Shake and bake training.
Initially, I thought NBA Baller Beats was a game where pro basketball players made music using the latest sound software. But when I did some real research I learned it is, for the most part, playing basketball to music, Guitar Hero-style. Using the Xbox Kinect system, body movement is tracked, and much like the note charts of Rock Band, G.H., and other music simulators, Baller Beats has you dribbling an actual basketball to a song of your choice and pattern set for different skill levels.
For the E3 demo, Majesco reach out to "The Professor" of And1 Basketball and Deron Williams, NBA point guard for the New Jersey Nets, for a quick demonstration. However, it is made for all ages and player skill. Setting the difficulty on easy will have you start off with a slow simple dribble with an occasional crossover throw in; on the top difficultly, the step chart will want you to perform some of the tough moves seen on TV.
These are the kind of skills pro guys and even a few good college and high school players have: crossovers between the legs, dribbling behind the back, fake crossovers, and more. Without a shadow of a doubt, it is all truly a very good way for people to practice and get better with their ball handling.
When I played, it had me sweating and tired. Doubling as a game and workout, it helps stimulate the mind and body. Quite unbelievably really what some of the stuff people can do with a ball. And the great part about it is, it's never too late to pick one up and get to bouncing. The soundtrack has plenty of selection for a good bounce rhythm, but if I hear "Party Rock" by LMFAO one more time, I'm throwing the whole game out of the window.
The only thing I question is: What if you don't have the space or right floor surface in your house to play? Parents are going to have some fantastic nights when little Johnny is dribbling away at midnight. The cool part, though, is that the official Spalding ball comes with the game, no extra charge, so maybe Johnny's parents will just send him down the street to the park for some live hoops. (Speaking of which, side note, I asked Deron Williams if he would come to the Warriors, just as a joke. His reply, "Hell naw." My poor Golden State team, we'll never have any all-stars.)
But all in all, the concept of NBA Baller Beats is new and refreshing. I'm sure it will do well when released some time in September 2012.
