NFL Tour effectively killed that series. Took something that felt like a pickup game and made it feel... I guess the word I would use is "corporate". Like it was completely developed in a board room with the question "what do kids think is cool, and how can we get as many sponsors involved?".
Yeah cause dropping 2 nfl streets in a year didn’t feel corporate lmao. Nostalgia is the main difference in some of the games being better than newer ones. Shocked no one ever thinks about this while rating video games
I agree with this. It was a lot better. But logistically, you would sell the unlocks too if you knew you could make absolute bank off of it. Or if the company funding your game made you.
I said this to guy I work with the other day I'm 31 he's 22. I'm like man back in the day everything was on the disc you just had to do certain things to unlock certain modes,characters, venues etc. Now they give us intentionally unfinished games that they then sell us later down the road. Really miss those grinding day versus all the pay to win season pass stuff
We were definately spoiled in what EA Big was bringing to the gaming community back then! I would love to see companies take chances like these once again.
I would argue that we weren't spoiled back then, we're just starved for games that have actual spirit and love in them now. EA used to have a passionate dev team that genuinely cared about making their yearly installment games better, and more depthy than the last. Then, Ultimate Team happened. And that, kids, is how EA went from an industry titan, to a laughing stock that doesn't know how to make new games. Just new ultimate team cards.
I honestly thought when we got the THPS 1&2 release a couple years ago we were about to see the return of these over the top sports games and then just...nothing happened. Super disappointing.
I’m a big fan of Riders Republic. It’s got a lot of variety now and settles that itch for me. It’s definitely worth a try if extreme sports is your forte.
SSX3 is probably the most important game to me. It gave me everything i loved about tricky and more. Expanded my tastes in music and was the first game i really wanted to get good at. I love it so much.
That's such an underrated aspect of these games - the MUSIC. So many talented artists that were either megastars already or on the cusp of blowing up got introduced in the BIG titles. SSX 3 is one of the GOATs in that regard!
The soundtrack was one of them. The creativity that this game have is astounding. The unrealistic snowboarding tricks you can pull off that isnt realistically possible, with each and every peaks you go through gets difficult and chaotic, with 3 ways you can advance through the mountain (by racing, tricks, or earning enough cash) and the ability to pull off normal and uber tricks while also purchasing and buying some more tricks meaning that you can customize your own tricks. (They are also required if you want to pull off monster tricks) and even though the gear customizing isnt anything special, it is kind of fun to customize your characters whatever you like. Istg this is THE BEST snowboarding game EVER RELEASED. And that really says a lot since i was playing this since i was 7 or 8. And im especially glad that it got the transition to XBOX one. Nothing can ever come that close to topping ssx3 really. Everything is there, its quite a perfect game to enjoy. Hat tip to you sir.
@@hunterbeatbilly9836SSX just traslated that arcade style xtreme sport gameplay from the Tony Hawk games better than Activision did with their own snowboarding title
The EA Big Series was a fantastic moment in gaming. Very fun times! A few points: You undersold NFL Street, the game is S tier, and I still play it till this day. (Part of the holy trilogy: Super Tecmo Bowl, NFL Blitz 2003, and NFL Street.) NBA Street doesn't age as well as you learn to dribble a lot to build up your meter. (Also Double Game Breakers hurt both NFL Street 3 and NFL Street 2.) Final note, you actually have to play Def Jam Vendetta and Def Jam New York in order. Def Jam New York's story line picks up EXACTLY where Vedetta leaves off, and the story is actually good.
@@bigdawg3429 I don't that really matters since we both know it's an over the top sports game, hence, it's an "EA Big" title in everything but name. (EA Big is just a label, the people that worked there weren't fired just because they stopped making "EA BIG" games.)
NFL Street 2 is my favorite football game of all time. Also there’s a group project bringing back the NFL Street 2 online servers so I’m definitely gonna be playing that a lot like I used to back in the day lol!
Great video. I think its a shame we dont see more games like these anymore. Everything is either a AAA game that takes 5+ years to make or a small indie game. I feel like the PS2/Xbox/GC and PS3/360 eras were the golden age of gaming. It was all about fun stuff like this.
Yup it’s almost like people forgot games were meant to be just that, games.. the wackyness of the ps2/xbox/gamecube era was what made these titles so fun and why we still go back to them
AA game developers had a mass die-off during the last 10-15 years, which is a big part of why all we get are AAA mega-releases or small team indies. You can look it up. One recent development in this process of AA genocide was Embracer gutting a truckload of studios for IPs it had acquired.
It's cool to hear about your personal experiences and memories working on and enjoying some of these games. EA Sports Big has certainly had an impact on my gaming life as NBA Street 2 And SSX 3 are legit two of my favorite video games of all-time. Love your channel.
SSX3 is ingrained into my childhood. As a kid, I always thought it was amazing to be able to ride down the entire peak seamlessly. Btw, you mentioned you worked on NASCAR 2005, and that is another all time classic for me. The career mode was excellent, prob my favorite racing game growing up. You and your team did such a good job!!
Thank you so much! The development team was incredibly passionate about NASCAR, and they were really striving to make something great with Chase for the Cup. I think we made something pretty special, and it was a great game to have in test with a wonderful team that worked really hard on it. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for playing it!
Street Vol 2 is my favorite game of all-time. That intro just brings up so much nostalgia it almost makes me cry when I boot it up today. It aged so damn well to me. Just a legendary game and wish we could get a remaster. Like don't change anything, add any new players just give us the same experience from 2003 with slightly polished graphics and add online to it.
I absolutely love this video. These games are my childhood. NFL Street 2 & DJFFNY are 2 of my fav all times sports & fighting games. Great to know you worked on some of these BIG titles. Thanks for the video. EA Sports... BIGGG
Hey really loved the video. One correction, at 10:00 you said NBA Street Vol.2 was the first game to introduce gamebreakers. They were also in NBA Street 1.
Correct, they introduced Level 2 Gamebreakers. Full cinematic cut scene finishing moves, loved doing Lv2GBs with Yao Ming and watch him do the Harlem Shake afterwards 🤣, CERTIFIED HOOD CLASSIC!!! 🔥✊🏽
While I agree nfl Street 2 should have came out a year or 2 later. It also had an extra create mode, along with the extra teams to be unlocked. And they added those wall moves which were a game changer. And its tied for Street Homecourt as my favorite of the whole series
@@andrewhunter3724I agree. I think NFL Street 2 is nearly objectively perfect. Thousands of hours in it with my friends. I enjoyed Street 1 and 3, but 1 felt a little lacking, and 3 felt too bogged down with new stuff.
It holds up SO WELL. I was really afraid of going back to it and it falling apart, but it's just a killer game. So good! Thank you so much for checking the channel out!
Bro it was my first game. Got gifted my GC Christmas 04 and a couple days later brought it from movie gallery cause it was on sale having no idea what it was. My 5th grade self deserves a Pat on the back from the current me because goddamn he picked well. I STILL fire up my wii today to get in a race or two on tricky. Loved 3 as well but tricky will forever have my heart
Fantastic video! I love the EA Big line, but honestly didn't realize there were so many. I now need to track all of these down. I'm a big sports gamer, so these are right up my alley. NFL Street 2 is one of my favorites from Big, and the SSX series is fantastic. Great video! Thanks for sharing. Edit: Oh, damn! I love that you brought up Madden Arcade, and even better that you worked on it. That is such a forgotten game nowadays. I actually went back on my Xbox 360 last year to play that one again. I wish I could play that on modern consoles today, or that it had a physical release...such a shame because it will eventually be lost to time, I fear. Either way, really cool that you worked on that underrated gem.
Madden Arcade was the last thing I did in the industry, and if that's the bow on that part of my life with games, then it's a perfect bow. I got to work with some dear friends on a fantastic game that still holds up to this day. :) I'm so glad to hear that you enjoy it - that means the world to me!
Fifa street 2 is absolutely amazing, I have many great memories of playing it with my friends back in the day. And I've gotta say, Ronaldinho was a beast!
What a treat to have you discuss this and share some memories while at EA! I have not played Def Jam Vendetta but you've certainly sold me on it. I don't even think I was aware of Fifa Street as a series... Interesting. You nailed it with how it started for me..... NBA Street!! I remember getting a demo disc with this on it and playing it for hours and hours. I eventually got the full game and on the day that I received the game from my dad, I was invited to a birthday party in middle school where I brought NBA Street and we all just played it for like 10 hours straight. There was this really cool move where the guy bounced the ball and then roll under it and pick it back up. It's embarrassing how many hours I spent in my driveway trying to do the same thing... Haha. Similiar to NBA Street, I had a demo of NFL Street and remembered playing it a lot and being able to run on the walls for a hot second. It was a lot of fun! I'm really enjoying this video simply listening to the nostalgia coming from you and your time at EA. I had Sled Storm on a demo disc... man this is the third time I'm bringing up Demo Discs but I sure do miss them. I'd get them each month with my PlayStation Magazine. Anyway, I played Sled Storm a ton, I remember the first one introduced me to Rob Zombie. Speaking of PlayStation magazine I remember the covers of my PlayStation magazine with SSX on them... so nostalgic for me. As a kid, the only EA Big game that I had was NBA Street but I played it to death. As an adult, I've picked up a few more EA Big titles, specifically all of the SSX ones. I'll be on the lookout for Def Jam along with the others. What a treat this was, thanks for sharing your memories and giving me some expectations for each game! Awesome video, Jay!
I miss games having this really fun arcade-style. They're not games you play 5+ hours a day, but you can pick them up and kill an hour or 2 and just have a good time.
