NCAA March Madness
Brett Fischer
Issue date: 1/11/08 Section: Sports
Graphics
For a college basketball game, the graphics are pretty good. Even though #25 on Drexel doesn't look like Randy Oveneke and #15 on Drexel just looks like an average tall skinny kid, there is a good amount of attention to detail, especially in the post play.
Special Features - Post Control, ESPN and Retro Teams
The most impressive feature in March Madness is post control. The Dynamic Post Play allows the user to actually feel like Frank Elegar with the ability to do an array of moves in the pivot including hook shots, spin moves, up and unders and pump fakes. On defense the user can even use the R3 button (right thumb stick) in order to give the opposition's offense some different looks. In most basketball games, the low-post play entails trying to block the opposition from scoring by jumping or trying to scoring on the opposition with a dunk, layup hop step or hook shot. It's great to see centers finally dominating with their spin moves and back ins on offense.
Even if you don't have ESPN turned onto your television, you won't miss a beat. With the ESPN.com feature there is a live ESPN sports ticker as well as other news and updates that can be accessed through the game itself. If you are a big fan of ESPN, this is one of the best features of the game.
You get the ability to play with retro teams that feature retro players such as the 1979 Michigan State Spartans featuring Magic Johnson. There are over 70 classic teams, allowing you to put the best college teams of all time against each other. Sadly, there is no 1996 Drexel team.
Overall:
The slow play and poorly timed cheering of the fans really hurt the overall performance of the game. In Dynasty Mode, there should be more focus on having real schedules, especially since the game comes out late. There is also a lack of mini games such as 3-on-3, lightning and 21, limiting the replay value for the game.
But with the large amount of retro teams, the ESPN features and the Dynamic Post Play, NCAA March Madness '08 is a solid game and is certainly worth purchasing. The franchise took a step forward and if they include more game modes and fix the fan problem, this will be a great game.
Remember, you don't have to be on the basketball team and you don't have to walk to the Daskalakis Athletic Center to enjoy dunking on other opponents as Elegar. With Dynamic Post Play, you will be doing plenty of domination with Frank the Tank.
Rating: 3/4
For a college basketball game, the graphics are pretty good. Even though #25 on Drexel doesn't look like Randy Oveneke and #15 on Drexel just looks like an average tall skinny kid, there is a good amount of attention to detail, especially in the post play.
Special Features - Post Control, ESPN and Retro Teams
The most impressive feature in March Madness is post control. The Dynamic Post Play allows the user to actually feel like Frank Elegar with the ability to do an array of moves in the pivot including hook shots, spin moves, up and unders and pump fakes. On defense the user can even use the R3 button (right thumb stick) in order to give the opposition's offense some different looks. In most basketball games, the low-post play entails trying to block the opposition from scoring by jumping or trying to scoring on the opposition with a dunk, layup hop step or hook shot. It's great to see centers finally dominating with their spin moves and back ins on offense.
Even if you don't have ESPN turned onto your television, you won't miss a beat. With the ESPN.com feature there is a live ESPN sports ticker as well as other news and updates that can be accessed through the game itself. If you are a big fan of ESPN, this is one of the best features of the game.
You get the ability to play with retro teams that feature retro players such as the 1979 Michigan State Spartans featuring Magic Johnson. There are over 70 classic teams, allowing you to put the best college teams of all time against each other. Sadly, there is no 1996 Drexel team.
Overall:
The slow play and poorly timed cheering of the fans really hurt the overall performance of the game. In Dynasty Mode, there should be more focus on having real schedules, especially since the game comes out late. There is also a lack of mini games such as 3-on-3, lightning and 21, limiting the replay value for the game.
But with the large amount of retro teams, the ESPN features and the Dynamic Post Play, NCAA March Madness '08 is a solid game and is certainly worth purchasing. The franchise took a step forward and if they include more game modes and fix the fan problem, this will be a great game.
Remember, you don't have to be on the basketball team and you don't have to walk to the Daskalakis Athletic Center to enjoy dunking on other opponents as Elegar. With Dynamic Post Play, you will be doing plenty of domination with Frank the Tank.
Rating: 3/4
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