First Look at NCAA 08

[brady_branch]

IGN interview with cover athlete Jared Zabransky of Boise State: http://sports.ign.com/articles/769/769819p1.html

[ATLFalcons]

What in the world? Zabranksy on the cover of NCAA 08!!! Out of the all of the great players this year they chose him! How about Calvin Johnson or Dwayne Jarrett? Who do you think should've graced the cover?

[brady_branch]

I actually kind of like it. Enough of Reggie Bush, Larry Fitzgerald, and Carson Palmer. How about somebody who wasn't even invited to the Heisman ceremony? Plus, he plays for Boise State. Actually, I would have put Ian Johnson on the cover if they didn't do a running back last year.

BTW, the official site: http://www.easports.com/ncaa08/

[brady_branch]

I forgot I had already posted here about this game. It comes out tomorrow, and I want to be first in line to get it when GameStop opens at 10 AM. If I get it, I'll be sure to give you guys a review.

What I'm really looking forward to is the new Super Sim feature. One of my biggest problems with football games is that even if you're up 50 points, you still have to play out the whole game if you want it to count. Also, in baseball games, which often let you simulate to the end, you can't stop the simulation and jump right back in. NCAA 08 will let me do both those things. I really can't wait for tomorrow.

[EaglesFan]

The Legend mode is something I'm looking forward to.

[ATLFalcons]

I forgot I had already posted here about this game. It comes out tomorrow, and I want to be first in line to get it when GameStop opens at 10 AM. If I get it, I'll be sure to give you guys a review.

What I'm really looking forward to is the new Super Sim feature. One of my biggest problems with football games is that even if you're up 50 points, you still have to play out the whole game if you want it to count. Also, in baseball games, which often let you simulate to the end, you can't stop the simulation and jump right back in. NCAA 08 will let me do both those things. I really can't wait for tomorrow.
Those were the days. I bought NCAA 2003-6, but I didn't buy 07. My love of video games has just fizzled out. You think there will be a line for this game? I remember buying it on July 17 all four years and they always had it in stock.

[C. Snake]

The Legend mode is something I'm looking forward to.

I hope its as good as Madden '07's Superstar.

[brady_branch]

I've got it... but my PS2 won't cooperate. It's got a bad case of the DREs. :(

The Legend mode looks like I'll play it for hours and hours on end. I didn't get Madden or NCAA 07 (I usually skip a year with football games), but Race for the Heisman in NCAA 06 and the original Superstar mode were amazing. Best gameplay modes ever. And this looks like the best yet.

[redlegsfan21]

Kinda like me except that I ran out of money. And usually I don't buy the same franchise twice. Football: Madden 2003, NFL GameDay 2003 (haven't played it though so it doesn't count), College Football 2005. Baseball: All-Star Baseball 2004 (2003 game), MVP 2005. Hockey: NHL Hitz (2003), NHL 2007. Kinda sad that I have only one sports game from 2006-2008. Anyone want to give me some old games?

[ATLFalcons]

Sure, I'll donate all of my games to you! Even though this is kind of off topic, All Star Baseball was my favorite baseball series. I liked what they did with ASB 2004 (trivia game, scenarios, expansion). Too bad it got canceled.

Another ASB side note....


Do you know the name of the song that was played on the menu screen?

[redlegsfan21]

Sure, I'll donate all of my games to you! Even though this is kind of off topic, All Star Baseball was my favorite baseball series. I liked what they did with ASB 2004 (trivia game, scenarios, expansion). Too bad it got canceled.

Another ASB side note....


Do you know the name of the song that was played on the menu screen?

It's the theme to the Natural. I really don't need more video games though considering I'm going off to college in the fall.

[brady_branch]

I got it to work. I haven't thoroughly explored it yet, but what I've seen is solid, though it doesn't quite live up to my expectations. This game is amazing for the 360. The best football game ever by far. For the PS2... not so much.

[Fumble]

I got it to work. I haven't thoroughly explored it yet, but what I've seen is solid, though it doesn't quite live up to my expectations. This game is amazing for the 360. The best football game ever by far. For the PS2... not so much.