Amen, man. There's so much lost now by having to sink hours upon hours into a game just to make a dent in progress. I loved arcade experiences like this where I could just hop in, play a couple of games for that quick dopamine burst, and then go about my day. Thanks so much for watching!
They do this cause people will drop money for half assed games but it looks pretty and sucks you into this long dragged out process they make a few games a year throwing money into these repetitive games simple minded people keep buying. Every year it’s a buggy glitchy rushed game that’s why I throw money into my old game collection I have no interest in this new bullshit
These games were peak split-screen era. These weren't meant to be played like long-winded modern adventure titles or try-hard e-sports games. These were for you and your friends after school to go nuts over in split screen for hours with pizza rolls. Those days will never exist again given our modern world. Those games were definitely a product of their time.
I know its late but I just want to give thanks to you man. EA Sports Big titles was part of my childhood and one of the reasons that made me a sports fanatic. NBA Street, NFL Street even Def Jam were the games I played. I miss these kinds of sports games where its not totally professional and where arcade-y elements are introduce which makes the game fun and enjoyable.
First off, thank you for the work you did with EA and for this video! The only score I have issue with is nfl street 2, to me that was the best. It is super similar to 1 except for wall running and gamebreaker 2s, but I feel those were important enough to justify the doubled up release that year, other than that, spot on. SSX 3 is definitely the best EA big game and probably a top 3 game for me in my life
I partied my first two years of college. I promised myself I wouldn’t miss a class for my final two years. I was achieving that goal until I got my hands on NBA Street. I couldn’t put that game down! I kept my promise to myself by walking into class and walking out after 15 minutes.
I put countless hours into NBA Street vol. 2 and SSX 3. SSX 3 has a really special place in my heart and I wish that franchise never died. It was awesome hearing you reminisce over your time working at EA. Reqlly wnjoyes this vid. Thanks for putting it out there
I really miss those Ea Big days. Booting up the ps2 with some friends, play fifa street, ssx on tour or downhill dominator, guitar hero, all the fun in the world
Awesome video, EA big always had those hitters that just worked like you said. This really takes me back! NHL HITS was really good, or at least i thought it was.
Know what, I'm gonna take the L on this one. I clearly missed something on this game that so many folks love, so I fully accept I'm wrong on my grade. Thanks for the quality compliment, Zach. Appreciate it! :)
I just have to say thank you for contributing to one of my favorite games of ALL TIME .. yup i said it .. NFL Street was so amazing for my friends and i when it dropped .. huge football and madden fans and this just gave us exactly what was needed , a break from the sim style of madden and it was just so well done ! The gameplay was absolutely chefs kiss. Assembling teams with fantasy drafts and having tournaments with my friends are s tier memories for me … creating custom teams, even the mini games were amazing ! I think we played kill the carrier as much as the main game lol but We spent days playing it non stop and weve been dying for a proper remake or remaster !! That game is a microcosm of what made the era great.. pick up and playability and couch co op with your buddies..
Freekstyle is one of the hardest racing games I've ever played. If you mess up once or don't know all of the shortcuts, you will NOT get 1st place. The rubberband AI is ridiculous and you need to get 1st to advance to the next course. I really wished it was the BMX version of SSX but it's got issues. The NBA Street series was basically a love letter to NBA Jam fans and is what put EA Sports Big on the map for many people as you say. Why wasn't Sled Storm on the PS2 called Sled Storm 2? Where they trying to start over? The original PS1 game sold enough to make GH so it seems odd they wouldn't call it 2 if it's a sequel. SSX Tricky is the best snowboarding game ever made even though I prefer the original slightly more. I disagree that SSX 3 is better. They did away with the linear race tracks and made it more open ended and because of that it feels more generic. It didn't have the same flair as the two previous games. There are some things I still like about it like the Big Air half pipe competitions where you get some crazy air time. The other issue with the 360/PS3 gen EA Sports Big games is that they run at around 30FPS which takes away from the smooth 60FPS arcade style gameplay. Fun video. I hope arcade style games make a comeback someday.
I was significantly disappointed with Sled Storm on the PS2. I'm glad it didn't tarnish the reputation of the much superior PS1 game by bringing over the "2".
It’s NBA street volume two for me thank you. That helped me as a producer getting to play that as a child. I had an amazing time. It’s unfortunate that they don’t get to play the games like I did but definitely one of my favorites. Thank you for being the creator for real
Amazing vid, love hearing about games you had your own personal input on. In my personal opinion SSX Tricky beats SSX3 every day of the week. There's just so much character and charm and fun in that game, everything about it even the menus. The gameplay of SSX3 is superior but for me the game as a whole feels a little toned down and cleaned up, plus I miss those crazy iconic stages from SSX and Tricky. Loved hearing your thoughts on these and amazing video once again!
Thank you, Toaster! I appreciate you saying that. Tricky is a spectacular game - I would love nothing more than a game that just mashed together the aspects from Tricky that I loved and the parts of 3 that I loved to make the perfect game. I felt like On Tour tried that, but ultimately fell on its face in that regard (despite still being a good game!)
I just bought ssx 3 today and it’s the 20th year anniversary tomorrow so after 2 decades this game still holds up on the ps2 I would love remakes to these games
This was so much fun to watch and always cool hearing others who are/were in the game industry and their stories. I need to pick up Def Jam, it's been on my list for a while. The Street series of games were quite interesting and I enjoyed the FIFA ones. SSX 3 holds up so well today I love it so much. Its too bad 2012 SSX didnt have the same charm to keep the series going. Thanks for sharing, loved this!
Freekstyle has legitimately become one of my most played games since I did this video, I was SO FAR OFF on my grade. It's magnificent. PLEASE make your own!
loved the rankings and agreed with most but mannn you were way off with nfl street 2. it was very iconic in my childhood and everybody i knew would pick 2 over the og any day. it had a very big impact on my childhood and my friends childhood as well. still go back and play it to this day.
I accept that and respect your ranking. I think it's just a different/lower level for me because I worked at the studio it was developed at and it really felt rushed. But I'm so happy that so many people love it, yourself included! Thank you for watching!
SSX Tricky was one of my absolute nostalgic gems 💎✨️when I owned a PS2. The snow courses, the slick tricks and the soundtrack made a huge impact to gamers in the 2000s thanks to EA Sports Big. Like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 already released a few years ago, I will be thrilled if the original SSX games make a comeback by re-releasing or making a remastered edition from a different game company, not just for long time fans, but also for new generation of gamers so they can understand how early generations of gamers fell in love with these games 🎮 ♥️
Man i miss this era of gaming, these were my highschool years and we were addicted to ea sports big games, along with the seemingly endless amounts of other great studios/games. Sometimes I look at the industry now and just think "what's happened to us" lol. Cool story here, my mom ran a vacation rental company in a popular northern cali tourist town for 15 years and one of your executives from EA was one of her clients. I cant remember the woman's name but she used to send my brother and I a box of new EA games once a year before the holidays. I remember in 2005 she even sent us SSX world tour (love that game) a week before it launched lmao. She was a really nice thoughtful lady
As someone who grew up on a lot of these titles, specifically SSX, I always love hearing older people talk about them because it reminds me just how f ing lucky I was to have these titles. also bonus for sled storm I loved that game as a kid
Absolutely loved this video, although I have to heavily disagree over NFL Street 2 lol. I have literally several thousand hours in that game with countless Own The City runs, and going head to head with my friends. I enjoyed Street 1 and 3, but 1 did feel a bit bare bones, while 3 felt a little too crammed with new features and content that it felt a little mushy.
Hey, thanks so much for watching, I truly appreciate it! I think Street 2 for me was a prime case of 'Too much, too soon' since we'd literally only wrapped work on the first one a month before we went right back into planning for the second. Working there at that time kind of tints my positive thoughts on the game a bit, I'll admit. :) But if there's one thing I've learned from this video, it's that people LOVED that game, and that makes me happy. :)
Imo the wall running mechanic was enough to justify the sequel. It completely changed how I played the game. But totally understand where you’re coming from!
I was actually on the def jam street team back then promoting for vendetta , spent many latenights playing that game while listening to the soundtrack. Nba street vol 2 , and ssx is the reason why i had to buy a ps2 back then. Those were definitely the best games in the EA big series. Love this ranking. Salute👊🏾💯
Loved the review but I have a bone to pick. NFL Street 2 is one of the best football games of all time and I think the gameplay VASTLY improved on the first game by adding the wall moves, while not overdoing it like the third game. I think the facial art was better too and didn’t improve in Street 3. Plus the best soundtrack of the series and the mini games were great.
NBA Street 1 did have gamebreakers. I still remember winning games with shaq hitting 3 pointer gamebreakers 🤣🤣. SSX Tricky was such a fun game, i got everyone to grandmaster rank. everytime i booted up the game, i always watched the intro. I always had a big ass grin on my face watching the intro because when this game was announced and saw pics of all the crazy tricks you can do, it blew my mind. I never played ssx 3 because by then i gave my gamecube to my younger brother after i got the xbox 360.
I'm sure you get this a lot man, but this video took me back!! Those original ones were my childhood, Freekstyle was a real throw back lol. I gotta say, NFL Street 2 and NBA Street vol 2 were top tier
I feel like a new NFL/NBA Street game would fit perfectly into how games are designed for profit nowadays. Selling all sorts of cosmetics and emotes/celebrations around fast pace gameplay in online multiplayer. They would do well if there’s still an audience for more arcade style sports games
NFL Street 1/2, NBA street Vol. 2, SSX On tour are some of my favorites. It has been a bit since I've played tricky and need to play 3, so I will be praising emulators for that opportunity. Sled storm I remember playing as a kid, but can't quite remember how much I enjoyed it. This list was fun to see and loved hearing from someone who worked on these games and in that time frame of gaming in general. You and everyone at EA/Tiburon made my childhood. I really hope we can get a new breath of fresh air into these big titles again. I think the culture is there, music, attitude, etc. We just need devs and game makers to get it happening.
