NCAA March Madness 08
Score: 77% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Canada Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 4; 2 (Online) Genre: Sports (Basketball)
Graphics & Sound: At the very least, NCAA March Madness 08 looks like a next generation title should. Character models are detailed and, though they move a little slower than real life players, show off a variety of animations. Character movement, however, becomes a bit of a problem during games though; there are a number of scripted sequences that play out during games that, regardless of what is happening on the court, always seem to play out the exact same way. Though not a completely visual problem, there are a number of clipping issues that pop in. This introduces a few not-so-obvious issues with gameplay. Though it doesn't happen a lot, there are times where a player will pass through a blocking player or the ball will literally pass right through a blocker's hands. Then there are the framerate issues, which contribute to the game's slow feel. Both the play-by-play and color commentary, once again provided by Dick Vitale and Brad Nessler, are both bad. Repeated, canned phrases are something most sports gamers have come to accept in games, but March Madness 08 takes it to a new level. Not only are phrases repeated, but most of the time they either lag behind the action or are irrelevant. Erin Andrews joins the crew this year as a sideline reporter and does a pretty good job.
Gameplay: One of the more puzzling decisions to pop up in the next-gen crop of sports games is the removal of prominent features. NCAA March Madness 08 isn't the worst of offenders when it comes to eliminating features, but it is still strange that fun features, like Create-a-School, are gone. However, you still have the option of creating your own player, though it doesn't go much further than that. Dynasty is the game's core mode. In addition to playing through seasons, you also conduct all of the activities that go along with coaching a college program. You'll have to conduct practices, work with scheduling and most importantly, recruit new players. The overall management interface uses a series of e-mails to keep you up to date on everything, which is really nice and keeps the experience from feeling too overwhelming. The Athletic Director will keep you informed of major issues while assistant coaches will send you scouting reports on recruits. If managing a team isn't for you, you can also jump right into major tournaments with your team or play against other players online. Online play is solid, with little in the way of lag during games. Up to 32 users can also participate in online leagues. One of the big new features in March Madness 08 is better crowd participation, which is a big part of the entire college experience. Before games, you have the opportunity to play a timed shot mini-game. If you are able to match the target score, your team earns an intensity bonus that will give your team a bit of a boost. During games, you can use Impact Moments, which have about as much impact as the Intensity bonus - which is to say it doesn't seem to matter. Players are just as good with the Intensity boost as they are without it and all Impact Moments really seem to do is make the crowd louder and earn some sort of mention from the broadcasting crew. Another spirit-related addition is School Pride. Completing challenges during Dynasty Mode unlocks items that add to your school's overall prestige level, making it more appealing to recruits. Going after challenges is fun and a nice way to keep you plugged in as the season chugs along. Classic teams are also around.
Difficulty: As is usually the case with sports games, the team you play with will have an impact on the difficulty of each game. However, it is still possible to win with even a bad team; my virtual LSU team had a much better record than the real one currently has. When it comes to pure mechanics, however, newcomers face a steep learning curve when it comes to learning the mechanics. Although the curve won't be quite as steep, veterans will also have to readjust to the controls' improved feel and responsiveness. A number of difficulty settings are available, so you can always adjust the game to fit your comfort level. Casual fans will want to stick to lower levels, while vets will have a good time on higher ones. The A.I. is generally aggressive and usually puts up a good game. The only time it ever feels cheap is when phantom fouls are called or obvious fouls are overlooked. On the positive side, these calls go both ways... sometimes.
Game Mechanics: Most of the game's problems are purely mechanical. Gameplay feels way too slow; players move sluggishly around the court with no noticeable player pep or excitement, even when the crowd really kicks into gear. This completely kills the atmosphere the game is trying to create by including crowd participation. Ball physics are really off and probably need to be retooled. While players loaf around the court, the ball flies like a ping-pong ball. The only time the ball doesn't move too fast is while bouncing, when it suddenly becomes a semi-deflated volleyball. Gameplay and controls feel a lot like NBA Live, which is a good thing or bad thing depending on you feelings towards EA's pro offering. One of the new additions this year is new low-post controls, which give you a few more options on both offense and defense. While on offense, you can pull off various fakes and other moves to try and throw off defenders. On defense, you can flick the right stick to get behind or try a player or try and get in front of him for a hard passing situation. If you're feeling really lucky, you can also try for a steal by pressing (X), though if you're not dead on, you'll usually lose your ground. Though a useful addition once you figure it out, its effectiveness varies depending on your team. If you don't have big bodies on your team, which was a big problem for my team, low-post play isn't that useful. A few clipping issues also pop up during low-post play. There were times where I had an obvious steal, but the ball went right through my player's hand. The same is true for rebounds, which are sort of goofy since everyone just jumps in the air with their hands in the air. If the ball hits the right part of their hand, it's a rebound. Considering the popularity of college basketball, well at least during the month of March, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to expect EA to give its college basketball franchise the same attention as its football franchise. Though an okay game, at least when compared to a few other basketball games on the market, NCAA March Madness 08 isn't what it could, and probably should, be.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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