For the 360... I agree. I still think 2005's game play was the "best football game ever"

Now with that said, as a rule (in my opinion) Madden is 2 steps ahead of NCAA's football. So I have HIGH expectations now for the Madden game..

360 NCAA is awesome.

[brady_branch]

First off, I have this to say: The Legend mode really didn't live up to my expectations at all. I can be a two-star RB (I really stink at the Oklahoma drill, my style is cutting everything outside), go to a BCS school, start at tailback even though I'm only the sixth best on the team, pick off three passes playing defense (even though my guy is a HB), rush for 300 yards, and win the national title with Purdue.

Dynasty mode is a different story. It's deep, fun, replayable, everything you'd ever want from a dynasty mode. There really are no serious flaws, and I've spent the majority of my time playing this mode. It's immensely fun, the same as it's been for most of the series' previous iterations. This is truly the highlight of the game.

The gameplay is largely unchanged since 2006. It apparently got none of the updates from the 360 and PS3 versions, namely Super Sim (which is what I was really looking forward to, it's no fun breaking the NCAA rushing record with Keon Lattimore and then having to keep running all over a D1-AA school). It has the QB Avoidance stick, which I never use, since I almost always roll out, throw a curl route, or get sacked. The Motivation feature is a bit overstated, in that it's next to impossible to reverse the momentum once it gets all the way in the other team's favor, even for the CPU, but it works fairly well when it's not ending the game in the first quarter after you break off a 83-yard TD run. All in all, the gameplay, while good, is largely unchanged over the last two years.

All in all, for the PS2, it's a good game if you haven't played anything since 2005, but for those who bought last year's, you may as well stick with it (unless you feel like dropping 50 bucks for what's basically a roster update). If you have a 360, by all means, buy it. I've played it at my friend's house, and I was absolutely blown away by the awesomeness of it. If Madden can top this, EA can just stop making football games, because they'll have reached the limit.

[redlegsfan21]

First off, I have this to say: The Legend mode really didn't live up to my expectations at all. I can be a two-star RB (I really stink at the Oklahoma drill, my style is cutting everything outside), go to a BCS school, start at tailback even though I'm only the sixth best on the team, pick off three passes playing defense (even though my guy is a HB), rush for 300 yards, and win the national title with Purdue.

Dynasty mode is a different story. It's deep, fun, replayable, everything you'd ever want from a dynasty mode. There really are no serious flaws, and I've spent the majority of my time playing this mode. It's immensely fun, the same as it's been for most of the series' previous iterations. This is truly the highlight of the game.

The gameplay is largely unchanged since 2006. It apparently got none of the updates from the 360 and PS3 versions, namely Super Sim (which is what I was really looking forward to, it's no fun breaking the NCAA rushing record with Keon Lattimore and then having to keep running all over a D1-AA school). It has the QB Avoidance stick, which I never use, since I almost always roll out, throw a curl route, or get sacked. The Motivation feature is a bit overstated, in that it's next to impossible to reverse the momentum once it gets all the way in the other team's favor, even for the CPU, but it works fairly well when it's not ending the game in the first quarter after you break off a 83-yard TD run. All in all, the gameplay, while good, is largely unchanged over the last two years.

All in all, for the PS2, it's a good game if you haven't played anything since 2005, but for those who bought last year's, you may as well stick with it (unless you feel like dropping 50 bucks for what's basically a roster update). If you have a 360, by all means, buy it. I've played it at my friend's house, and I was absolutely blown away by the awesomeness of it. If Madden can top this, EA can just stop making football games, because they'll have reached the limit.

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I have NCAA Football 2005 but for Gamecube. Now I'm getting rid of my GameCube (more like moving away from it) but I plan on getting 2008 for my PS2 which I will keep. I'll probably buy it during September hoping the price has dropped a little bit. Now I've played Madden 07 on the PS2 before and I'm wondering if the controls are similar to Madden on a PS2.

[brady_branch]

I've only played Madden 07 on the Xbox, so I can't help you there. They're similar to Madden 06, which is probably similar to Madden 07. The only thing is the Jump the Snap feature (which is amazing BTW), which is mapped to the X button.