NHL Street would have been AWESOME and made so much sense. I would also say that not only is NBA Street Vol 2 one of the best EA BIG! games, but one of the best sports games of all time. That is an all time classic.
I grew up on freekstyle and I loved it to death. I never finished it until recently cause it is a pretty hard game but i loved it. The bad voice acting gives it a lot of charm and imo the soundtrack is great. The tricks are super over the top but amazing and really well animated
I have never been much into racing games, but I bought Shox back in the day solely based on the fact that it was an EA Big game (plus it was cheap), and I was actually blown away by how good it was! I haven't played it in years now, but in my mind I still hold it as one of the best racing games I've ever played. I'm born in '88, so the PS2 was in its prime when I was getting into my teens, so many of these games are near and dear to my heart. I bought my PS2 in '02, and I got to pick 3 games, which were NHL 01, TimeSplitters and SSX Tricky. Needless to say, they set the bar pretty high, and I don't think many games on the PS have surpassed them in their respective genres, especially SSX Tricky. I'm sure that SSX 3 and On Tour are better from various standpoints, but Tricky has some magic to it that the others don't. Again, it could be that it was at the right place at the right time, but I think it'll be my favorite freestyle game of all time. I still regularly fire up my old PS2 and more often than not to play NBA Street 1 and 2, love them both. I also have SledStorm and Freekstyle, and while I like them a lot, they've never captivated me in the same way that Tricky or the NBA Street series did. Fifa Street 1 and 2 are tons of fun, they remind me of the indoor soccer from FIFA 97 on the Mega Drive, which was my favorite way to play Fifa. And being European, I have NFL Street (and apparently you to some extent) to thank for understanding the rules of American Football better (I had tried to watch it, and also tried some Madden games but they were just too chaotic and confusing). So yeah, my experience with EA Big ranges from tons of fun to some of my favorite games! I wish there was something similar released today. And I agree, I too was waiting for NHL Street!
Fifa street 2, and need for speed carbon was the two games i played most back in 2007/2012 in playstation 2, but Fifa street 2 was special to me, i started listen to drun and bass because of the game, idk the nostalgia even these days got me every time. Thank you for beeing part of it.
@@SquarePegs of course, the car games now for me, just are what they are because carbon, the community always releases redux and texture packages, totally worth It. I promisse you gonna enjoy.
Just found this video and I really enjoyed it! I have tons of fond memories of Def Jam Vendetta and NFL Street, very cool to hear from someone that was close to/on the development team for them. I've subscribed and I'm excited to check out the rest of your content!
I loved the Nascar 2005 career mode when I was younger, I liked how you had to earn the licenses before you could drive a new series and actually had to work your way through the lower tiers before getting a NASCAR seat.
@@SquarePegs I tried playing a modern NASCAR game a couple years ago and really didn’t enjoy in comparison . One of the funny stores about NASCAR 05 was when I was playing with my little brother, neither of us knew what rubber banding was at the time because we were both around 10 and I remember once he was very far behind and the rubber banding speed boost kicked in and he got up to 230 or 250 or whatever it was and we ended up fighting over using that car and driver later one because we thought it was inherently faster than the others because of that instance.
I had Freekstyle as a kid on my ps2 and I actually have some positive memories playing it! Looking back it's incredibly early 2000s aesthetic is hilarious and I probably wouldn't enjoy it now, but at the time it entertained kid me.
man nfl street 2 is s tier for me. i grew up playing football my whole life & that game captured every aspect of pick up games my friends & i would play. the added features of jumping off walls took it to the next level. i played this way more than nba street 2
I respect that! My ranking of that one is weighed heavily by working at the EA Tiburon studio when it was under development. I know a lot of folks love it, but there's a lot of baggage with that game for me personally.
It's also crazy that in my generation, video games are like music. Video games can take you back to a time, a feeling, hanging out with your friends. Video games have created core memories, at least in me
Therein is the key: if we did anything right with the games that we made back then, and it made a memory for you, then we've succeeded. Thank you so much for playing and enjoying those games - that's the ultimate reward. I appreciate you watching and for commenting, more than I can express. :)
I loved this video, especially hearing about you working at EA and spending your breaks with Rob playing Def Jam Vendetta. You seem like a cool dude, subscribed :)
I love the video and these games! My only gripe is with sequels in NFL street. You mentioned that there wasn't any new additions, but the wall run mechanic is HUGE. I used that so much as a kid. Might be small, but a huge addition in my eyes. Love the video!
I will always tell my friends and anybody that is on the subject of EA Sports... EASPORTSBIG was and always will be THE greatest thing that EA has ever done man... The games were amazing and so much fun man!!! If I could go back to relive my childhood getting home after school or staying up late weekends playing hours upon hours of Def Jam, NBA Street, NFL Street, SSX.. my goodness what a time 🙏
It was such a treat to have the BIG titles releasing alongside the core Sports titles we worked on. Thank you for playing the games, and thank you for watching!
EA Tiburon was one of my favorite developers in the early 2000s, thanks to NFL Street and Arena Football, as well as the obvious, Madden (I wasn't allowed to watch ESPN as a kid [long story] which is why 2K wasn't on my radar back then). I just bought a PS2 to play some games like those and Shox, which I also had, but wasn't made by Tiburon. I never had SSX, though. I'll have to give 3 a shot!
It'd be an A for me now as well, actually! Been a couple months since I released this video, and Freekstyle is the one I keep coming back to from the games featured here. I completely whiffed on the rating for it!
I've played a vast majority of these games for many many years and I still go back to them from time to time. I still own a PS2 to this day because of many of these games! If I had to rank my personal top 5: 1. NBA Street Vol. 2 2. SSX Tricky 3. NFL Street 2 4. NFL Street 5. NBA Street these games all literally shaped my idea of what a good video game should be like and also were huge contributions to what kinda music I like. definitely helped shape my life. thank you for doing this! 🙏🏿
Thank you for helping make these AMAZING games that are true masterpieces and that made childhood that much better for my generation! These games should go into the video game hall of fame!!
I agree mostly. I have a few things that I experienced as a gamer/customer/fan of EA big. I think SSX Blur Killed SSX. It was one of the few games that I returned within an hour of purchase. The game was just not what I wanted/expected from SSX. Even the GameStop employees did not recommend it and said it was bad. SSX 2012 was a step back in the right direction and is a great game but unfortunately the damage was done. I truly miss EA big and their over the top insanity arcade sports titles. I would gladly welcome them back if they did an SSX collection for the 9th and 8th generation.
Yeah SSX 2012 (or Deadly Descent as its working subtitle) was an A-tier game with way more depth and great asynchronous multiplayer challenges and just so much to it. It had a few blemishes and 720p30 is really hard to go back to and that game was way more hardcore than I remembered trying to play, easily the steepest learning curve of any game on this list, but man it was great. Too bad it sold like crap.
@@Parker-- I loved the hell out of SSX 2012, definitely doesn't hit the highs of SSX 3 but great in its own right. The biggest issue I had with it was the courses were designed with the "instantly end your run bottomless pits" a lot and the deadly descents kinda seemed antithetical to the idea of SSX in general. The wingsuit was fun as hell to play with though once you got the hang of it.
Good video! EA Sports BIG basically shaped my love for sports growing up! I'd personally put Homecourt up a tier to at least a B, but a C I can understand. I found it fluid and taking the tricks and combos in a different direction from Street V3 wasn't bad. It felt like a Hybrid of Vol. 2 and V3. While the gameplay side of it was good, the game lost a bunch of the atmosphere built up from the first 3. Suffering the same fate as the other BIG games to come to that generation of consoles.
I can definitely see the hybrid of 2 & 3 in play, great observation! But yeah, the thing that brought it down was what brought everything down when it got to the 360/PS3 generation - they played it safe. Just didn't work for me. :) Thanks for watching!
3 on 3 NHL arcade was a really fun game on ps3/360 it was developed I think under EA’s label and not the ea big label and it was over the top fun. Fifa street games were cool but never grabbed me. My favorite nba street game was vol 3 because of the inclusion of Mario, Luigi and peach and it was so much fun and the street series was also great because it was a step above nba jam. My biggest problem with home court was including indoor courts?? The game is called street. NFL street was too busy being blitz . I never heard of shox and I am stunned . The Ssx series was absolutely amazing, I can play them anytime and miss the series. Tricky was epic with the soundtrack. 3 is the better game though . I think the failure when we got to next gen on ps3 and 360 cause they tried to do too much. Fifa intregrated the street ball into its main game without the over the top fun unrealistic stuff . Great list though
I don’t think it can be understated the dirty awful things that I would do to get an nfl street 2 remaster with modern rosters. Imagine climbing walls to throw a 100 yard pass with Josh Allen
Bro thank you for your work on NFL Street I can't tell you how many hours of fun that brought me and my brother growing up. Even though we played the NFL Street 2 more LOL
I gotta say, Freekstyle was not the game I picked as having it's hooks in me the deepest after recording this video a couple months ago. But no lie, it's probably the one I've played the second most behind Sled Storm.
