NBA Ballers: Chosen One

For a series that has always emphasized creating a custom baller then taking him from rags to riches, NBA Ballers: Chosen One has some disappointing limitations in its create-a-baller system. Only one baller can be created per player profile, and each gamertag can load only one player profile. Inviting friends over to sort out NBA Ballers supremacy gets really confusing — each friend needs to bring or make a gamertag, then whip up their own baller. So there’s no sharing ballers with your friends — what kind of pal does that make you?

Fortunately, this third installment in Midway’s series offers some fun gameplay improvements over its predecessors. Act-a-Fool combos require players on offense to quickly press onscreen buttons to increase their super-move bar up through three levels, though players on defense can counter those combos by pressing buttons before their opponent. Defensive players can earn guaranteed steals, while offensive players can execute jaw-dropping half-court super shots and super dunks. Yes, it’s as much rowdy fun as it sounds.

Veteran players will be super-dunking in no time, but new players will fumble with the controller while cradling the manual and shouting, “What’s a super juke? How do I even do a super juke?” Despite this second wave of frustration, the game’s still worthwhile — learning the initially complicated controls is rewarded with awesome performances that are as riveting to watch as they are to play. Online multiplayer works similarly to local ballin’, except here you don’t have to wrestle with profile-and-gamertag mismatches.

So yeah, Chosen One has its woes, but gameplay is what’s always made this series fun. If you’ve got some tolerance and some RTFM time, Chosen One will deliver.