Without NBA Live on the market, NBA 2K is the only basketball game. With just one game available, the field is wide open for brand-new basketball titles to come in and possibly pick up players who want something different than just simulation basketball.
Joycity, along with Ball Up and Risewear, released their new basketball game 3on3 Freestyle for the PlayStation 4 this week. This game is different as Joycity went with a streetball theme and created a 3-on-3 streetball basketball game with “mythical U.S. playgrounds, a fun and energetic hip-hop soundtrack and an amazing street vibe.” The game is reminiscent of NBA 2K’s myPark mode, but instead of a just particular mode, 3-on-3 Freestyle gives players an entire game in a playground setting.
Ball Up, previously the And1 Mixtape tour, is a streetball tour that has held events around the world for over 15 years with the best streetball players on the planet. Players like Rafer Alston (Skip 2 My Lou) and Carlos Arroyo were players on the tour that played in the NBA for a time, which gave credibility to the tour. Risewear is an apparel company that caters to basketball players and is one of the main sponsors of Ball Up. The partnership between these two companies and Joycity was a no-brainer for 3on3 Freestyle.
“Right from the beginning, everything clicked with Ball Up. As companies, we share the same values and they have played an amazing role in helping us develop the game – from its style, the music, characters, etc,: said Ezra Choi, a producer at Joycity. “For the launch trailer, we got ballers Grayson ‘The Professor’ Boucher, Guy Dupuy a.k.a ‘Easy J’ and Chris Staples to visit our studio and play their parts, and even more exciting, we will be announcing soon which players will be making an appearance in the game!”
3on3 Freestyle will feature two modes for players to choose from. The first is a standard 3-on-3 online mode where players can play against other players from around the world. The other mode is a one-on-one duel mode which will create some intense moments for players. There are fifteen different streetball players you can choose from and each has their own abilities and moves. As in streetball, points can be earned in many ways, but for the most, it will take finesse and dribbling skills to take your opponent to the hole and score. With the different player types in 3-on-3 Freestyle, picking your teams will be important in order to have the right combination for your team.
Here are a few more details for 3-on-3 Freestyle.
- Players: Each character wins points to unlock and upgrade their abilities, which includes dunks, long distance shots, stamina and more. Players must string their unique offensive and defensive skills into combos while keeping an eye on their team members’ capabilities.
- Time Out: Teams can trigger the “substitution” mode for a limited number of times every game, allowing everyone to change their character. But, watch out, as this also means the other team of three players can pick new characters (or stick to the one they are already playing), adding to the strategic aspect of the game!
- Couch Gaming: Local co-op online multiplayer option allows three gamers “on the same couch” to challenge players from around the world. It’s the new pizza night!
3on3 Freestyle is currently available on the PlayStation Network for free. Let us know what you think about the game in our comment section.