@@SquarePegs I'm sad that my emulator of it seems to have loads of invisible walls everywhere and make it unplayable. I would play it on original hardward, but my PS2 recently decided it was time to stop working
I feel like Freekstyle should definitely be an A because the trick system in that game was like no other, the modes were great, tracks were great, each character was different and the bikes were cool and top of that you could customize the characters. Definitely deserves at least an A
I gotta be honest - since I recorded this video a couple of months ago, Freekstyle is the one game I've gone back to more than any of the others. If I recorded today, it'd hav an A. I admit my mistake on that one. :)
SSX 3 is still the Best snowboarding game ever even today, tricky the second Nba street 1 was very impressive and fun, the second is legendary I think freekstyle deserve better rank even if it is not my favorite ea big game The ps2 era was the golden age of EA with EA big, fight for NY, LOTR, James bond games, The Sims, NFS and burnout series at their prime
It was certainly the golden age, no argument there! We got to make some killer titles and it was a great system to work on and develop for. I've gone back on Freekstyle and played it a lot more - and I legitimately think it's a fun game. I'd probably bump it up a grade at this point!
SSX 3 is by far my most favorite game of all time. I have a friend who owned a PS2, the only one in my entire village, and one day I decided to get him a game for his birthday. And there it was, a single sealed copy of the game, for just 200 Russian rubles (around 6$ at that time, which was in 2010). Don't even know how it ended up in a Russian Ashan store in 2010, but I thought that it looked cool with that boxart and all, so I bought it. We never stopped playig since, not until his PS2 died. And after that we continued to play it on PC through PCSX2. I'm not even joking when I say that this was a lifechanging experience, which made me even more curious about game development and programming, which in turn made me one years later. SSX 3 is surely a masterpiece for me. Still playing it till this day (and still can't perform monster tricks reliably lol).
I just wanted to thank you for sharing this story. THIS is why games are great, and I'm so happy SSX 3 brought you to becoming a game developer. The industry is better because of your passion that led you there!! (I can't do the monster tricks reliably, either!)
i still play nfl street 2 and nba street 2 and 3 on emulator to this day, those games were just masterpieces and some of the best parts of my childhood. that nba street 2 soundtrack lives in my head rent free 😂 awesome video man!
Man, you nail it with every one of these videos. Wishing I found your channel sooner lol! You said you worked for EA??? I'd love to pick your brain sometime and exchange some game brainpower! NBA Street Volume 2 is absolutely as you said, the king of street basketball. It's such an amazing single player experience and that to me is what makes it hold up, I go back every few years to replay it, and having some of my favorite teams ever, especially the Pistons and Lakers of that era, just makes it oh so sweet. The PSP one was at the time, amazing to have as a portable game but, of course it can't hold up to the mainline games. And homecourt, yeah, by then the specialness of the games wore off, and it was just an average sequel. Never played NFL Street, forgot that was a thing. Played Fifa street from but, I like the Mario Strikers game which is like a Mario reskin of Fifa street better. But wow. SSX, SSX Tricky is oddly, just like NBA Street vol.2 where it's the middle of the 3 games of that era yet, it's by far the best one. It was just perfect. What you said about Fifa and NBA street on xbox 360 is how I feel about SSX 3. It's too clean in a bad way. It's still good but it doesn't feel the same. I never liked snowboarding, hated it, same with skateboarding. But we were all playing Tony Hawk games for years, and the same goes for SSX. It's just such a fun series, that you don't need to be into the sport to enjoy it. And that's insane to me! Imagine someone who's never watched football, hates it, but they still buy every Madden game. I don't think that exists! But for SSX, it did! A true legendary series :)
Oooh, I don't think I nail it - I miss a LOT in these videos as folks are so happy to tell me about. ;) But I do my best, and that's all I can ask for. I'm glad you've found the channel now! I Do enjoy doing sports content, not only because I worked at EA, but also because I just legitimately love sports video games. I'm a bizarre mix of loving sports titles and loving RPGs - NBA 2K's create-a-player mode was apparently designed specifically for me. ;) I will extoll the virtues of SSX and the Street games for all to hear - I truly think they were significantly more important than a lot of folks - EA included - realize. They brought people to the franchises, and that matters. And legit, any questions you have, feel free to ask! I'm a fairly open book about 90% of my time in the industry. The other 10% are either things I won't share due to personal reasons, or that it's been a long time since I worked there and I'm over 40, so I forget some things. ;)
@@SquarePegs Haha well nothings perfect! I appreciate the kindness though. Games keep me alive. I went through opioid addiction, losing my fiancee in a hit and run while she was right next to me, becoming disabled and losing a lot of possibilities of things I can do in life,, somehow overcame all that and games plus Mixer/Twitch were a big reason why. Do you have a Discord? Or maybe a instagram or something we could DM? Im always down for game conversation! And yeah those games had a big part in why PS2 became so successful! I know they came out on other consoles later but originally, when PS2 was new and it was taking like, 6 months for everyone to really get a console, those games started to become a big reason to get one. As far as questions, 1 thing Im always curious about is the different versions for each console! I know SOME about how that works, sometimes the game is built from the ground up for each console, sometimes its made for 1 and ported to another, but maybe you know like for example, a game such as SSX Tricky. Would it have been made on an engine for PS2 first, and then had all its data copied and put straight into the Gamecube or Xbox's language/engine? The games on multiple consoles like the EA Sports games are so similar on each console, I assume they create the code for the game and then just kinda copy and paste it into each consoles engine but, maybe thats not how it works, IDK if that makes sense Im quite tired today lol.
I'm glad you talked about Fifa Street 3, it felt like ice skating, the controls felt delayed or unresponsive. I was borderline obsessed with the first one, but then 2 and 3 felt so strange
My man. Thank you so much for playing the things we made. I cannot tell you, even as far removed as we are from those releasing, how much that still means to me.
NFL Tour effectively killed that series. Took something that felt like a pickup game and made it feel... I guess the word I would use is "corporate". Like it was completely developed in a board room with the question "what do kids think is cool, and how can we get as many sponsors involved?".
I'm pinning this comment. You absolutely nailed it. Thank you for watching!!
Yeah cause dropping 2 nfl streets in a year didn’t feel corporate lmao.
Nostalgia is the main difference in some of the games being better than newer ones. Shocked no one ever thinks about this while rating video games
Yo, no doubt that nostalgia plays a part - I said as much in this video. But NFL Tour is hot garbage, my guy. That game is shit.
@@SquarePegs What do you think about NFL 2K returning making an arcade Football game?
@@Raiders-wm5kb What do I think? I'd pay money for that day one. NFL 2K is easily the best football series of the past 20 years.
I love these PS2-XBOX-Gamecube era titles that aren't infected with DLC, everything is unlockable through play.
That was EVERY GAME before the PS3/360 gen. You must be young.
I agree with this. It was a lot better. But logistically, you would sell the unlocks too if you knew you could make absolute bank off of it. Or if the company funding your game made you.
I said this to guy I work with the other day I'm 31 he's 22. I'm like man back in the day everything was on the disc you just had to do certain things to unlock certain modes,characters, venues etc. Now they give us intentionally unfinished games that they then sell us later down the road. Really miss those grinding day versus all the pay to win season pass stuff
That pick up and play game style was the best
I agree with that logic !
We were definately spoiled in what EA Big was bringing to the gaming community back then! I would love to see companies take chances like these once again.
I still have memories of setting the TV brightness low and playing on mute at night when I would play SSX good times
the gaming industry as a whole was super experimental in the late 90s-00’s. i miss when every game franchise was very different from each other.
@Udokee Even toys got so trash
I would argue that we weren't spoiled back then, we're just starved for games that have actual spirit and love in them now. EA used to have a passionate dev team that genuinely cared about making their yearly installment games better, and more depthy than the last. Then, Ultimate Team happened. And that, kids, is how EA went from an industry titan, to a laughing stock that doesn't know how to make new games. Just new ultimate team cards.
@@Hypno_BPM 🎉😅
NBA Street vol. 2 is an absolute classic! Grew up on that masterpiece
My favorite in the series, by far shot.
An absolute masterpiece
Same
I literally have this game on display in my man cave….and Def Jam Vendetta lol
Hard difficulty on that game was a challenge 💪😎
NBA Street Vol. 2 - the best there ever was. With all the legends, superstars and gamebreakers, absolutely loved it.
It's legit the GOAT.
This
Nba ballers is tied with street vol 2 as the legends in street ball games
IDK what he's talking about. the first NBA Street had gamebreakers that did the same thing
Freekstyle was one of the most underrated dirt bike game of all time. Loved every minute spent playing it
The trick system in that game with probably never be matched.
Can’t agree more on this one! I just found this gem in storage a few months back and it was so much fun to relive!
Game was goated. Loved it and I wasn't familiar with Motorcross games at all but this game introduced me to it.
So hard to find a working copy these days 😢
i loved that game i probably still have it somewhere 😂
Arcade-style sports games like these and Tony Hawk's need a huge comeback.
I honestly thought when we got the THPS 1&2 release a couple years ago we were about to see the return of these over the top sports games and then just...nothing happened. Super disappointing.
AND done RIGHT!
There are good indie sports games out there, but I fear the licensed stuff will never go back
Gaming gone corporate😊😊
I’m a big fan of Riders Republic. It’s got a lot of variety now and settles that itch for me. It’s definitely worth a try if extreme sports is your forte.
SSX3 is probably the most important game to me. It gave me everything i loved about tricky and more. Expanded my tastes in music and was the first game i really wanted to get good at. I love it so much.
That's such an underrated aspect of these games - the MUSIC. So many talented artists that were either megastars already or on the cusp of blowing up got introduced in the BIG titles. SSX 3 is one of the GOATs in that regard!
