Overall: Overall this is my favorite sport game to date. College or otherwise. I love the mascot games and the dynasty mode is fantastic. Graphics are clean, sound is good. Dick Vitale has something to say about everything. I really like the different buttons for dunk and shoot, eventhough I still get it confused sometimes. The low post moves are good and the freestyle gets better every year. In Dick Vitales words.. "IT'S AWSOME BABY!!" Gameplay: The gameplay is very nice. The freethrows in the game are a lot better then espn. The EA freestyle feature is still great. The dynasty mode is unbelievable, when choosing a schedule teams can reject your offers to play them. It has the same features in NCAA football were you can check standings, awards, coaches polls, and coaching report cards. Another reason I gave the gameplay a 5 is the fact that you can do mascot games. Nothings better then playing a heated game of basketball with a orange and a tree. Graphics: The grafics are very nice and smooth. The crowd has a more realistic look to it then in recent years. The players animations are nice and crisp. I really like the stadiums/fieldhouse/gym that the games are held in. I dont like that fact that it doesn't sopport HDTV and that is why im giving it a 4.5 Sound: OK.... When EA says its in the game, it usually is. That can be good or bad, Dick Vitale has something to say about everything. I mean everything. There is a little annoying bobblehead of ole Dickie in the corner and he can put his two cents in. It is pretty funny but it turns to annoying really quick. As for the crowd. It sounds like your in the actual fieldhouse/gym/stadium. The crowd cheers and stomps thier feet and it all sounds quite nice. Although it doesnt have In-game Dolby Digital or custom soundtracks. Adding in some music during halftime or before games would make the game more realistic. Suggestions: HDTV, DOLBY DIGITAL, CUSTOM SOUNDTRACKS, PUT THE GAME ONLINE, AND EASIER MENU
Overall: Small frustrations with the menu system aside, and minor roster/arena imperfections aside, this is the best basketball game yet, hands down. Better than this years NBA live, better than either ESPN game from this year, leaps and bounds better than either sega game was last year, and dont even get me started on last years inside drive...this is it, the real deal. Gameplay: This is where the game shines...simply put, the best yet. Smooth, flowing basketball. Fast, action packed basketball. Graphics: Well done, but once again, the lack of HDTV support by EA cost them a point. The graphics are pretty clean...if only they supported 480P, im sure they would look cleaner and clearer and more 3D realistic on my TV. Sound: If i could give it a 6, i would. for the first time, fans seem like theyre AT A BASKETBALL GAME!!! People cheer when you make big plays. Not a minute later, not at random times, but just the way real fans do. They chant for their team. There is never a moment of silence from a college crowd, and one game maker finally got the idea that the crowd being energetic is a big part of the excitement of college basketball. Its hard to believe, but the sound almost makes the game. The commentators are ok too. Kinda funny to have dick vitale in a game... Suggestions: HDTV....HDTV... HDTV...also, a few things...Getting the names of the arenas correct should be simple, so why cant anyone do it? for example...Maryland doesnt play in Cole Field House any longer, havent for 2 years, and it isnt even Cole Field House modeled in the game (great job reproducing the Comcast Center guys!), so why couldnt someone have looked up the name of the new place (comcast center) when they were recreating it in the game??? the rosters...only minor mistakes this year, but still mistakes. players missing, players at wrong positions, etc. maybe hire a few kids from each big school to beta test your roster/school recreation? and a major frustration in the menu system...for the "edit player" menu, why not have it start with the team you designate as your favorite every time? This would make it a lot easier to enter players names and fix rosters for your favorite team...or better yet, maybe be able to sort by conference? I'll probably enter a lot of the names of the other conference teams too at some point...thats all for now. Good work though, this is the best one yet!!
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