NBA 10 The Inside is a very addictive basketball game on the Sony PSP and is definitely the best choice for hoops on the handheld, a slam dunk for PSP fans!

Graphics: 8.6

Audio: 8.2

Gameplay: 8.5

Replay Value: 8.5

Final Score: 8.5