The soundtrack was one of them. The creativity that this game have is astounding. The unrealistic snowboarding tricks you can pull off that isnt realistically possible, with each and every peaks you go through gets difficult and chaotic, with 3 ways you can advance through the mountain (by racing, tricks, or earning enough cash) and the ability to pull off normal and uber tricks while also purchasing and buying some more tricks meaning that you can customize your own tricks. (They are also required if you want to pull off monster tricks) and even though the gear customizing isnt anything special, it is kind of fun to customize your characters whatever you like. Istg this is THE BEST snowboarding game EVER RELEASED. And that really says a lot since i was playing this since i was 7 or 8. And im especially glad that it got the transition to XBOX one. Nothing can ever come that close to topping ssx3 really. Everything is there, its quite a perfect game to enjoy. Hat tip to you sir.
SSX 3 is my favourite game of all time.
Every time I play it I’m blissfully and truly happy and no other game ever gives me the same feeling
@@hunterbeatbilly9836SSX just traslated that arcade style xtreme sport gameplay from the Tony Hawk games better than Activision did with their own snowboarding title
The soundtrack was so fire the combos so fun
The EA Big Series was a fantastic moment in gaming. Very fun times! A few points: You undersold NFL Street, the game is S tier, and I still play it till this day. (Part of the holy trilogy: Super Tecmo Bowl, NFL Blitz 2003, and NFL Street.) NBA Street doesn't age as well as you learn to dribble a lot to build up your meter. (Also Double Game Breakers hurt both NFL Street 3 and NFL Street 2.) Final note, you actually have to play Def Jam Vendetta and Def Jam New York in order. Def Jam New York's story line picks up EXACTLY where Vedetta leaves off, and the story is actually good.
blitz 2003 is the best nfl ever
Def Jam Fight For NY was EA Games. EA Big wasn’t on that title.
@@bigdawg3429 I don't that really matters since we both know it's an over the top sports game, hence, it's an "EA Big" title in everything but name. (EA Big is just a label, the people that worked there weren't fired just because they stopped making "EA BIG" games.)
@@KemocloutThat game was not EA Sports BIG game
Great takes!
NFL Street 2 is my favorite football game of all time. Also there’s a group project bringing back the NFL Street 2 online servers so I’m definitely gonna be playing that a lot like I used to back in the day lol!
I hope they bring them back entirely.
Mine too
Great video. I think its a shame we dont see more games like these anymore. Everything is either a AAA game that takes 5+ years to make or a small indie game. I feel like the PS2/Xbox/GC and PS3/360 eras were the golden age of gaming. It was all about fun stuff like this.
Yup it’s almost like people forgot games were meant to be just that, games.. the wackyness of the ps2/xbox/gamecube era was what made these titles so fun and why we still go back to them
AA game developers had a mass die-off during the last 10-15 years, which is a big part of why all we get are AAA mega-releases or small team indies. You can look it up. One recent development in this process of AA genocide was Embracer gutting a truckload of studios for IPs it had acquired.
You were def apart of history. Thank you for helping to make these classics
Thank you for playing them!
It's cool to hear about your personal experiences and memories working on and enjoying some of these games. EA Sports Big has certainly had an impact on my gaming life as NBA Street 2 And SSX 3 are legit two of my favorite video games of all-time. Love your channel.
Thank you so much!
SSX3 is ingrained into my childhood. As a kid, I always thought it was amazing to be able to ride down the entire peak seamlessly. Btw, you mentioned you worked on NASCAR 2005, and that is another all time classic for me. The career mode was excellent, prob my favorite racing game growing up. You and your team did such a good job!!
Thank you so much! The development team was incredibly passionate about NASCAR, and they were really striving to make something great with Chase for the Cup. I think we made something pretty special, and it was a great game to have in test with a wonderful team that worked really hard on it. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for playing it!
Street Vol 2 is my favorite game of all-time. That intro just brings up so much nostalgia it almost makes me cry when I boot it up today. It aged so damn well to me. Just a legendary game and wish we could get a remaster. Like don't change anything, add any new players just give us the same experience from 2003 with slightly polished graphics and add online to it.
I'd love for that to happen.
I absolutely love this video. These games are my childhood. NFL Street 2 & DJFFNY are 2 of my fav all times sports & fighting games. Great to know you worked on some of these BIG titles. Thanks for the video.
EA Sports... BIGGG
Thank you so much for checking it out! I appreciate you taking the time to watch the video. :)
Hey really loved the video. One correction, at 10:00 you said NBA Street Vol.2 was the first game to introduce gamebreakers. They were also in NBA Street 1.
100% correct! My bad - thanks for the correction, and thank you for watching! :)
Correct, they introduced Level 2 Gamebreakers. Full cinematic cut scene finishing moves, loved doing Lv2GBs with Yao Ming and watch him do the Harlem Shake afterwards 🤣, CERTIFIED HOOD CLASSIC!!! 🔥✊🏽
They were also in NBA Street vol 1
EA Sports Freestyle
While I agree nfl Street 2 should have came out a year or 2 later. It also had an extra create mode, along with the extra teams to be unlocked. And they added those wall moves which were a game changer. And its tied for Street Homecourt as my favorite of the whole series
Honestly NFL Street 2 getting a B- is heresy
@@andrewhunter3724 agreed with you. For my money it's right up there at the tip top of the pyramid
@@andrewhunter3724I agree. I think NFL Street 2 is nearly objectively perfect. Thousands of hours in it with my friends. I enjoyed Street 1 and 3, but 1 felt a little lacking, and 3 felt too bogged down with new stuff.
Ya that’s what made it so sick to me, and he was definitely a bit harsh on the nba streets they were good games.
God SSX3 still looks amazing. Loved that game so much. Great video!
It holds up SO WELL. I was really afraid of going back to it and it falling apart, but it's just a killer game. So good! Thank you so much for checking the channel out!
God I miss this era of games. We were so spoiled! I miss this quality of games being released consistently.
Me too, man. Right there with you.
@@DevGamerBeard I literally play them at least weekly, while my ps5 gathers dust.
SSX Tricky is one of my favorite Gamecube games. It's probably the one I've spent the most time playing. Great video, it really takes me back.
Bro it was my first game. Got gifted my GC Christmas 04 and a couple days later brought it from movie gallery cause it was on sale having no idea what it was. My 5th grade self deserves a Pat on the back from the current me because goddamn he picked well. I STILL fire up my wii today to get in a race or two on tricky. Loved 3 as well but tricky will forever have my heart
Fantastic video! I love the EA Big line, but honestly didn't realize there were so many. I now need to track all of these down. I'm a big sports gamer, so these are right up my alley. NFL Street 2 is one of my favorites from Big, and the SSX series is fantastic. Great video! Thanks for sharing.
Edit: Oh, damn! I love that you brought up Madden Arcade, and even better that you worked on it. That is such a forgotten game nowadays. I actually went back on my Xbox 360 last year to play that one again. I wish I could play that on modern consoles today, or that it had a physical release...such a shame because it will eventually be lost to time, I fear. Either way, really cool that you worked on that underrated gem.
Madden Arcade was the last thing I did in the industry, and if that's the bow on that part of my life with games, then it's a perfect bow. I got to work with some dear friends on a fantastic game that still holds up to this day. :) I'm so glad to hear that you enjoy it - that means the world to me!
Fifa street 2 is absolutely amazing, I have many great memories of playing it with my friends back in the day. And I've gotta say, Ronaldinho was a beast!
What a treat to have you discuss this and share some memories while at EA! I have not played Def Jam Vendetta but you've certainly sold me on it. I don't even think I was aware of Fifa Street as a series... Interesting. You nailed it with how it started for me..... NBA Street!! I remember getting a demo disc with this on it and playing it for hours and hours. I eventually got the full game and on the day that I received the game from my dad, I was invited to a birthday party in middle school where I brought NBA Street and we all just played it for like 10 hours straight. There was this really cool move where the guy bounced the ball and then roll under it and pick it back up. It's embarrassing how many hours I spent in my driveway trying to do the same thing... Haha. Similiar to NBA Street, I had a demo of NFL Street and remembered playing it a lot and being able to run on the walls for a hot second. It was a lot of fun! I'm really enjoying this video simply listening to the nostalgia coming from you and your time at EA. I had Sled Storm on a demo disc... man this is the third time I'm bringing up Demo Discs but I sure do miss them. I'd get them each month with my PlayStation Magazine. Anyway, I played Sled Storm a ton, I remember the first one introduced me to Rob Zombie. Speaking of PlayStation magazine I remember the covers of my PlayStation magazine with SSX on them... so nostalgic for me. As a kid, the only EA Big game that I had was NBA Street but I played it to death. As an adult, I've picked up a few more EA Big titles, specifically all of the SSX ones. I'll be on the lookout for Def Jam along with the others. What a treat this was, thanks for sharing your memories and giving me some expectations for each game! Awesome video, Jay!
Thank you so much, my friend!!
I miss games having this really fun arcade-style. They're not games you play 5+ hours a day, but you can pick them up and kill an hour or 2 and just have a good time.
Amen, man. There's so much lost now by having to sink hours upon hours into a game just to make a dent in progress. I loved arcade experiences like this where I could just hop in, play a couple of games for that quick dopamine burst, and then go about my day. Thanks so much for watching!
they're games you cannot play for 5 hours... Lmao some of us were sitting and gaming nonstop for at least 12 hours brother
@@SquarePegs could you imagine if all of ea big games where remastered & how good will that be if ea announced it
They do this cause people will drop money for half assed games but it looks pretty and sucks you into this long dragged out process they make a few games a year throwing money into these repetitive games simple minded people keep buying. Every year it’s a buggy glitchy rushed game that’s why I throw money into my old game collection I have no interest in this new bullshit
These games were peak split-screen era. These weren't meant to be played like long-winded modern adventure titles or try-hard e-sports games. These were for you and your friends after school to go nuts over in split screen for hours with pizza rolls. Those days will never exist again given our modern world. Those games were definitely a product of their time.
