So here I am, after nearly a month playing NBA 10 The Inside, on the verge of a deadline struggling to find something to say. I suppose I could always slip into "Sports Game Review Mode" and use the now-standard format. Then again, how can I when the game's biggest draw isn't the "sports" part?

NBA 10 looks just as good, if not a little better, than last year's game. Players and arenas are as detailed as you could expect on the PSP. Animations are incredibly smooth and, aside from a few awkward transitional bumps (which is probably more a hardware issue than a game issue), look great in motion. There's also a few neat arena flourishes like video monitors and crowd reactions. Best of all, everything runs at a consistent 60 frames per second.

Commentary has been one of the series' ongoing issues, but it seems like the game is finally hitting its stride. Ian Eagle and Kenny Smith return and have more to say. Though not exactly in-depth, they manage to keep up with what's going on. Breaks between lines aren't apparent either, allowing commentary to sound slightly more fluid and less mechanical.

Despite the intro, make no mistake about it - NBA 10 The Inside is a tried and true basketball game. At the same time, the actual NBA part of the game is only a small part of the overall experience. As with past years, the collection of themed mini-games and alternate modes (some of which only loosely hold on to their NBA theme) steal the show.

Listing and discussing all of NBA 10's alternate modes would take more room than I have to type them up. Okay, so maybe that's a bit of hyperbole, but there's a lot to do. Mini-games are tucked in the Block Party section of the Main Menu. For those looking for a couple of quick play games, there's a set of Carnival-style games. These games take a number of liberties with the NBA license and should be recognizable to any one familiar with the PSP series.

There's a Breakout game where you bounce a ball into blocks in order to uncover logos and a Bust-a-Move (or Snood for casual players) clone where you match logos. There's also a pinball game and Block-a-Shot, which is Whack-a-Mole, but with a basketball. Of all the games, Block-a-Shot is probably the more interesting because of the quick timing needed to play. Instead of blind ground-rats, balls pop out of the ground, requiring you to hit corresponding face buttons and directions on the D-pad. It isn't difficult - particularly if you're a fan of button-tapping games like Rock Band/ Guitar Hero - but provides a nice bit of challenge. If timed button-mashing isn't for you, there's also Open Lanes, a bowling game.

The rest of the mini-games offer variations of Conquest Mode found in past seasons. There's the traditional Conquest Mode where you actually play basketball against other teams in a bid to take over the country on a Risk-like board, as well as other variations including a variant featuring NBA stars playing dodgeball. Like I said before - NBA 10 does it all.

For players in the mood for actual games of round ball, NBA 10 The Inside offers solid on-court action. Looking back at NBA 09, I'm tempted to do a quick cut and paste job when it comes to difficulty. While there are a few improvements, such as players not trying to force shots, I can't say that I noticed anything major. A.I.-controlled players will still make bone-headed plays and do a few things they have no business performing, but this is par for the course when it comes to sports games in general.

If there are any noticeable changes, they come with Franchise Mode. Last year, it was impossible to build a super team, but wasn't uncommon to score a really good deal on a superstar player. You'll still score an unbelievable deal every once in a while, but most of the trading exploits seem to have disappeared. One of the more novel and interesting Franchise options is the ability to manage the way your team plays (when you're simulating a game) with a series of sliders. It isn't perfect and is no substitute for playing, but welcome if you're just trying to get through a big stretch.

Mechanically, NBA 10 The Inside is identical to past games. Again, this is another area where I could simply cut and paste. The best shooting mechanic in videogame basketball returns along with the game's up-tempo pacing and gameplay. For those still unfamiliar with the shooting mechanic, when you're ready to shoot, a colored halo appears around the ball. A green halo means you're good to go while a red is a no go. Getting the timing down is harder than it sounds, though even newcomers will manage to get the rhythm down in no time.

Another of the game's returning mechanics is the quick gameplay. As tempting as it is to call the game "arcade"-like, the label would present the wrong idea about gameplay. The only arcade aspects you'll find are in the mini-games. Real games are faster than normal and trend towards creating exciting, big plays. This will disappoint purists, but it is no different than other sports games.

Still, even with the great shooting mechanic and Franchise Mode, mini-games still stand out as NBA 10 The Inside's "big mode." It is completely possible to pick up the game and never touch the basketball side of the game. Though it may cause some basketball fans to cringe, it's a great move on the part of Sony's San Diego Studio and makes sure that NBA 10 The Inside offers something for everyone.