NFL Street was, at that time, probably the best sports game I'd ever played. Thanks for making it, brother.
I know its late but I just want to give thanks to you man. EA Sports Big titles was part of my childhood and one of the reasons that made me a sports fanatic. NBA Street, NFL Street even Def Jam were the games I played. I miss these kinds of sports games where its not totally professional and where arcade-y elements are introduce which makes the game fun and enjoyable.
nba street vol.2 and ssx3 are the best games on this list. absolute classics
First off, thank you for the work you did with EA and for this video! The only score I have issue with is nfl street 2, to me that was the best. It is super similar to 1 except for wall running and gamebreaker 2s, but I feel those were important enough to justify the doubled up release that year, other than that, spot on. SSX 3 is definitely the best EA big game and probably a top 3 game for me in my life
I partied my first two years of college. I promised myself I wouldn’t miss a class for my final two years. I was achieving that goal until I got my hands on NBA Street. I couldn’t put that game down! I kept my promise to myself by walking into class and walking out after 15 minutes.
Incredible video, thanks for taking the time to make this.
I gotta say though, watching the gameplay at 24:26 gave me the bluest balls I've ever had
I apologize for your testicular issues, good sir.
NBA Street Vol. 2, Def Jam: FFNY & SSX 3 is the 3 best releases of EA SPORTS BIG of all-time! Absolute crown jewels! 🔥🔥
Great review! 👍🏾
Thanks so much!
Thank you for being a part of developing the games of my childhood! I had the Gamecube and PS2 and I loved Fifa street!
NFL Street 1 & 2 were so damn fun, nice video!
Thanks so much!
I put countless hours into NBA Street vol. 2 and SSX 3. SSX 3 has a really special place in my heart and I wish that franchise never died.
It was awesome hearing you reminisce over your time working at EA. Reqlly wnjoyes this vid. Thanks for putting it out there
I love this episode. I grew up playing these EA sports games . You just brought so many beautiful memories . The snowboarding game was my favorite ssx
So happy I was able to bring you back some positive memories. Thank you so much for watching!!
I really miss those Ea Big days. Booting up the ps2 with some friends, play fifa street, ssx on tour or downhill dominator, guitar hero, all the fun in the world
Awesome video, EA big always had those hitters that just worked like you said. This really takes me back! NHL HITS was really good, or at least i thought it was.
I think NFL Street 2 should have been S tier. I loved the wall catches that they added, gamebreakers, and the different fields.
Know what, I'm gonna take the L on this one. I clearly missed something on this game that so many folks love, so I fully accept I'm wrong on my grade. Thanks for the quality compliment, Zach. Appreciate it! :)
I just have to say thank you for contributing to one of my favorite games of ALL TIME .. yup i said it .. NFL Street was so amazing for my friends and i when it dropped .. huge football and madden fans and this just gave us exactly what was needed , a break from the sim style of madden and it was just so well done ! The gameplay was absolutely chefs kiss. Assembling teams with fantasy drafts and having tournaments with my friends are s tier memories for me … creating custom teams, even the mini games were amazing ! I think we played kill the carrier as much as the main game lol but We spent days playing it non stop and weve been dying for a proper remake or remaster !! That game is a microcosm of what made the era great.. pick up and playability and couch co op with your buddies..
Thank you for playing it and enjoying it - and for sharing that memory in this comment! I Appreciate it. :)
Freekstyle is one of the hardest racing games I've ever played. If you mess up once or don't know all of the shortcuts, you will NOT get 1st place. The rubberband AI is ridiculous and you need to get 1st to advance to the next course. I really wished it was the BMX version of SSX but it's got issues.
The NBA Street series was basically a love letter to NBA Jam fans and is what put EA Sports Big on the map for many people as you say.
Why wasn't Sled Storm on the PS2 called Sled Storm 2? Where they trying to start over? The original PS1 game sold enough to make GH so it seems odd they wouldn't call it 2 if it's a sequel.
SSX Tricky is the best snowboarding game ever made even though I prefer the original slightly more. I disagree that SSX 3 is better. They did away with the linear race tracks and made it more open ended and because of that it feels more generic. It didn't have the same flair as the two previous games. There are some things I still like about it like the Big Air half pipe competitions where you get some crazy air time.
The other issue with the 360/PS3 gen EA Sports Big games is that they run at around 30FPS which takes away from the smooth 60FPS arcade style gameplay.
Fun video. I hope arcade style games make a comeback someday.
I was significantly disappointed with Sled Storm on the PS2. I'm glad it didn't tarnish the reputation of the much superior PS1 game by bringing over the "2".
It’s NBA street volume two for me thank you. That helped me as a producer getting to play that as a child. I had an amazing time. It’s unfortunate that they don’t get to play the games like I did but definitely one of my favorites. Thank you for being the creator for real
Amazing vid, love hearing about games you had your own personal input on. In my personal opinion SSX Tricky beats SSX3 every day of the week. There's just so much character and charm and fun in that game, everything about it even the menus. The gameplay of SSX3 is superior but for me the game as a whole feels a little toned down and cleaned up, plus I miss those crazy iconic stages from SSX and Tricky. Loved hearing your thoughts on these and amazing video once again!
Thank you, Toaster! I appreciate you saying that. Tricky is a spectacular game - I would love nothing more than a game that just mashed together the aspects from Tricky that I loved and the parts of 3 that I loved to make the perfect game. I felt like On Tour tried that, but ultimately fell on its face in that regard (despite still being a good game!)
I just bought ssx 3 today and it’s the 20th year anniversary tomorrow so after 2 decades this game still holds up on the ps2 I would love remakes to these games
This was so much fun to watch and always cool hearing others who are/were in the game industry and their stories. I need to pick up Def Jam, it's been on my list for a while. The Street series of games were quite interesting and I enjoyed the FIFA ones. SSX 3 holds up so well today I love it so much. Its too bad 2012 SSX didnt have the same charm to keep the series going. Thanks for sharing, loved this!
Freekstyle was so Godly omg. They need another game like that before i create my own
Freekstyle has legitimately become one of my most played games since I did this video, I was SO FAR OFF on my grade. It's magnificent.
PLEASE make your own!
loved the rankings and agreed with most but mannn you were way off with nfl street 2. it was very iconic in my childhood and everybody i knew would pick 2 over the og any day. it had a very big impact on my childhood and my friends childhood as well. still go back and play it to this day.
I accept that and respect your ranking. I think it's just a different/lower level for me because I worked at the studio it was developed at and it really felt rushed. But I'm so happy that so many people love it, yourself included!
Thank you for watching!
SSX Tricky was one of my absolute nostalgic gems 💎✨️when I owned a PS2. The snow courses, the slick tricks and the soundtrack made a huge impact to gamers in the 2000s thanks to EA Sports Big. Like Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 already released a few years ago, I will be thrilled if the original SSX games make a comeback by re-releasing or making a remastered edition from a different game company, not just for long time fans, but also for new generation of gamers so they can understand how early generations of gamers fell in love with these games 🎮 ♥️
Luke, I'd love nothing more than for EA to lean into their back catalog of IP and do that! Great idea!!
Man i miss this era of gaming, these were my highschool years and we were addicted to ea sports big games, along with the seemingly endless amounts of other great studios/games. Sometimes I look at the industry now and just think "what's happened to us" lol. Cool story here, my mom ran a vacation rental company in a popular northern cali tourist town for 15 years and one of your executives from EA was one of her clients. I cant remember the woman's name but she used to send my brother and I a box of new EA games once a year before the holidays. I remember in 2005 she even sent us SSX world tour (love that game) a week before it launched lmao. She was a really nice thoughtful lady
As someone who grew up on a lot of these titles, specifically SSX, I always love hearing older people talk about them because it reminds me just how f ing lucky I was to have these titles. also bonus for sled storm I loved that game as a kid
Thank you so much for watching! I appreciate it.
Absolutely loved this video, although I have to heavily disagree over NFL Street 2 lol. I have literally several thousand hours in that game with countless Own The City runs, and going head to head with my friends. I enjoyed Street 1 and 3, but 1 did feel a bit bare bones, while 3 felt a little too crammed with new features and content that it felt a little mushy.
Hey, thanks so much for watching, I truly appreciate it!
I think Street 2 for me was a prime case of 'Too much, too soon' since we'd literally only wrapped work on the first one a month before we went right back into planning for the second. Working there at that time kind of tints my positive thoughts on the game a bit, I'll admit. :)
But if there's one thing I've learned from this video, it's that people LOVED that game, and that makes me happy. :)
Imo the wall running mechanic was enough to justify the sequel. It completely changed how I played the game. But totally understand where you’re coming from!
Freekstyle is so slept on imo
I was actually on the def jam street team back then promoting for vendetta , spent many latenights playing that game while listening to the soundtrack. Nba street vol 2 , and ssx is the reason why i had to buy a ps2 back then. Those were definitely the best games in the EA big series. Love this ranking. Salute👊🏾💯
Loved the review but I have a bone to pick. NFL Street 2 is one of the best football games of all time and I think the gameplay VASTLY improved on the first game by adding the wall moves, while not overdoing it like the third game. I think the facial art was better too and didn’t improve in Street 3. Plus the best soundtrack of the series and the mini games were great.
NBA Street 1 did have gamebreakers. I still remember winning games with shaq hitting 3 pointer gamebreakers 🤣🤣. SSX Tricky was such a fun game, i got everyone to grandmaster rank. everytime i booted up the game, i always watched the intro. I always had a big ass grin on my face watching the intro because when this game was announced and saw pics of all the crazy tricks you can do, it blew my mind. I never played ssx 3 because by then i gave my gamecube to my younger brother after i got the xbox 360.
Yeah, I messed up on the Gamebreaker bit, that's what I get for not scripting my video. :D Thanks so much for watching!
I'm sure you get this a lot man, but this video took me back!! Those original ones were my childhood, Freekstyle was a real throw back lol. I gotta say, NFL Street 2 and NBA Street vol 2 were top tier
While NFL Street 2 didn't land for me, I know it's something that a lot of people love - I'm glad it was one of those top tier titles for you!
@@SquarePegs I was also obsessed with Xzibit so I also can't be objective about it. Awesome video though man, thanks for putting in the time for it
I feel like a new NFL/NBA Street game would fit perfectly into how games are designed for profit nowadays. Selling all sorts of cosmetics and emotes/celebrations around fast pace gameplay in online multiplayer. They would do well if there’s still an audience for more arcade style sports games
Great video and I love the passion that you had for these games. Way too many good memories wrapped in the BIG titles.
SSX Tricky and NFL Street were two of my favorite games as a kid back in the early 2000s
Great games to have on the favorites list!
NFL Street 1/2, NBA street Vol. 2, SSX On tour are some of my favorites. It has been a bit since I've played tricky and need to play 3, so I will be praising emulators for that opportunity.
Sled storm I remember playing as a kid, but can't quite remember how much I enjoyed it.
This list was fun to see and loved hearing from someone who worked on these games and in that time frame of gaming in general. You and everyone at EA/Tiburon made my childhood.
I really hope we can get a new breath of fresh air into these big titles again. I think the culture is there, music, attitude, etc. We just need devs and game makers to get it happening.
NHL Street would have been AWESOME and made so much sense.
I would also say that not only is NBA Street Vol 2 one of the best EA BIG! games, but one of the best sports games of all time. That is an all time classic.
9:54 wrong, NBA Street vol 1 had gamebreakers already. I love this game and I never had a chance to try Vol 2
Yup, I messed that up - that's what I get for winging it and not scripting this one!
I grew up on freekstyle and I loved it to death. I never finished it until recently cause it is a pretty hard game but i loved it. The bad voice acting gives it a lot of charm and imo the soundtrack is great. The tricks are super over the top but amazing and really well animated
I was the same 😂, I couldn’t beat it when I was a kid so recently got a ps2 and the game just so I could finally beat it 😂😂😂
I put in the work and beat that mub round 9 or 10 lol
@@yaboidmike - a rare breed fasho 😂
Honestly thank you for this vid. I'm 31 now and this gave me soooooo many nostalgic memories. 10/10
I have never been much into racing games, but I bought Shox back in the day solely based on the fact that it was an EA Big game (plus it was cheap), and I was actually blown away by how good it was! I haven't played it in years now, but in my mind I still hold it as one of the best racing games I've ever played.
I'm born in '88, so the PS2 was in its prime when I was getting into my teens, so many of these games are near and dear to my heart. I bought my PS2 in '02, and I got to pick 3 games, which were NHL 01, TimeSplitters and SSX Tricky. Needless to say, they set the bar pretty high, and I don't think many games on the PS have surpassed them in their respective genres, especially SSX Tricky. I'm sure that SSX 3 and On Tour are better from various standpoints, but Tricky has some magic to it that the others don't. Again, it could be that it was at the right place at the right time, but I think it'll be my favorite freestyle game of all time. I still regularly fire up my old PS2 and more often than not to play NBA Street 1 and 2, love them both. I also have SledStorm and Freekstyle, and while I like them a lot, they've never captivated me in the same way that Tricky or the NBA Street series did. Fifa Street 1 and 2 are tons of fun, they remind me of the indoor soccer from FIFA 97 on the Mega Drive, which was my favorite way to play Fifa. And being European, I have NFL Street (and apparently you to some extent) to thank for understanding the rules of American Football better (I had tried to watch it, and also tried some Madden games but they were just too chaotic and confusing). So yeah, my experience with EA Big ranges from tons of fun to some of my favorite games! I wish there was something similar released today. And I agree, I too was waiting for NHL Street!
Fifa street 2, and need for speed carbon was the two games i played most back in 2007/2012 in playstation 2, but Fifa street 2 was special to me, i started listen to drun and bass because of the game, idk the nostalgia even these days got me every time. Thank you for beeing part of it.
Thank you for playing them! I've gotta check out Carbon, I missed out on that game. Worth going back to?
@@SquarePegs of course, the car games now for me, just are what they are because carbon, the community always releases redux and texture packages, totally worth It. I promisse you gonna enjoy.
Alright, you've sold me on it. Grabbing it!
Freekstyle, Ssx, def jam, nfl street, and, nba street were def some of my favorite games to play growing up😩
Definitely miss these😕
I wish we could step back and have those experiences again.
Just found this video and I really enjoyed it! I have tons of fond memories of Def Jam Vendetta and NFL Street, very cool to hear from someone that was close to/on the development team for them.
I've subscribed and I'm excited to check out the rest of your content!
Hey thank you so much! I appreciate it! I hope I can continue to earn that subscription and I provide you with some entertainment. :)
I loved the Nascar 2005 career mode when I was younger, I liked how you had to earn the licenses before you could drive a new series and actually had to work your way through the lower tiers before getting a NASCAR seat.
NASCAR 2005 was legitimately one of my favorite games to work on in the series - I'm so glad you loved it!! Thank you for playing it!
@@SquarePegs I tried playing a modern NASCAR game a couple years ago and really didn’t enjoy in comparison . One of the funny stores about NASCAR 05 was when I was playing with my little brother, neither of us knew what rubber banding was at the time because we were both around 10 and I remember once he was very far behind and the rubber banding speed boost kicked in and he got up to 230 or 250 or whatever it was and we ended up fighting over using that car and driver later one because we thought it was inherently faster than the others because of that instance.
Thanks for the video! Brings so many great memories 😅
EA Big was very good at twisting sport games and giving them that special feel 👌
It was a special time in the industry, for sure!
I had Freekstyle as a kid on my ps2 and I actually have some positive memories playing it! Looking back it's incredibly early 2000s aesthetic is hilarious and I probably wouldn't enjoy it now, but at the time it entertained kid me.
It's very much the game that screams 2000 the most on this list! It's still got its charms though, I'll say that! Thanks for watching! :)
man nfl street 2 is s tier for me. i grew up playing football my whole life & that game captured every aspect of pick up games my friends & i would play. the added features of jumping off walls took it to the next level. i played this way more than nba street 2
I respect that! My ranking of that one is weighed heavily by working at the EA Tiburon studio when it was under development. I know a lot of folks love it, but there's a lot of baggage with that game for me personally.
It's also crazy that in my generation, video games are like music. Video games can take you back to a time, a feeling, hanging out with your friends. Video games have created core memories, at least in me
Therein is the key: if we did anything right with the games that we made back then, and it made a memory for you, then we've succeeded. Thank you so much for playing and enjoying those games - that's the ultimate reward. I appreciate you watching and for commenting, more than I can express. :)
I loved this video, especially hearing about you working at EA and spending your breaks with Rob playing Def Jam Vendetta. You seem like a cool dude, subscribed :)
Great Video!
Thanks so much for watching!
I love the video and these games! My only gripe is with sequels in NFL street. You mentioned that there wasn't any new additions, but the wall run mechanic is HUGE. I used that so much as a kid. Might be small, but a huge addition in my eyes. Love the video!
I will always tell my friends and anybody that is on the subject of EA Sports...
EASPORTSBIG was and always will be THE greatest thing that EA has ever done man...
The games were amazing and so much fun man!!! If I could go back to relive my childhood getting home after school or staying up late weekends playing hours upon hours of Def Jam, NBA Street, NFL Street, SSX.. my goodness what a time 🙏
It was such a treat to have the BIG titles releasing alongside the core Sports titles we worked on. Thank you for playing the games, and thank you for watching!
EA Tiburon was one of my favorite developers in the early 2000s, thanks to NFL Street and Arena Football, as well as the obvious, Madden (I wasn't allowed to watch ESPN as a kid [long story] which is why 2K wasn't on my radar back then). I just bought a PS2 to play some games like those and Shox, which I also had, but wasn't made by Tiburon. I never had SSX, though. I'll have to give 3 a shot!
To me freakstyle is an A. Loved that game
It'd be an A for me now as well, actually! Been a couple months since I released this video, and Freekstyle is the one I keep coming back to from the games featured here. I completely whiffed on the rating for it!
I've played a vast majority of these games for many many years and I still go back to them from time to time. I still own a PS2 to this day because of many of these games!
If I had to rank my personal top 5:
1. NBA Street Vol. 2
2. SSX Tricky
3. NFL Street 2
4. NFL Street
5. NBA Street
these games all literally shaped my idea of what a good video game should be like and also were huge contributions to what kinda music I like. definitely helped shape my life. thank you for doing this! 🙏🏿
NBA Street 1 also had the game breaker but it didn't have the gamebreaker 2 system. Nor did it take more than 1 point from the opponent
Thank you for helping make these AMAZING games that are true masterpieces and that made childhood that much better for my generation! These games should go into the video game hall of fame!!
I agree mostly. I have a few things that I experienced as a gamer/customer/fan of EA big. I think SSX Blur Killed SSX. It was one of the few games that I returned within an hour of purchase. The game was just not what I wanted/expected from SSX. Even the GameStop employees did not recommend it and said it was bad. SSX 2012 was a step back in the right direction and is a great game but unfortunately the damage was done.
I truly miss EA big and their over the top insanity arcade sports titles. I would gladly welcome them back if they did an SSX collection for the 9th and 8th generation.
Yeah SSX 2012 (or Deadly Descent as its working subtitle) was an A-tier game with way more depth and great asynchronous multiplayer challenges and just so much to it. It had a few blemishes and 720p30 is really hard to go back to and that game was way more hardcore than I remembered trying to play, easily the steepest learning curve of any game on this list, but man it was great. Too bad it sold like crap.
@@Parker-- I loved the hell out of SSX 2012, definitely doesn't hit the highs of SSX 3 but great in its own right. The biggest issue I had with it was the courses were designed with the "instantly end your run bottomless pits" a lot and the deadly descents kinda seemed antithetical to the idea of SSX in general. The wingsuit was fun as hell to play with though once you got the hang of it.
@@gwakamoley Yeah the learning curve was steeper than the game's mountainsides lol.
Good video! EA Sports BIG basically shaped my love for sports growing up! I'd personally put Homecourt up a tier to at least a B, but a C I can understand. I found it fluid and taking the tricks and combos in a different direction from Street V3 wasn't bad. It felt like a Hybrid of Vol. 2 and V3. While the gameplay side of it was good, the game lost a bunch of the atmosphere built up from the first 3. Suffering the same fate as the other BIG games to come to that generation of consoles.
I can definitely see the hybrid of 2 & 3 in play, great observation! But yeah, the thing that brought it down was what brought everything down when it got to the 360/PS3 generation - they played it safe. Just didn't work for me. :) Thanks for watching!
3 on 3 NHL arcade was a really fun game on ps3/360 it was developed I think under EA’s label and not the ea big label and it was over the top fun. Fifa street games were cool but never grabbed me. My favorite nba street game was vol 3 because of the inclusion of Mario, Luigi and peach and it was so much fun and the street series was also great because it was a step above nba jam. My biggest problem with home court was including indoor courts?? The game is called street. NFL street was too busy being blitz . I never heard of shox and I am stunned . The Ssx series was absolutely amazing, I can play them anytime and miss the series. Tricky was epic with the soundtrack. 3 is the better game though . I think the failure when we got to next gen on ps3 and 360 cause they tried to do too much. Fifa intregrated the street ball into its main game without the over the top fun unrealistic stuff . Great list though
I grew up on NFL street. Will sub since you’ve made a positive impact on my life
Thank you, Miclo! I appreciate you being here!
I don’t think it can be understated the dirty awful things that I would do to get an nfl street 2 remaster with modern rosters. Imagine climbing walls to throw a 100 yard pass with Josh Allen
Josh Allen would absolutely wreck shop in a remaster. I'd love it if EA resurrected this imprint and brought these games back!
Bro thank you for your work on NFL Street I can't tell you how many hours of fun that brought me and my brother growing up. Even though we played the NFL Street 2 more LOL
Freekstyle is still, by far, one of my favorite games of ALL TIME. Top 10 easily
I gotta say, Freekstyle was not the game I picked as having it's hooks in me the deepest after recording this video a couple months ago. But no lie, it's probably the one I've played the second most behind Sled Storm.
@@SquarePegs I'm sad that my emulator of it seems to have loads of invisible walls everywhere and make it unplayable. I would play it on original hardward, but my PS2 recently decided it was time to stop working
Just found this channel. What a GEM , keep up great work & great rankings. Also love the facts and details in the video
I feel like Freekstyle should definitely be an A because the trick system in that game was like no other, the modes were great, tracks were great, each character was different and the bikes were cool and top of that you could customize the characters. Definitely deserves at least an A
I gotta be honest - since I recorded this video a couple of months ago, Freekstyle is the one game I've gone back to more than any of the others. If I recorded today, it'd hav an A. I admit my mistake on that one. :)
Great content! made me so nostalgic for games I forgot I even played like the NFL street series! thanks man!
Thanks for watching!
SSX 3 is still the Best snowboarding game ever even today, tricky the second
Nba street 1 was very impressive and fun, the second is legendary
I think freekstyle deserve better rank even if it is not my favorite ea big game
The ps2 era was the golden age of EA with EA big, fight for NY, LOTR, James bond games, The Sims, NFS and burnout series at their prime
It was certainly the golden age, no argument there! We got to make some killer titles and it was a great system to work on and develop for.
I've gone back on Freekstyle and played it a lot more - and I legitimately think it's a fun game. I'd probably bump it up a grade at this point!
The only other snowboarding game that comes close is 1080 Avalanche on gamecube.
Amazing video man! Nba street 2 is my childhood but I really enjoy 3 as well
Street 2 is almost unfair to have on this video because it's so good - everything gets skewed by how great of a game it is. :) Thanks for watching!
SSX 3 is by far my most favorite game of all time. I have a friend who owned a PS2, the only one in my entire village, and one day I decided to get him a game for his birthday. And there it was, a single sealed copy of the game, for just 200 Russian rubles (around 6$ at that time, which was in 2010).
Don't even know how it ended up in a Russian Ashan store in 2010, but I thought that it looked cool with that boxart and all, so I bought it. We never stopped playig since, not until his PS2 died. And after that we continued to play it on PC through PCSX2.
I'm not even joking when I say that this was a lifechanging experience, which made me even more curious about game development and programming, which in turn made me one years later. SSX 3 is surely a masterpiece for me. Still playing it till this day (and still can't perform monster tricks reliably lol).
I just wanted to thank you for sharing this story. THIS is why games are great, and I'm so happy SSX 3 brought you to becoming a game developer. The industry is better because of your passion that led you there!! (I can't do the monster tricks reliably, either!)
i still play nfl street 2 and nba street 2 and 3 on emulator to this day, those games were just masterpieces and some of the best parts of my childhood. that nba street 2 soundtrack lives in my head rent free 😂 awesome video man!
Man, you nail it with every one of these videos. Wishing I found your channel sooner lol! You said you worked for EA??? I'd love to pick your brain sometime and exchange some game brainpower! NBA Street Volume 2 is absolutely as you said, the king of street basketball. It's such an amazing single player experience and that to me is what makes it hold up, I go back every few years to replay it, and having some of my favorite teams ever, especially the Pistons and Lakers of that era, just makes it oh so sweet. The PSP one was at the time, amazing to have as a portable game but, of course it can't hold up to the mainline games. And homecourt, yeah, by then the specialness of the games wore off, and it was just an average sequel.
Never played NFL Street, forgot that was a thing. Played Fifa street from but, I like the Mario Strikers game which is like a Mario reskin of Fifa street better. But wow. SSX, SSX Tricky is oddly, just like NBA Street vol.2 where it's the middle of the 3 games of that era yet, it's by far the best one. It was just perfect. What you said about Fifa and NBA street on xbox 360 is how I feel about SSX 3. It's too clean in a bad way. It's still good but it doesn't feel the same. I never liked snowboarding, hated it, same with skateboarding. But we were all playing Tony Hawk games for years, and the same goes for SSX. It's just such a fun series, that you don't need to be into the sport to enjoy it. And that's insane to me! Imagine someone who's never watched football, hates it, but they still buy every Madden game. I don't think that exists! But for SSX, it did! A true legendary series :)
Oooh, I don't think I nail it - I miss a LOT in these videos as folks are so happy to tell me about. ;) But I do my best, and that's all I can ask for.
I'm glad you've found the channel now! I Do enjoy doing sports content, not only because I worked at EA, but also because I just legitimately love sports video games. I'm a bizarre mix of loving sports titles and loving RPGs - NBA 2K's create-a-player mode was apparently designed specifically for me. ;)
I will extoll the virtues of SSX and the Street games for all to hear - I truly think they were significantly more important than a lot of folks - EA included - realize. They brought people to the franchises, and that matters.
And legit, any questions you have, feel free to ask! I'm a fairly open book about 90% of my time in the industry. The other 10% are either things I won't share due to personal reasons, or that it's been a long time since I worked there and I'm over 40, so I forget some things. ;)
@@SquarePegs Haha well nothings perfect! I appreciate the kindness though. Games keep me alive. I went through opioid addiction, losing my fiancee in a hit and run while she was right next to me, becoming disabled and losing a lot of possibilities of things I can do in life,, somehow overcame all that and games plus Mixer/Twitch were a big reason why. Do you have a Discord? Or maybe a instagram or something we could DM? Im always down for game conversation!
And yeah those games had a big part in why PS2 became so successful! I know they came out on other consoles later but originally, when PS2 was new and it was taking like, 6 months for everyone to really get a console, those games started to become a big reason to get one.
As far as questions, 1 thing Im always curious about is the different versions for each console! I know SOME about how that works, sometimes the game is built from the ground up for each console, sometimes its made for 1 and ported to another, but maybe you know like for example, a game such as SSX Tricky.
Would it have been made on an engine for PS2 first, and then had all its data copied and put straight into the Gamecube or Xbox's language/engine? The games on multiple consoles like the EA Sports games are so similar on each console, I assume they create the code for the game and then just kinda copy and paste it into each consoles engine but, maybe thats not how it works, IDK if that makes sense Im quite tired today lol.
You worked at ea in their prime. Thank you bro my childhood was blessed cause of y’all
I'm glad you talked about Fifa Street 3, it felt like ice skating, the controls felt delayed or unresponsive. I was borderline obsessed with the first one, but then 2 and 3 felt so strange
Freekstyle! Had it for the GameCube growing up and me and my brother literally almost got into fist fights over the rage! Loved it
13:12 nfl street n def jam fight for ny top 2 ea games ever made 🔥
My man. Thank you so much for playing the things we made. I cannot tell you, even as far removed as we are from those releasing, how much that still means to me.